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Who was Phyllis Major? All about Jackson Browne’s first wife as son Ethan Browne passes away

Ethan Browne, son of Phyllis Major and Jackson Browne, passed away at 52. His mother, Phyllis, passed away in 1976 by suicide.
posted by Vaishnavi Sah
Thursday 11/27/2025 at 7:27AM EST
  • American singer-songwriter and musician Jackson Browne and his son, Ethan Browne, interviewed by an an E! interviewer at the Hollywood premiere of 'Batman Returns' (Image via Getty)
    American singer-songwriter and musician Jackson Browne and his son, Ethan Browne, interviewed by an an E! interviewer at the Hollywood premiere of 'Batman Returns' (Image via Getty)

    Jackson Browne and the late actress and model Phyllis Major's son, Ethan Browne, recently passed away. He was 52 years old.

    Jackson shared the news in a Facebook post dated November 26, writing:

    "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. We ask for privacy and respect for the family during this difficult time. No further details are available at this moment."

    Fans flooded the internet with messages of support.

    "Condolences to Jackson Browne and his family for the tragic death of his son Ethan!" wrote one user.

    "heartbreaking. bless them. rest in peace, ethan. ♥️" stated another user.

    "That’s heartbreaking news. Losing a loved one at any age is a tragedy; my thoughts go out to the family during this tough time," another user commented.

    Born on January 9, 1946, in Tampa, Florida, USA, Phyllis Patricia Major was a renowned European model and actress who died by suicide at age 30 in March 1976. She appeared in There Once Was a Cop and The Candy Snatchers, per Find a Grave.

    According to her IMDb page, Patricia met Jackson at the Troubadour in Hollywood and welcomed Ethan on November 2, 1973. They later married in December 1975.

    Phyllis's IMDb page also notes that once her mother, Nancy Farnsworth, asked Jackson to review an unfinished song she had written, which he eventually incorporated into Here Come Those Tears Again. Phyllis herself also inspired Jackson's songs Ready or Not, Sleep's Dark, Silent Gate, and In the Shape of a Heart.

    Praising Ethan's parenting skills in a 2022 interview with Tru Rock Revival, Jackson said:

    "Ethan is a great father. He's a great son, a great man. 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."

    When Jackson Browne opened up about suddenly being a single dad

    In a 2021 interview with Route Magazine, Jackson Browne opened up about his experience of suddenly becoming a single dad to Ethan after Phyllis Major's passing.

    "Well, it was my main focus. I only had two things that I hoped I could fit together: being a songwriter and a father. 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," said Jackson.

    He continued:

    "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 Browne is also the father of Ryan, whom he welcomed with his ex-wife, Lynne Sweeney.

    TOPICS: Phyllis Major, Jackson Browne