What you need to know
The cause of death of Jackson Browne’s son Ethan Brown, who passed away on November 25th at the age of 52, has been revealed.
Ethan, an actor and model, died from the effects of fentanyl, methamphetamine, and lidocaine, the Los Angeles County Coroner’s Office announced on Tuesday, January 13th. Ethan’s death was ruled an accident.
The 77-year-old Rock and Roll Hall of Fame singer-songwriter and political activist released a statement on Facebook on Nov. 26, confirming that his eldest son had passed away the day before.
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“It is with deep sadness that we share that on the morning of November 25, 2025, Ethan Brown, son of Jackson Browne and Phyllis Major, was found unresponsive in his home and passed away,” the statement said. “We ask for privacy and respect for the family during this difficult time. No further details are available at this time.”
Ethan was just a toddler when his mother, who was married to the “Somebody’s Baby” singer, died by suicide in 1975.
In a May 1974 interview with Rolling Stone magazine, Jackson talked about “writing, performing, and being a father,” although the magazine wrote that during the interview, “Jackson briefly played with the baby” after the show.
“I love it when he laughs,” the then 25-year-old artist said of Ethan. “His little voice, his little throat.”
He also talked about what made him want to become a father.
“I wanted a baby because I wanted to be a baby. We play together all the time. There’s a purity there. Look at the look on his face. He’s such a great guy,” the “Running on Empty” singer said in 1974.
The newborn baby appeared on the cover of the magazine with his father.
As an adult, Ethan found a foothold in Hollywood and became an accomplished model, appearing in campaigns for designers such as Isaac Mizrahi, according to producer Mark Ronson’s memoir Night People.
Ronson, 50, felt Ethan was made for fame, describing him as “a genuine person with an angular face and a soulful gaze that reveals his deepest truths even from the glossy pages.”
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He also wrote that Ethan had his late mother’s “sharp cheekbones” and his father’s “soulful eyes.”
In addition to modeling and founding Spinside Records, a subsidiary of Brown’s independent label Inside Recordings, Ethan also appeared on the big screen. She co-starred with Kate Hudson in the 2004 film Raising Helen.
Jackson also praised his son’s fathering skills in a 2022 True Rock Revival interview.
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“Ethan is a great father. He’s a great son and a great man,” Jackson said. “I love seeing him with his kids. When I see him be in movies, model, be with his daughter, and be a great father, I’m so proud. I feel like I really did the right thing in life.”
Jackson also has a 43-year-old son, Ryan, with ex-wife Lynne Sweeney.
