The legendary singer-songwriter Jackson Browne is grappling with unimaginable grief following the sudden death of his son, Ethan Browne. The 77-year-old artist announced the devastating news on Wednesday, November 26, in a statement shared across his official social media platforms. Ethan, a model, actor, and musician in his own right, was 52 years old.
“It is with deep sorrow that we share that on the morning of November 25, 2025, Ethan Browne, the son of Jackson Browne and Phyllis Major, was found unresponsive in his home and has passed away,” the official statement read. “We ask for privacy and respect for the family during this difficult time. No further details are available at this moment.” The cause of death has not been disclosed by the family.
A Life Marked by Early Tragedy
Ethan’s life was marked by profound loss from an early age. His mother, model and actress Phyllis Major, married the “Running on Empty” singer in 1975 but tragically died by suicide in March 1976 at the age of 30, when Ethan was just a toddler.
The young child was immortalized in rock history in 1974, when he appeared with his famous father on the cover of Rolling Stone. The iconic photograph captured a tender moment, showing Browne holding his son and lovingly nuzzling up to his face.
Following his mother’s death, being a father became Jackson Browne’s central focus. The musician reflected on this period in a 2021 interview with Route Magazine, stating that after losing Major, raising Ethan was his “main focus” in life.
“I only had two things that I hoped I could fit together: being a songwriter and a father,” he said. “And I looked at it like this, if I have to only be a father, I hope I’ll know it, and just do that.”
A Creative Life in the Arts
As an adult, Ethan Browne built a multifaceted career in the arts. He ventured into acting, notably appearing in the 2004 Kate Hudson film Raising Helen. He also had a career as a model, featuring in high-profile campaigns for designers such as Isaac Mizrahi.
In producer Mark Ronson’s memoir, Night People, Ronson recalled befriending Ethan when they were roommates in New York City with actor Simon Rex. Ronson offered a vivid description of Ethan, calling him “the real deal — with an angular face and soulful gaze that seemed to reveal his deepest truths, even from a glossy page.” Ronson noted that Ethan possessed the “sharp cheekbones” of his late mother and the “soulful eyes” of his famous father.
Following his father’s footsteps, Ethan also involved himself in the music industry as the founder of Spinside Records, an imprint on Jackson Browne’s own independent label, Inside Recordings.
In a 2022 interview with Tru Rock Revival, Jackson Browne spoke with pride about the man Ethan had become, particularly praising his skills as a father himself.
“Ethan is a great father. He’s a great son, a great man,” Browne said. “I love seeing him with his kids. When I see him in his movies, modeling, with his daughter, and being such a great dad, it makes me very proud. It makes me feel I’ve done something really right in my life.”
Jackson Browne is also the father to son Ryan, 43, from his subsequent marriage to Lynne Sweeney. The entire family now faces a devastating and private period of mourning following this sudden loss.
