Jackson Browne | |
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 Browne performing at the Unsung Heroes tribute toEleni Mandell, January 2017 | |
| Background information | |
| Born | Clyde Jackson Browne (1948-10-09)October 9, 1948 (age 77) |
| Origin | Los Angeles, California, U.S. |
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| Years active | 1964–present |
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| Website | jacksonbrowne |
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Clyde Jackson Browne (born October 9, 1948) is an American rock musician, singer, songwriter, and political activist who has sold over 30 million albums in the United States.[1]
Emerging as a teenage songwriter in mid-1960sLos Angeles, Browne had his first successes writing songs for others. He wrote "These Days" as a 16-year-old; the song became a minor hit for the German singer andAndy Warhol protégéNico in 1967. He also wrote several songs for fellow Southern California bands theNitty Gritty Dirt Band (of which he was briefly a member in 1966) andEagles, the latter of whom had their firstBillboard Top 40 hit in 1972 with the Browne co-written song "Take It Easy".
In the early 1970s, Browne lived in a small apartment in theEcho Park neighborhood of Los Angeles. He started writing "Take It Easy" for his first album, but did not know how to finish it. His upstairs neighbor Glenn Frey came to visit and was able to help complete the composition. Frey recalled hearing Browne's persistent songwriting process, including the sound of his teapot and piano, from which he learned about the creative effort involved in finishing a song. Browne gave the completed song to Frey, who recorded it with his new bandEagles, taking the song onto theBillboard Top 40.
Encouraged by his successes writing songs for others, Browne released hisself-titled debut album in 1972, which included two Top 40 hits of his own, "Doctor, My Eyes" and "Rock Me on the Water". For his debut album, as well as the next several albums and concert tours, Browne started to work closely withthe Section, a prolific session band which also worked with a number of other prominent singer-songwriters of the era. His second album,For Everyman, was released in 1973. His third album,Late for the Sky (1974), was his most successful to that point, peaking at number 14 on theBillboard 200 album chart. His fourth album,The Pretender (1976), continued the pattern of each album topping the previous by peaking at number 5 on the album chart, and included the hit singles "Here Come Those Tears Again" and "The Pretender".
Browne's 1977 albumRunning on Empty, however, is his signature work; it rose to number 3 on the album chart and remained there for over a year. Both alive andconcept album, it explores in its songs the themes of life as a touring musician. The album was recorded both on stage and in places touring musicians spend time when not playing, such as hotel rooms, backstage, and in one case on a movingtour bus. The album produced two Top 40 singles, "Running on Empty" and "The Load-Out"/"Stay", and many of the other tracks became popular radio hits on thealbum-oriented rock format.
Browne had successful albums through the 1980s, including the 1980 albumHold Out, which was his only number 1 album; the non-album single "Somebody's Baby", which was used in the filmFast Times at Ridgemont High, and 1983'sLawyers in Love, which included the hit single "Tender Is the Night". In 1986, he releasedLives in the Balance, which had several radio hits and included the introspective "In the Shape of a Heart", which was inspired by the suicide of his first wife a decade prior. His string of hit albums came to an end at that point, as his next several albums failed to produce a gold or platinumRIAA rating.
He released two compilation albums,The Next Voice You Hear: The Best of Jackson Browne in 1997, andThe Very Best of Jackson Browne, released in conjunction with hisRock and Roll Hall of Fame induction in 2004. His most recent studio album is 2021'sDownhill from Everywhere, the follow-up to 2014'sStanding in the Breach, which included the first fully realized version of his song "The Birds of St. Marks", a song he had written at age 18. In 2015,Rolling Stone ranked him as 37th in its list of the "100 Greatest Songwriters of All Time".[2]
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Browne was born on October 9, 1948, inHeidelberg, Germany, where his father Clyde Jack Browne, an American serviceman, was stationed for his job assignment with theStars and Stripes newspaper. Browne's mother, Beatrice Amanda (née Dahl), was fromMinnesota of Norwegian ancestry.[3]
Browne has three siblings: Roberta "Berbie" Browne, born in 1946 inNuremberg, Germany; Edward Severin Browne, born in 1949 inFrankfurt, Germany; and his younger sister, Gracie Browne, born a number of years later.[3] At the age of three, Browne and his family moved to his grandfather's house,Abbey San Encino which is in theHighland Park district of Los Angeles.[4] In his teens, he began singingfolk songs in local venues includingAsh Grove andThe Troubadour Club. He attendedSunny Hills High School inFullerton, California, graduating in 1966.[citation needed]
After graduating from high school, Browne joined theNitty Gritty Dirt Band, performing at theGolden Bear inHuntington Beach, California, where they opened forthe Lovin' Spoonful. Later the band recorded a number of Browne's songs, including "These Days", "Holding", and "Shadow Dream Song".[5] He was in his friendPamela Polland's band, Gentle Soul, for a short time.
He left the Dirt Band after a few months and moved toGreenwich Village, New York, where he became a staff writer forElektra's publishing company, Nina Music, before he was eighteen. He reported on musical events inNew York City with his friends Greg Copeland and Adam Saylor. For the remainder of 1967 and also 1968 he was in Greenwich Village, where he backedTim Buckley and singerNico of theVelvet Underground.[6] In 1967, Browne and Nico were romantically linked; he became a significant contributor to her debut album,Chelsea Girl, writing and playing guitar on several of the songs (including "These Days"). In 1968, following his breakup with Nico, Browne returned to Los Angeles, where he formed a folk band withNed Doheny and Jack Wilce. This is when he first metGlenn Frey.
Browne's first songs, such as "Shadow Dream Song" and "These Days", were recorded by the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band,Tom Rush, Nico, Steve Noonan,Gregg Allman,Joan Baez,Eagles,Linda Ronstadt,the Byrds,Iain Matthews, and others. Browne did not release his own versions of these early songs until years later. SoonRolling Stone mentioned Browne as a "new face to look for" and praised his "mind-boggling melodies".[7]
In 1971, Browne signed with his managerDavid Geffen'sAsylum Records and releasedJackson Browne (1972) produced and engineered by Richard Orshoff, which included the piano-driven "Doctor My Eyes", which entered the Top Ten in theUS singles chart. "Rock Me on the Water", from the same album, also gained considerableradio airplay, while "Jamaica Say You Will" and "Song for Adam" (written about his friend Adam Saylor's death) helped establish Browne's reputation. Touring to promote the album, he shared the bill withLinda Ronstadt andJoni Mitchell.
His next album,For Everyman (1973), garnered good reviews but was less successful than his debut, although it still sold a million copies[8] and included his version of "Take It Easy", co-written withEagles' Glenn Frey, which had already been a major success for the group.
Late for the Sky (1974) consolidated Browne's fan base, and the album peaked at No. 14.[8][9] He gained a reputation for memorable melody, insightful, often personal lyrics, and a talent for his arrangements in composition. The title track was featured inMartin Scorsese's filmTaxi Driver. During this period, Browne began his fractious professional relationship withWarren Zevon, producing Zevon's first two Asylum albums.
Browne was accompanied on tour by his wife and their infant son. They traveled in a convertedGreyhound bus.[10] In 1975, Browne toured variously withEagles,Linda Ronstadt, andToots and the Maytals.[11]
Browne's next album,The Pretender, was released in 1976, after his wife's suicide. A year later, "Here Come Those Tears Again", co-written with his mother-in-law, Nancy Farnsworth, hit No. 23 on the pop singles chart. The follow-up album,Running on Empty (1977), recorded entirely on tour, became his biggest commercial success. Breaking the usual conventions for a live album, Browne used only new material and combined live concert performances with recordings made on buses, in hotel rooms, and backstage.[12]Running on Empty contains some of his most popular songs, including the title track and "The Load-Out/Stay", Browne's send-off to concert audiences and tribute to his roadies.
In spring of 1978, Browne appeared near a nuclear reprocessing plant inBarnwell, South Carolina, to perform a free concert the night before a civil disobedience action; he did not participate in the action. In June 1978 he performed on the grounds of theSeabrook Station Nuclear Power Plant construction site inNew Hampshire for 20,000 opponents of the reactor.[13]
Shortly after theThree Mile Island nuclear accident, during March 1979, Browne joined with several musician friends to found theantinuclear organizationMusicians United for Safe Energy.[14] He was arrested while protesting against theDiablo Canyon Power Plant nearSan Luis Obispo. His next album,Hold Out (1980), was commercially successful and his only number 1 record on theU.S. pop albums chart. In 1982, he released the single "Somebody's Baby" from theFast Times at Ridgemont High soundtrack, which became his biggest hit, peaking at number 7 on theBillboard Hot 100. The 1983Lawyers in Love followed, signaling a change in lyrics from the personal to the political. In 1985, he duetted withClarence Clemons on "You're a Friend of Mine".
Political protest featured in Browne's 1986 album,Lives in the Balance, explicitly condemning U.S. policy in Central America. Flavored with new instrumental textures, it was a huge success with fans, although less so with mainstream audiences. The title track was used at several points in the award-winning 1987PBS documentary,The Secret Government: The Constitution in Crisis, by journalistBill Moyers.
During the 1980s, Browne performed frequently at benefits for causes he supported, includingFarm Aid,Amnesty International (making several appearances on the 1986A Conspiracy of Hope tour), post-Somoza revolutionary Nicaragua, and theChristic Institute. The albumWorld in Motion, released in 1989, contains a cover ofSteven Van Zandt's "I am a Patriot".
Browne also performed alongsideRoy Orbison inA Black and White Night in 1988 along withBruce Springsteen andk.d. lang, among others.
Browne wrote and recorded the song "The Rebel Jesus" withthe Chieftains for their 1991 Christmas albumThe Bells of Dublin. In 1993, Browne releasedI'm Alive, a critically acclaimed album with a more personal style that did respectable business despite lacking a hit single. In 1994 he collaborated withKathy Mattea on "Rock Me on the Water" for an AIDS benefit albumRed Hot + Country produced by theRed Hot Organization.[15]
He sang a duet in 1995 withJann Arden, "Unloved", on her albumLiving Under June. Browne's own album,Looking East (1996), was released soon after, but was unsuccessful commercially.[15]
Browne released his first album in six years,The Naked Ride Home, in 2002, supporting it with an appearance onAustin City Limits. He guested as himself inThe Simpsons episode "Brake My Wife, Please" in 2003, performing a parody of his song "Rosie" with lyrics altered to reference the plot.
In 2003, three of his albums,For Everyman,Late for the Sky, andThe Pretender, were selected byRolling Stone on its list of the 500 best albums of all time. In 2004, Browne was inducted into theRock and Roll Hall of Fame.Bruce Springsteen gave the induction speech, commenting to Browne that althoughEagles were inducted first, "You wrote the songs they wished they had written."[16]
Browne appeared in several rallies for presidential candidateRalph Nader in 2000, singing "I Am a Patriot" and other songs. He participated in theVote for Change tour in 2004, playing a series of concerts organized byMoveOn.org to mobilize people voters forJohn Kerry in thepresidential election. In 2006, Browne performed withMichael Stanley andJD Souther at a fundraiser forDemocratic candidates inOhio. In the2008 presidential election, he endorsed John Edwards for the Democratic presidential nomination and performed at some of Edwards's appearances. AfterBarack Obama won the nomination, Browne supported him.[15] Browne also performed at the Occupy Wall Street presence at Zuccotti Park in Lower Manhattan in 2011 to show support for their cause.[17]
Solo Acoustic, Vol. 1, was released in 2005, consisting of live recordings of eleven previously released tracks including "The Birds of St. Marks", which dated to 1967.Solo Acoustic, Vol. 1 was nominated for a Grammy in 2007 in the category of Best Contemporary Folk/Americana Album. A live follow-up,Solo Acoustic, Vol. 2, was released in 2008.[15]
Browne is part of theNo Nukes group which is against the expansion ofnuclear power. In 2007, the group recorded a music video of a new version of theBuffalo Springfield song "For What It's Worth".[18][19] Browne made acameo appearance in the 2007 film,Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story.[20]
Browne's thirteenth studio album,Time the Conqueror, was released in 2008. It peaked at No. 20, which was his first top-20 album sinceLawyers in Love in 1983. (The album also reached No. 2 on the Billboard Independent Albums chart.)[21]
In 2008, Browne suedJohn McCain, theOhio Republican Party, and theRepublican National Committee for using his 1977 hit, "Running on Empty" without his permission for an ad againstBarack Obama.[22] In 2009, the matter was settled under an undisclosed financial agreement with an apology from theMcCain campaign and other relevant parties.[23]
In 2008, he appeared on theALMA Awards in a taped interview honoring Trailblazer Award recipient and long-time friendLinda Ronstadt. That same year, Browne performed at the Artist for the Arts Foundation benefit at theSanta Monica High School. Playing withHeart, and over 70 members of the Santa Monica High School Orchestra and Girls Choir, the event provided funds for the continuation of music education in public schools. Browne again appeared there with Heart and other guest stars the following year.[24]
In 2010, Browne covered "Waterloo Sunset" withRay Davies for Davies' albumSee My Friends. In 2011, he won the 10th Annual Independent Music Awards in the Best Live Performance Album category forLove Is Strange: En Vivo Con Tino, performed by himself andDavid Lindley.[25] Browne contributed a cover of Buddy Holly's "True Love Ways" for a 2011 tribute,Listen to Me: Buddy Holly. In 2012, he joined artists includingDavid Crosby andPete Seeger in supportingBen Cohen'sStamp Stampede campaign to legally stamp messages such as "Not to Be Used for Bribing Politicians" on American currency to build a movement to amend theU. S. Constitution to get big money out of American politics.[26]
In 2014, a 23-song, two-disc set titledLooking into You: A Tribute to Jackson Browne was released. It features covers of Browne's songs by such artists asBruce Springsteen,Don Henley,Lyle Lovett, andBonnie Raitt.[27] In 2014, Browne's 14th studio album,Standing in the Breach, was released.[28] In January 2016, Browne endorsedBernie Sanders for President of the United States.[29]
In 2016, at the58th Annual Grammy Awards, Browne and theEagles performed "Take It Easy" in honor ofGlenn Frey a month after his death.[30] Browne played himself and sang in an episode of theShowtime seriesRoadies.
In 2020, Browne released "A Little Soon to Say" as a single.[31] The following month he released another single, "Downhill from Everywhere".[32] Browne's fifteenth frontline album,Downhill from Everywhere, was slated to be released on his 72nd birthday, October 9, 2020, but was delayed due to theCOVID-19 pandemic.[33] A U.S. tour withJames Taylor, which was to take place in 2020, was likewise rescheduled to 2021.[34] In 2021, Browne collaborated withPhoebe Bridgers for a new version of her song "Kyoto", exclusively forSpotify.[35]Downhill from Everywhere was released in 2021.[36]
Browne has been married twice and has had two children. His first wife was actress and model Phyllis Major. Their son, model and actor Ethan Zane Browne, was born in 1973 and grew up in Los Angeles.[37] Jackson and six-month-old Ethan appeared together on the cover ofRolling Stone magazine in 1974. Ethan died on November 25, 2025 at the age of 52.[38] Jackson Browne and Phyllis Major married in 1975. She died of suicide at age 30 after consuming an overdose ofbarbiturates in March 1976.[39]
In 1981, Browne married model Lynne Sweeney. Their son, Ryan Browne, born a year later,[37] has been a member of Sonny and the Sunsets since 2007.[40] Browne and Lynne Sweeney divorced in 1983 when he started datingDaryl Hannah. That relationship ended in 1992.[41][42][43] He was with artist and environmental activistDianna Cohen,[44] through the mid-2000s. He has one grandson.[45]
Browne was active in theanti-nuclear movement in the United States, and co-founded MUSE (Musicians United for Safe Energy) withBonnie Raitt andJohn Hall in 1979. He was also an active member of theAbalone Alliance and Alliance for Survival.[14][46] According to environmental activistEd Begley Jr., "He's got this big wind turbine, and his ranch is completely off the grid", Begley said. "He's done all of it himself."[46][47][48]
Browne campaigns against unnecessary use ofsingle-use plastic water bottles and takes steps to reduce usage on his tours. He is part of the movement "Plastic Free Backstage".[14][49] In 2008, the Surf Industry Manufacturers Association gave Browne the honor of "Environmentalist of the Year".[15]
Browne received the Duke LEAF Award for Lifetime Environmental Achievement in the Fine Arts in 2010 for his environmental activism and efforts to make his tours more "green".[14]Save Our Shores (SOS), an ocean-advocacy group in California, honored Browne with their Ocean Hero Award on February 23, 2011. The mayor ofSanta Cruz, California,Ryan Coonerty, proclaimed the date "Jackson Browne Day" in Santa Cruz to honor Browne's social, environmental, and antiplastic activism.[50] Browne also attended theTEDxGreat Pacific Garbage Patch conference, performing a new song, "If I Could Be Anywhere", lamenting mankind's destruction of the earth.
Browne performed live and recordedthe Beatles medley "Golden Slumbers"/"Carry That Weight" in 1991 withJennifer Warnes for the charity albumFor Our Children to benefit thePediatrics AIDS Foundation. Browne and Warnes again performed it live for a benefit concert inTucson.[51]
On November 8 and 9, 1992, Browne appeared inHonolulu withBonnie Raitt andCrosby, Stills & Nash in a benefit concert for the victims ofHurricane Iniki, which devastated the island ofKauai two months earlier.
Browne performed and sang the role of theScarecrow inThe Wizard of Oz in Concert: Dreams Come True, a 1995 musical performance for charity alongsideRoger Daltrey,Natalie Cole,Nathan Lane, and other stars. The celebrity cast performed a reader's theatre and songs-styled performance of the MGM filmThe Wizard of Oz at theLincoln Center as a benefit for theChildren's Defense Fund. The performance was shown onTNT and issued on CD and video byRhino Records.
Browne coveredJohn Lennon's "Oh My Love" to benefitAmnesty International's campaign to alleviate thecrisis in Darfur. The song appears on the albumInstant Karma: The Amnesty International Campaign to Save Darfur, which was released on June 12, 2007, and features many other artists performing other Lennon covers, such asR.E.M.,Jack Johnson,U2,Avril Lavigne,Green Day, andthe Black Eyed Peas.
In 2008, Browne contributed to the albumSongs for Tibet, an initiative to support theDalai Lama,Tenzin Gyatso, and to publicize the human rights situation in Tibet.[52]
Browne coveredLowen & Navarro's "Weight of the World" onKeep The Light Alive: Celebrating The Music of Lowen & Navarro (2009). The proceeds of the album benefit The Eric Lowen Trust,ALS Association Greater Los Angeles, and Augie's Quest. Browne also held a benefit concert for the Rory David Deutsch Foundation which is dedicated to providing funding forbrain tumor research and treatment.
In October 2010, Browne performed at both days of the 24th annualBridge School Benefit concert, a yearly fundraiser established byNeil Young. TheBridge School assists children with severe physical impairments and complex communication needs. Browne also appeared at the 2010NAMM Show inAnaheim, California, withYoko Ono andQuincy Jones in support of theJohn Lennon Educational Tour Bus.[15]
In 2011, Browne,David Crosby,Graham Nash, andAlice Cooper performed at a benefit inTucson to benefit The Fund For Civility, Respect, and Understanding, a foundation that raises awareness of and provides medical prevention and treatment services to people with mental disorders. The concert also benefited victims of theJanuary 8, 2011, shootings in Tucson.[53] In 2013, Browne performed with theKings of Leon andthe Flaming Lips in Oklahoma City for Rock for Oklahoma, a benefit concert for Oklahoma tornado victims.
In 2012, Browne performed for Artists for the Arts benefit withGlen Phillips ofToad the Wet Sprocket and the bandVenice. The benefit was to keep arts and music in public schools funded and raised over $100,000. This was Browne's fifth appearance out of the nine annual shows that have taken place. In addition to their own set, Venice performed all supporting music along with a student orchestra and choir from theSanta Monica High and Malibu High school districts. The concert, held at Barnum Hall, was a sold-out event.
In 2013, Browne performed with students fromSchool of Rock West LA and Burbank in a benefit concert for the Rock School Scholarship Fund, at the legendary Troubadour in West Hollywood. His set of hits including "Somebody's Baby", "Doctor My Eyes", and "Take It Easy" were all performed with students aged 13 to 17 accompanying him. Money raised went toward scholarships for children who want to attend any music school in the US but whose parents do not have the financial means.
In 2014, Browne appeared at theArlington Theatre inSanta Barbara, California, in a benefit concert for Sanctuary Centers of Santa Barbara, a nonprofit providing mental health and co-occurring disorders treatment services.[54]Jeff Bridges andDavid Crosby also performed.[55] In 2015, Browne played a second concert for Sanctuary Centers at theSanta Barbara Bowl.[56]
Browne provides exclusive music tracks for various charity and benefit albums, includingSafety Harbor Kids Holiday Collection (where he sang theJohnny Marks holiday song "Silver and Gold" with longtime friendLowell George's daughter,Inara George). Browne provided a live version of "Drums of War" forThe People Speak Soundtrack. Other charity albums he has contributed to include:Acordes ConLeonard Cohen (song: "A Thousand Kisses Deep"),From Wharf Rats to Lords of the Docks Soundtrack (song: "Step By Step"),Shrink (theKevin Spacey film soundtrack; song: "Here"),Keep the Light Alive: Celebrating the Music ofEric Lowen andDan Navarro (song: "Weight of the World"), and1% for the Planet: The Music, Vol. 1 (a live version of "About My Imagination"), as well as many benefit concert and other appearances.[15]
Browne has been nominated eight times forGrammy Awards.[57]
In 2002, Browne received theJohn Steinbeck Award, given to artists who exemplify the environmental and social values in which Steinbeck believed.[59] On March 14, 2004, Browne was inducted intothe Rock and Roll Hall of Fame byBruce Springsteen.[60] In 2007, he was inducted into theSongwriters Hall of Fame.[15]
Browne was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2004. Bruce Springsteen inducted him. Also in 2004, Browne was named an honorary Doctorate of Music byOccidental College in Los Angeles for "a remarkable musical career that has successfully combined an intensely personal artistry with a broader vision of social justice."[59] For "promoting peace and justice through his music and his unrelenting support for that which promotes nonviolent solutions to problems both nationally and internationally", Browne received the Courage of Conscience Awards from The Peace Abbey inSherborn, Massachusetts.[61] In 2007, Browne was awarded the Chapin-World Hunger YearHarry Chapin Humanitarian Award.[59] In 2008, Browne received the NARM Harry Chapin Humanitarian Award.[59]
In 2008, Browne received the Golden Plate Award of theAmerican Academy of Achievement in recognition of his lifetime in the arts and dedication as a social activist. His award was presented by Awards Council member SenatorTom Daschle.[62] In 2010, Browne received the We Are Family Humanitarian Award.[63]
Browne was the 2014 recipient of the GRAMMY Museum Jane Ortner Education Award.[64] In 2018, he was the first artist to receive theGandhi Peace Award from the organizationPromoting Enduring Peace.[65] In 2024, Browne was honored with the American Music Honors from the Bruce Springsteen Archives and Center for American Music celebrating artists who have demonstrated artistic excellence, creative integrity, and a longstanding commitment to the value of music in our national consciousness.[66]
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