Jackson Browne Shares Heartbreaking News About the Death of His Son Ethan at 52
Society of Rock
Announcement of Ethan Browne’s Passing
Jackson Browne is grieving the death of his son, Ethan Browne.
The 77-year-old singer shared the news on Wednesday, Nov. 26 in a statement posted on Facebook. Ethan, who worked as both a model and an actor, 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 statement read. “We ask for privacy and respect for the family during this difficult time. No further details are available at this moment.”
Family History and Early Memories
Ethan’s mother, Phyllis Major, married Browne in 1975. She died by suicide in March 1976 when she was only 30, leaving Ethan a toddler at the time. Her death had a lasting impact on the family.
Ethan appeared on the cover of Rolling Stone in 1974, only a few weeks after his birth. The photograph showed Browne holding him close, leaning in toward his face. Over time, the image became one of the singer’s most recognized early family moments.
Career in Modeling and Acting
As an adult, Ethan explored both acting and modeling. He had a role in the 2004 Kate Hudson movie Raising Helen, and he appeared in fashion campaigns for designers such as Isaac Mizrahi. Producer Mark Ronson mentioned Ethan in his memoir Night People, describing how they became friends while Ethan shared an apartment in New York City with Simon Rex.
Ronson wrote that Ethan was “the real deal — with an angular face and soulful gaze that seemed to reveal his deepest truths, even from a glossy page.” He also said Ethan carried the “sharp cheekbones” of his mother and the “soulful eyes” of his father. Ethan later founded Spinside Records, a division of Browne’s independent label, Inside Recordings.
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Browne’s Reflections on Fatherhood
Browne spoke about raising Ethan during a 2021 interview with Route Magazine. After losing Major, he said that being present for his son became the most important part of his 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.”
In a 2022 interview with Tru Rock Revival, Browne shared how proud he was of the man Ethan had become. “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.”
Browne is also the father of Ryan, 43, whom he shares with ex-wife Lynne Sweeney.
