Jackson Browne

Singer/songwriter Jackson Browne practically defined the West Coast sound of the 1970s with the song “Take It Easy” - a major hit for Eagles - and many other beguiling songs created during his long and celebrated career. The son of an American serviceman, he was born October 9, 1948 in Heidelberg, Germany where his father was serving in the military. Raised in LA, he started as a folk singer in local clubs. He briefly joined the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band and, after moving to New York where he played in Tim Buckley's band, his songs were covered by The Eagles, Linda Ronstadt, and The Byrds. His 1972 self-titled debut album produced the top 10 single “Doctor My Eyes”. 1974’s Late for the Sky proved to be a breakthrough, reaching number 14 on the album chart. However, the suicide of his first wife led to the introduction of deeper themes on 1976’s The Pretender, which hit number 5. That set the stage for one of his biggest success, 1977's Running On Empty, a number 3 album with a title track that reached number 11. After the number 1 album Hold Out, he enjoyed another top 10 hit with “Somebody’s Baby”, which appeared on the soundtrack for the teen comedy Fast Times at Ridgemont High. Always a vocal supporter of political issues, his songs became more pointedly political with Lawyers In Love (1983) and Lives in the Balance (1986) - a thinly disguised attack on US President Ronald Reagan. He continued to tour and perform in numerous charity events for nuclear proliferation, AIDS, and many other causes over the next three decades. Even though he was no longer a presence on the singles chart, LPs like 1996’s Looking East, 2008’s Time the Conqueror, and 2014’s Standing in the Breach all hit the top 40 on the album chart. Nearly fifty years after the release of his debut, Jackson Browne released Downhill from Everywhere in 2021.