Jackson Browne

In the ‘70s California folk music scene, Jackson Browne loomed large, helping define the sound and spirit of the era—and the West Coast itself—with his intimate, insightful songwriting and rootsy sound.

Born Clyde Jackson Browne in 1948 in West Germany, he was still a toddler when his parents headed to Los Angeles, and by the time he was a teen, he was writing songs and playing folk clubs in the city.

Browne didn’t make waves as a solo act until his first, self-titled record in 1972, but for nearly a decade before its release, he proved himself as a wunderkind songwriter and musician, working with artists like the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, Tim Buckley, Nico, and Linda Ronstadt.