Ethan Browne obit

Ethan Browne, Model-Actor-Musician and Son of Jackson Browne, Dies at 52

He was the son of model Phyllis Major, who died in 1976. 

He was not on the list.

Singer-songwriter Jackson Browne said Wednesday that his son Ethan, a model, actor and musician, has died.

A Facebook post from the “Running on Empty” singer’s official account noted that Ethan had died Tuesday morning. He was 52. A cause of death is not known.

“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 reportedly modeled for designers including Isaac Mizrahi. He also had roles in the 1995 Angelina Jolie-Jonny Lee Miller film Hackers, the 2004 Kate Hudson movie Raising Helen and the TV series Birds of Prey.

Ethan also followed his dad into music. He was part of the duo Alain Zane with Cat Colbert, whose father Charles Colbert played bass for Harry Belafonte and others. The duo released their debut album, Right Before Your Eyes, in 2022.

Born on Nov. 2, 1973, Ethan was the son of Jackson and model Phyllis Major.

In 1974, when he was only six months old, Ethan appeared on the cover of Rolling Stone magazine with his father.

Jackson and Major were married for four months, from December 1975 until March 1976, when she died by suicide. Ethan was only 2 at the time.

In 2021, Jackson opened up about suddenly being a single dad and pursing a music career.

“I only had two things that I hoped I could fit together: being a songwriter and a father,” he said at the time. “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. 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.”

Jackson also has another son, Ryan, with ex-wife Lynne Sweeney. The eight-time Grammy nominee is a member of the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame and the Songwriters Hall of Fame.

Actor

Raising Helen (2004)

Raising Helen

6.0

Devon

2004

 

Ashley Scott in Birds of Prey (2002)

Birds of Prey

6.4

TV Series

Matt Kendell

2002

1 episode

 

Angelina Jolie and Jonny Lee Miller in Hackers (1995)

Hackers

6.2

Curtis

1995

 

Thanks

3 Days Rising

the producers wish to thank

Post-production

 

Self

As I AM: The Life and Times of DJ AM - Director's Cut

Self

Post-production

 

Wasted Talent (2018)

Wasted Talent

5.4

Self

2018

 

As I AM: The Life and Times of DJ AM (2015)

As I AM: The Life and Times of DJ AM

7.2

Self

2015