Ethan Browne, 52, the son of singer Jackson Browne and late model Phyllis Major, was found unresponsive in his home and has passed away, the family said Wednesday. A statement posted to the “Running on Empty” singer’s official Facebook page announced the news. The update confirmed that Ethan had died on Tuesday morning. A cause of death has not been shared.
“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 post read.
“We ask for privacy and respect for the family during this difficult time. No further details are available at this moment.”
Ethan’s Life: Early Years, Family, and Creative Roots
Ethan was born on November 2, 1973. Major died by suicide in 1976, leaving Browne to raise their son as a single father. When Ethan was six months old, he appeared on the cover of Rolling Stone with Browne in 1974.
Ethan Zane Browne was born in Los Angeles, California, to Browne and Major, a model and actress. After his mother’s death, he was raised by Browne, who spoke openly about the challenges of balancing fatherhood with a rising music career.
Public records show that Ethan later married and had children, though details remain limited. He also had a younger half-brother, Ryan Daniel Browne, born in 1982 to Browne and Lynne Sweeney.
Producer Mark Ronson wrote about Ethan in his biography of Browne’s family, noting that Ethan had appeared in campaigns for designers like Isaac Mizrahi.
Modeling, Acting and Television Work
GettyEthan built a creative path that spanned modeling, acting, and photography. He appeared in fashion and commercial projects throughout the 1990s and 2000s, often working behind and in front of the camera.
His acting credits included the 1995 Angelina Jolie and Jonny Lee Miller film “Hackers,” the 2004 Kate Hudson film “Raising Helen” and the television series “Birds of Prey.”
Friends and colleagues remembered his distinctive looks and artistic energy, qualities he inherited from both parents and shaped into his own career.
Music Projects and His Father’s Reflections
GettyEthan also pursued music and performed as part of the duo Alain Zane with Cat Colbert. Colbert is the son of bassist Charles Colbert, who worked with Harry Belafonte and other artists. Alain Zane released their debut album, Right Before Your Eyes, in 2022.
Browne reflected on raising Ethan during a 2021 interview, speaking candidly about the pressures of balancing parenthood and career.
“I only had two things that I hoped I could fit together: being a songwriter and a father,” Browne told AARP.
“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. But life’s not like that and you don’t get a notice in the mail saying you’re blowing it as a parent. You think you have the advice and the help you need, and sometimes you don’t, or you don’t heed it.”
GettyHe continued, “The mistakes I’ve made as a parent are still with me. I think about them fairly often. It’s not that you’re not trying the whole time. It’s not that I wasn’t trying then. You’re just distracted by other things and some things don’t occur to you. Or maybe you ignore advice that you should have taken, because you’re overconfident.”
Browne is also father to Ryan, whom he shares with ex-wife Lynne Sweeney. He is an eight-time Grammy nominee and a member of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and the Songwriters Hall of Fame.
Godspeed Ethan. May your light continue to shine in the hearts of those who loved you. May your journey onward be peaceful, and may your memory remain a blessing to all who knew you.”