Soldier Dies In Bar Fight Over “Margaritaville”

A Fort Bragg soldier died early Monday morning after a bar fight erupted when he played Jimmy Buffett’s “Margaritaville” on the jukebox:

Sgt. 1st Class Richard Lopez, 37, of Fayetteville, N.C., died at 4:16 a.m. Monday at Denver Health Medical Center, according to Steamboat Springs Police Capt. Joel Rae.

Rae said Steamboat police have an ongoing “homicide” investigation into the incident and that the two men who allegedly assaulted Lopez are classified as “suspects.”

The dispute began, said Rae, when Lopez played the song on a jukebox in the Tap House Sports Grill late Thursday night.

Lopez’s relatives told The Denver Post that the song selected by Lopez was Buffett’s “Margaritaville.”

Rae said Lopez was obviously enjoying the song and that upset the two other patrons. The pair — whose names were not released — made disparaging remarks about the song’s selection, and the argument escalated on the street near the bar.

A fight erupted between one group, composed of Lopez and brothers Timothy and Wes Mottlau, and the second group composed of the two men originally offended by the song, said Rae.

Read the entire article here.