From Rolling Stone cover baby to creative force—Ethan’s life, career, and legacy revisited

Tragedy Strikes the Browne Family

Ethan Zane Browne, son of singer-songwriter Jackson Browne and late model Phyllis Major, passed away on November 25, 2025, at the age of 52. He was found unresponsive at his Los Angeles home. The heartbreaking news was confirmed by a statement shared on Jackson Browne’s official Facebook page.

“It is with deep sorrow that we share that on the morning of November 25, 2025, Ethan Browne… has passed away,” the message read.
“We ask for privacy and respect for the family during this difficult time.”

No cause of death has been made public, and the family has requested no further media inquiries at this stage.

A Childhood Marked by Love and Loss

Ethan was born on November 2, 1973, in Los Angeles. Tragically, his mother Phyllis Major died by suicide in 1976, leaving Jackson to raise Ethan as a single father. Ethan’s early life was lived partly in the public eye—most notably appearing as a baby with his father on the 1974 cover of Rolling Stone.

Despite his family’s fame, Ethan kept much of his personal life private. He later married and had children, and is survived by his younger half-brother Ryan Daniel Browne, born in 1982.

From Fashion to Film: A Creative Career

Ethan Browne carved a path through multiple creative industries. In the 1990s and early 2000s, he modeled for designers including Isaac Mizrahi, earning recognition for his striking presence and versatility.

He also pursued acting, with credits in the cult cyber-thriller Hackers (1995) starring Angelina Jolie, and the family drama Raising Helen (2004) with Kate Hudson. On television, he appeared in the series Birds of Prey.

Friends and collaborators described Ethan as a passionate artist with an innate creative spark—one who inherited the expressive fire of both his parents.

A Late Bloom in Music

In 2022, Ethan co-founded the music duo Alain Zane with Cat Colbert, son of bassist Charles Colbert. The pair released their debut album Right Before Your Eyes under Spinside Records, a label Ethan himself launched in partnership with Inside Recordings, the label founded by his father.

Spinside reflected Ethan’s commitment to supporting genre-defying, grassroots artists, and gave him a platform to blend his business acumen with musical storytelling.

Reflections From a Father

Jackson Browne often spoke openly about the challenges of fatherhood. In a 2021 interview with AARP, he reflected on raising Ethan while managing a high-profile career.

“The mistakes I’ve made as a parent are still with me,” Browne admitted. “You think you have the advice and help you need… and sometimes you don’t. Or you ignore it.”

That raw honesty revealed a deep love—and a lingering vulnerability—that defined their relationship across the decades.