Jackson Browne's musical career of more than thirty years has reached the hearts and souls of millions of fans around the globe. In the late 1960s and early 1970s, Jackson Browne's songs were recorded by artists such as Nico, Tom Rush, The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, The Eagles, Bonnie Raitt, The Byrds and Gregg Allman. As a singer-songwriter in the early 1970s, Jackson's music and lyrics reached a more personal level than any of his peers while selling millions of albums and performing endless tours. Hit singles like "Doctor My Eyes", "Rock Me On The Water", "The Pretender" and "Running On Empty" are still staples of rock and roll radio.

Jackson Browne started the 1980s with a #1 album in Hold Out and the hit singles "Boulevard" and "That Girl Could Sing" and followed up with the Top 10 Hit "Somebody's Baby". As his political activism and social agenda seeped into his music, Jackson Browne quickly took on a leadership role as the social and moral consciousness of his generation. In the 1990s Jackson Browne continued to release music that reached his fans at a deeply emotional level -- with songs like "Sky Blue and Black" and "Everywhere I Go" -- while still responding to a value system that shows true caring for the world around him -- with songs such as the hits "Some Bridges" and "Alive In The World". In March 2004 Jackson Browne was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame by his good friend, Bruce Springsteen.

Clyde Jackson Browne was born on October 9, 1948 in Heidelberg, Germany to Clyde Jack Browne and Beatrice Amanda Dahl. He has three siblings: Roberta "Berbie" Browne who was born in 1946 in Nuremberg, Germany and Edward Severin Browne who was born in 1949 in Frankfurt, Germany. His younger sister, Gracie, was born a number of years later. Jackson also has two sons, Ethan Zane Browne, born November 2, 1973 in Los Angeles to Jackson's first wife, Phyllis Major, and Ryan Daniel Browne, born January 28, 1982 in Los Angeles to Jackson's second wife, Lynne Sweeney. Jackson has not remarried since his divorce from Lynn in the mid 1980s, though he's now been together with longtime partner Dianna Cohen for well more than a decade.

Jackson's father, Clyde Jack Browne, the son of Clyde & Grace Browne, was a California native who worked for the U.S. Army Newspaper, The Stars And Stripes. Jackson's mother, Beatrice Amanda Dahl, was a Minnesota native of Norwegian ancestry who was teaching in Alaska when she met her future husband at a USO dance while he was stationed there. When he was transferred to Germany, she followed and they were soon married. Roberta, Jackson and Severin were born shortly after. (Both Jackson and Severin had several childhood nicknames but both started to go by their middle names when they entered the music business.)

The Browne family moved back to Los Angeles, California in 1951. They moved into a home built by Jackson's grandfather in the 1920s. The home, known as the Abbey San Encino, was built to resemble an old adobe style Spanish mission. Jackson's grandfather was a printer who founded Abbey Press and spent a decade building The Abbey, which doubled as his home and workshop. With the printing studio now turned into the living room, Jackson and his siblings grew up in a unique setting.

Jackson's father was also a musician, a talent he inherited from his own father. Jack once performed with French jazz guitarist Django Reinhardt, and recorded with both Mahalia Jackson and Jack Teagarden. His father's love of Dixieland jazz and his jam sessions were most likely Jackson's earliest musical influence. The kids all took up instruments: Berbie (piano), Jackson (trumpet) and Severin (accordion), but none lasted.

As Jackson and his siblings reached their teenage years, the family moved to Orange County, California where Jackson's attended Sunny Hills High School. Jackson's parents both took jobs as teachers, his father as an English teacher at Sunny Hills and his mother as an English teacher at Buena Park High School. It was in high school that Jackson took up guitar, found friendships with classmates who were interested in music, joined his first band, and started his passion for music.

It was the early 1960s and folk music was in vogue. Peter, Paul & Mary, Pete Seeger, Joan Baez and Bob Dylan were making an impact on teenagers. Jackson joined friends like Steven Noonan and Greg Copeland in making music and beginning to write his own songs. "These Days" was written when Jackson was only 16 years old. Jackson started performing at places like the Paradox, where Tim Buckley, the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, Jennifer Warnes, Mary McCaslin, Penny Nichols and Jimmy Spheeris were getting their starts.

In early 1966 Jackson Browne joined the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band for a brief time, performing at The Golden Bear where they opened for The Lovin' Spoonful. The band later recorded a number of Jackson's songs including "These Days," "Melissa" and "Holding", and "Shadow Dream Song". Among his early songs, "These Days" and "Shadow Dream Song" were the strongest showcases that Jackson was musically gifted far beyond his years. "Shadow Dream Song" was recorded by The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, Tom Rush, Nico, Steve Noonan, and Gregg Allman. Ironically, Jackson never released a version of it himself.

Jackson also spent a very brief stint in his friend Pamela Polland's band Gentle Soul. Before Jackson's eighteenth birthday, he signed on as a staff writer for Elektra Records' publishing company, Nina Music and took a drive to New York City with his friends Greg Copeland and Adam Saylor. He spent part of 1967 and 1968 in Greenwich Village, New York, where he backed Tim Buckley and German singer Nico at Andy Warhol's club, The Dom.

In February 1967, Jackson Browne stepped into the studio to make some demos of his songs for Nina Music. The idea was to showcase Jackson's songs to various artists on the Elektra roster. For some reason, Nina Music pressed thirty of Jackson's songs -- along with ten of Steven Noonan's songs -- onto two LPs. (Rumor is that only 100 of the double-albums were pressed.) The "Nina Demo" has become somewhat legendary and infamous among Jackson's fans, but it never was intended to be an album release; it was merely Jackson Browne and his guitar making some 2-track tapes in his role as a staff writer for Nina Music.

In 1968, Jackson got his first widely public notices with an interview in Cheetah (January 1968) and Rolling Stone. Returning to California, Jackson continued to fine-tune his writing skills surrounded by friends like John David Souther, Glenn Frey, Peter Tork, David Crosby and Stephen Stills. Later that year, Elektra sent Jackson up to Paxton, California in what was to be known as Elektra Music Ranch. The idea was to start a musical community in a vacant resort where the artistic environment would inspire artists to greater creative heights. By all accounts, it was a nice party, but little real work got done. Elektra tried to cut its loses by getting a combined record out of Jackson, Jack Wilce, and Ned Doheny. They named themselves Baby Browning and recorded an album, which was rejected by the label.

Around this time Jackson Browne became a regular performer at The Troubadour in Hollywood. By late 1969, he was sharing the stage with Linda Ronstadt and the Stone Poneys and early the following year he got his big break when he hooked up with manager David Geffen.

The story is that Jackson sent a demo tape and a glossy photo to David Geffen who was currently managing Laura Nyro, Crosby Stills & Nash and Joni Mitchell. David Geffen tossed the package in his trashcan where it was found by his secretary who liked the photograph. After listening to the tape, she managed to get David Geffen to listen to it. He, of course, was amazed. Only in Hollywood!

By late the 1960s and early 1970s Jackson Browne had built up a reputation as a songwriter. His songs were now being recorded by The Byrds, Bonnie Raitt, Linda Ronstadt, the Eagles, and many others. Jackson had yet to release an album. David Geffen sent Jackson on tour with Laura Nyro and began making plans to start his own record label, where Jackson's first album could be released. Geffen founded Asylum Records and Jackson started recording his debut album in 1971.

Jackson Browne's solo debut album, JACKSON BROWNE, was actually finished during the summer of 1971, but David Geffen wanted to spend some time working on publicity and didn't want the album to compete with the holiday-timed releases from more established artists. He obviously knew what he was doing. Asylum Records released the album in January 1972 and it reached #53 on Billboard's Top Pop Album charts while staying on the charts for 23 weeks. It was certified gold in November 1976 and eventually went platinum.

The album quickly became known as "Saturate Before Using" due to the photograph that was used for the front cover, though this was never the intended name of the album. The first printing of the album was actually textured to feel like a canvas water bag. No songs from the Nina Demo made it onto the album. Some of Jackson's strongest songs left off the album included "These Days", "Shadow Dream Song", "Take It Easy" and "Nightingale", the later two of which would soon appear on the debut album by the Eagles.

The first single to be released from the album was "Doctor My Eyes" which reached the Top 10, peaking at #8. The follow-up single, "Rock Me On The Water," also reached Billboard magazine's Hot 100 charts, peaking at #48. Jackson promoted the album by going out on tour opening for Joni Mitchell. Rolling Stone reviewed the album very favorably and profiled Jackson in June 1972.

Meanwhile, Jackson's song "Take It Easy" (which was co-written by Glenn Fry of the Eagles) became a top 20 hit for the Eagles in 1972 -- their first charted single. Jackson had written the song and played the unfinished work for Glenn who liked the song and encouraged Jackson to finish it. When Jackson delayed for too long, Glenn got his permission to finish it. Jackson also co-wrote songs on the Eagles' albums, Desperado and On The Border.

Jackson released his second album, FOR EVERYMAN, in October 1973. The album did marginally better on the charts, peaking at #43 and staying on the charts for 38 weeks. It yielded a minor hit in "Red Neck Friend" and contained the classic songs "Take It Easy," "These Days," and "For Everyman". "For Everyman" was written for David Crosby in response to his song "Wooden Ships", and Crosby sings harmony vocals on the track! Elton John plays piano on Red Neck Friend (credited as Rockaday Johnnie).

The album is also notable for David Lindley's contributions. He appears on every track and would become an integral part of Jackson's sound for the next decade. The cover of the album shows Jackson sitting in the courtyard of The Abbey and early pressings were designed with a cutout so that when the inner jacket was removed, it cleverly showed the same photo without Jackson.

Around this time, Jackson met his first wife, Phyllis Major. The song "Ready Or Not" is loosely based on their meeting at The Troubadour where Jackson got into a fight over her. They moved in together, into Jackson's childhood home, The Abbey, and got married. Their son Ethan was born shortly after. In May 1974, a Rolling Stone cover story on Jackson Browne, written by Cameron Crowe, featured a photo of Jackson and Ethan for the cover. The summer before the album's release Jackson toured with the band America. In early 1974 he toured on a double bill with Linda Ronstadt.

His son Ethan's birth in November 1973 may have inspired Jackson Browne to some of the recordings on his third album LATE FOR THE SKY, which is often cited as his best album. (In recent fan polls, "Late For The Sky" easily outdistanced his other albums for being the favorite album among fans.) Each and every song on this album, produced by Jackson Browne and Al Schmitt, is a finely crafted piece of art. Although the album produced no hit singles, it does contain many classic songs such as "Late For The Sky," "For A Dancer" and "Before The Deluge". The album was released in October 1974, peaking at #14 on the Billboard Top Pop Album Chart and staying on the chart for 29 weeks.

Over the years, Jackson has become known for taking his time in the studio, with his perfectionist tendencies dragging out the time between releases. It's ironic that his most acclaimed album was recorded in about six weeks on half the budget of his previous album... and a release date less than a year from his previous album! He also created one of the great album covers of all time -- inspired by Belgian painter Magritte's Empire of Light series combined with a classic Los Angeles tilt.

The official singles from the album were "Walking Slow" and "Fountain of Sorrow". The failure of either to reach the Hot 100 didn't stop the album from immediately going gold, and reaching platinum status within five months! Jackson toured non-stop to help promote the album. In the summer of 1975, Jackson Browne and David Lindley did a six-night stand of benefit shows at The Main Point in Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania. One of the shows was broadcast live on a local radio station. The resulting bootleg was widely circulated.

Jackson then put off work on his next album to produce an album by Warren Zevon. Zevon had made one prior album in 1970, which hadn't sold well. Jackson worked on the album as a producer and friend, but he also contributed some guitar playing, a little piano and some background vocals to the album, titled simply Warren Zevon. It was released on Asylum. Jackson would later produce the follow-up album, 1978's Excitable Boy once again contributing guitar and background vocals, and this time some songwriting by co-writing "Tenderness On The Block".

Jackson started work on his fourth album in March of 1976 and then, three years after his son's birth, Jackson's wife Phyllis committed suicide. Jackson took some time off before getting back into the studio. The emotional toll clearly shows in the melodies and lyrics of THE PRETENDER, although Jackson has said that most of the songs on that album were written before his wife's untimely death.

The album's release in November 1976 gave Jackson Browne his first top ten album. It reached #5 on the Top Pop Album charts and stayed on the charts for 35 weeks. The first single, "Here Comes Those Tears Again" peaked at #23 while the follow-up single, "The Pretender," reached #58 in the spring of 1977. (The album was also released in a limited edition audiophile version by Mobile Fidelity Sound Labs.)

The Pretender was produced by Jon Landau who had recently co-produced Bruce Springsteen's Born To Run. As great as Late for the Sky was in terms of songs and lyrics, The Pretender may be Jackson's greatest album in terms of production and emotional impact. Little Feat's Lowell George, Billy Payne and Fred Tackett play on the album. John Hall (of the band Orleans) takes the guitar solo on "Here Come Those Tears Again". Bonnie Raitt sings harmonies. David Crosby and Graham Nash sing harmonies on the title cut.

As always, Jackson went on tour to promote the album, taking son Ethan along with him on the tour bus. Jackson continued to tour for most of 1977, with a short break to produce Warren Zevon's second LP. But the later part of the year wasn't so much to promote his last album as it was to work on the recording of his next LP.

RUNNING ON EMPTY was released in December 1977 and is a landmark album in many ways. The album was recorded while on tour, but is not merely a live album. It's an album of all new songs that gives the real feel of what it's like to be on tour. The title track, "Running On Empty," went to #11 on Billboard's Hot 100 Chart and "The Load Out/Stay" was another top 20 hit, peaking at #20.

The album was a milestone in another way: it clearly showed that Jackson Browne was moving away from his folk rock roots and more toward the rock and roll he loves. The album reached #3 and stayed on the charts for an amazing 65 weeks. It went gold immediately and was certified platinum within 9 months. (The album has since been certified multi-platinum with more than 7 million sold.) A third single from the album, "You Love The Thunder," peaked at #109 nearly a year after the album had been released!

Of course, Jackson went back on tour to promote the album, touring through most of 1978. Then for the first time in years, he took a little time off to spend with his son, and his new girlfriend, Lynne Sweeney, whom he had met in Brisbane, Australia during The Pretender tour. He also took some time to co-produce David Lindley's debut album and to begin work on his own next album. It was about this time when Jackson got a call from his friend John Hall with whom he formed MUSE.

MUSE (Musicians United for Safe Energy) promoted the famous No Nukes concerts in 1979. The organization was announced at a press conference in May 1979 by Jackson Browne, John Hall and Graham Nash. Bonnie Raitt and Tom Campbell were co-founders. It wasn't the first benefit Jackson had performed. In fact, he had been doing benefits for years. But it was easily the most public: 5 nights at Madison Square Garden with Crosby Stills & Nash, Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band, Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers, James Taylor, Carly Simon, and of course Jackson Browne, Bonnie Raitt, John Hall and Graham Nash, among others. A movie and a soundtrack followed.

Jackson entered the 1980s with the album HOLD OUT, which was released in June 1980 and went straight to #1. (It was certified platinum within 3 months of release and stayed on the charts for 38 weeks.) The first single, "Boulevard" reached #19 and the follow-up single "That Girl Could Sing" reached #22. The album was co-produced by Jackson and Greg Ladanyi. David Lindley shines on electric guitar and Billy Payne plays organ on several tracks.

Jackson married Lynne Sweeney in January 1981 and the new album was dedicated to her. The song "Of Missing Persons" was written about his friend Lowell George who had recently died and was dedicated to Lowell's daughter. The beautiful song "Call It A Loan" was co-written by David Lindley. The epic song "Hold On Hold Out" with it's passionate "I Love You" pinnacle was released as a 12-inch single, which was a very popular format during the then current disco-era, reaching #103 on the charts. Jackson spent more time on the road, touring heavily in 1980 and 1981 in support of the album.

In the summer of 1982, Jackson Browne released the hit single "Somebody's Baby" from the soundtrack to Fast Times At Ridgemont High. "Somebody's Baby" reached #7 on the Hot 100, becoming Jackson's highest charting single. The song wouldn't be included in a Jackson Browne album until 15 years later when his first "best of" collection came out.

Jackson's 7th album, LAWYERS IN LOVE, was his 4th straight top 10 album, peaking at #8 and staying on the charts for 33 weeks. The songs clearly showed the direction his music would take for the rest of the decade: rock and roll with a political twist. While the singles "Lawyers In Love" went to #13 and "Tender Is The Night" went to #25, it was the third single "For A Rocker" (which peaked at #45) that showed where Jackson Browne's musical interests were heading. The album was released in August 1983 and it took just 3 months for the album to go gold. As usual, Jackson went out on the road to promote the release with a tour.

The album was produced by Jackson and Greg Ladanyi and has a definite early '80s new wave influence to it... updating and expanding on the feel of Hold Out and "Somebody's Baby" which had given Jackson some of his biggest hits. The sarcasm and humor in the title track seems to have gone over the heads of the New Republican yuppies it was aimed at. The music video for "Lawyers in Love" was the first video of Jackson's to get regular play on the new music television station, MTV.

Jackson's second son, Ryan, was born in January 1982 but the mid '80s found Jackson taking a little time off as his marriage with Lynne was dissolving. During 1985, Jackson took the time to record a duet with 'E' Street Band member Clarence Clemons on the song "You're A Friend Of Mine". It was released on the on the Clarence Clemons album Hero and as a single, reaching #18 on the Hot 100. A promotional music video with Jackson, Clarence and actress Daryl Hannah received a good deal of MTV airplay.

Rolling Stone magazine rightly included Jackson's next album, LIVES IN THE BALANCE, among the top albums of the decade. It certainly contains some of the most sophisticated musical arrangements Jackson has attempted. The songs weave the political landscape of America into the fabric of 1980s rock and roll. The first single "For America" was Jackson's 10th Top 40 hit, reaching #30 on the charts with some help from a great music video. The follow-up single, "In The Shape Of A Heart", peaked at #70. The album was released in February 1986 and in spite of the fact that it went gold, it probably remains the most underrated album of the 1980s.

The more overtly political tone of the album was noticed not only by the critics, but by the album-buying public as well. Lives In The Balance peaked at #23 on the album charts and stuck around for 31 weeks. Still, it's one of his most musically satisfying albums. The album's imploring title track and the stunning "Lawless Avenues" are masterpieces of music that beg the listener to take a good look at the political landscape of the time. But even more, they encourage action in a way that is both insistent and encouraging. Like much of Jackson's music, they are specific while still remaining universal and timeless in their message. The substance of the songs from Live In The Balance are just as applicable to the world today.

Jackson Browne's next album, WORLD IN MOTION is his most overtly political. While many of his critics longed for his earlier "more personal" songs, Jackson sagely pointed out that "nothing is more personal than your political beliefs." The album was released in June 1989 and reached only #45 on Billboard's Top Pop Album Chart, the worst showing since his debut album. It was also the first album of Jackson's not to be released initially on the Asylum Records label; Asylum having been merged with Elektra Records.

The title track, which includes Bonnie Raitt on harmony vocals, reached #4 on Billboard's Album Rock Tracks chart. "Chasing You Into the Light" reached #9 on the Album Rock Tracks chart, and "Anything Can Happen" reached #23 on the Adult Contemporary chart. But none reached the Hot 100. Bonnie Raitt and Doug Haywood sing harmony on "World In Motion". David Crosby sings harmony on "The Word Justice" which was co-written by Jackson and Scott Thurston. David Lindley plays acoustic lap steel guitar on "How Long" but otherwise does not appear on the album. A highlight of the album is Jackson's rendition of the Little Steven song "I Am A Patriot." Jackson toured in 1989 and 1990 in support of the album.

Jackson has always stayed busy during the years between albums, even when he wasn't touring. In 1990 he made a recording of "First Girl I Loved" which appeared on the Elektra Records 40th Anniversary collection. He also wrote "The Rebel Jesus" which he performed with The Chieftains in 1991 and which was included on their album, The Bells of Dublin. Jackson also recorded a duet with Jennifer Warnes on the Lennon-McCartney tune "Golden Slumbers" which appeared in 1991 on the Disney Records release For Our Children, which benefited the Pediatric AIDS Foundation. He also continued to perform numerous benefits including a Christic Institute benefit concert in Los Angeles with Bonnie Raitt and Bruce Springsteen (which was heavily bootlegged).

While Jackson Browne's previous few albums had focused strongly on his political and social activities, his tenth album, I'M ALIVE, brought him full circle, returning him to his roots as a singer and songwriter who can touch his fans with his deep sense of feeling and expression. In that sense -- and certainly to the segment of his fans who thought he was becoming too political -- this album was a strong comeback album. In fact, after the lackluster response to his previous album, the new album exceeded all expectations.

I'm Alive was released in October 1993, reached #40 and stayed on the charts for 21 weeks. The album was co-produced by Jackson Browne and Scott Thurston. All the songs on the album were written by Jackson. The title track, "I'm Alive", reached #18 on the Album Rock Tracks chart and #28 on the Adult Contemporary chart. The song "Too Many Angels" includes backing vocals by Jennifer Warnes, Valerie Carter, Doug Haywood, Katia Cardinal and Ryan Browne while the song "All Good Things" includes backing vocals by David Crosby and Don Henley. Both songs were direct references to his recent breakup with Darryl Hannah.

The singles released from the album were the reggae flavored "Everywhere I Go" and the truly brilliant "Sky Blue and Black" which music critic Dave Marsh called "one of the most beautiful love songs Browne -- or anyone else -- has ever written." (The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame had a display in its early years with the lyrics to the song in a presentation about songwriting.) Jackson toured extensively during 1993 and 1994 in support of the album and showcased his new band featuring Mark Goldenberg on guitar, Kevin McCormick on bass, Jeff Young on keyboards and vocals, Mauricio Lewak on drums, Scott Thurston on keyboards, guitar and vocals and Valerie Carter on vocals. With few changes, this lineup would stay with Jackson for the foreseeable future.

Jackson's next album, LOOKING EAST, was released in February 1996 and showcased the influence of his band and certainly Jackson's enjoyment of being part of a band. The song writing credits on Looking East are striking in that most of the songs on the album were written by Jackson Browne and his band. The CD could have been credited to the Jackson Browne Band! The album was also available for a time in an "Enhanced CD" format, which brings Jackson Browne right into your computer. The Enhanced CD contains interview footage of Jackson and his band, including Jackson's comments on each song on the album, a tour of Jackson's studio, and a section which shows the full development of the title track from a sound check jam to finished album recording!

This album is one of Jackson Browne's strongest musically and lyrically -- from the playfulness of "I'm The Cat," to the stirring emotions of "Alive In The World," to the driving beat of "Culver Moon". Jackson included something for everyone: "The Barricades Of Heaven" is reminiscent of his work on Late For The Sky, while the song "Information Wars" could have been from World In Motion. Jackson and his band went on an extensive tour to support the album, taking time to appear on VH-1's new "Storytellers" series.

Looking East reached #1 on the Gavin A-3 Boomer Grid, which ranks artists by the amount of airplay they receive on Triple-A (Album Adult Alternative) radio stations around the United States. The first single from the album "Some Bridges" was released to radio in January 1996 and by the end of the year was the #77 Adult Contemporary song of the year and the #43 Adult Alternative song of the year on the U.S. charts. The follow-up single, "Looking East", was the #59 Adult Alternative song of the year.

1996 saw the release of Jackson Browne's first full-length feature video. Released in April, JACKSON BROWNE: GOING HOME is a chronicle of Jackson's remarkable career. The video contains interviews, performances and rare footage spanning twenty-five years featuring guest appearances by Don Henley, Bonnie Raitt, David Crosby, Graham Nash, Eagles, David Lindley, Jennifer Warnes and many more. Originally broadcast in August 1994 on The Disney Channel, this wonderful video is an essential purchase for any Jackson Browne fan. (It was released on DVD in Summer 2000.)

January 1997 marked the 25th anniversary of the release of Jackson's debut album! To mark the anniversary, Elektra Entertainment released THE NEXT VOICE YOU HEAR: THE BEST OF JACKSON BROWNE in September 1997. The album is a retrospective covering Jackson's entire recording history and includes two new tracks recorded during 1997. One of the new tracks was a re-recording of "The Rebel Jesus" which he had originally recorded with the Chieftains. For this new version, Jackson called upon the talents of his friend David Lindley for backing. The other new song was the title track "The Next Voice You Hear".

After taking some time to help promote the new release with various appearances, Jackson spent most of 1998 doing various benefit concerts. He also appeared as a special guest at numerous concerts including shows by Marc Cohn, Bonnie Raitt, Keb' Mo', Bruce Springsteen and Venice. Jackson Browne celebrated his 50th birthday on October 9 with an appearance at Lyle Lovett's concert at the Arlington Theater in Santa Barbara. Also in honor of Jackson's 50th birthday, a Jackson Browne tribute CD was released in Spain, where Jackson was keeping a second home. The collection is called, Jackson Browne Cantame Mis Canciones and contains Jackson's songs performed in Spanish, Catalan, Galician and Basque languages.

Jackson's enjoyment of performing with his peers lead to his 1999 tour with Bonnie Raitt, Bruce Hornsby, Shawn Colvin and David Lindley. Beginning with an appearance on the Tonight Show with Jay Leno, the group went on tour more as a group than as separate performers. In a unique idea, they all stayed on stage during each other's songs, backing each other up and sometimes just enjoying the performance! Jackson ended the year with shows in Las Vegas and Los Angeles sharing the stage with Linda Ronstadt and the Eagles as they ushered in the year 2000.

In spring 2000 Jackson did some solo acoustic shows and then spent most of 2000 and 2001 in the studio working on his next album. He also took time for benefit appearances and guest spots with many of his friends, both on stage and in the recording studio. Among the many tracks he recorded during this time are a duet with Joan Osborne on the Bob Dylan song "My Back Pages" which appeared on the Steal This Movie soundtrack, a duet with Bonnie Raitt on the song "Kisses Sweeter Than Wine" for a Pete Seeger Tribute album; a duet with Joan Baez on the Seeger song "Guantanamera" for a second volume of that tribute, and an appearance with Venice on their album 2 Meter Sessies on a wonderful version of "For A Dancer".

In February 2002, Jackson Browne was the winner of the very prestigious John Steinbeck Award. The award was given to Jackson "for his body of work, which in many ways brings to the forefront the social issues that were of such great concern to Steinbeck. Like the literature of John Steinbeck, Browne's music is recognized as endeavoring to gain an understanding of his fellow human beings, and striving to further an inner knowledge and understanding of the world while raising a social consciousness by critiquing the contrast between the powerful and the deprived. The award is presented by the Center for Steinbeck Studies, and previous awardees include musician Bruce Springsteen, playwright Arthur Miller, and filmmaker John Sayles."

After his longest break between studio albums, Jackson released THE NAKED RIDE HOME in September 2002 to much critical acclaim. Like Looking East, Jackson's band is credited for co-writing the majority of the songs with him. The album certainly showcases Jackson at his best, along with the incredibly talented band that had now been with him for ten years. More than 30 years after the release of his debut album, Jackson's voice has never sounded stronger and his songwriting continues to shine with thought-provoking and heart-felt lyrics that others still strive to match.

The album entered the Billboard charts at #36, but rather than immediately headlining a tour to support the album, Jackson went on tour opening for Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers during the fall of 2002 and holding off a full Naked Ride Home tour until 2003. During the summer that year Jackson performed a series of concerts with Steve Earle & The Dukes and Keb' Mo' and appeared as a special guest in the long running animated television show The Simpsons.

In February 2004, Jackson Browne appeared on the 46th Annual Grammy Awards with Emmylou Harris, Dwight Yoakam, Jorge Calderon, Billy Bob Thornton and the Eagles' Timothy B. Schmit to offer a musical tribute to the late Warren Zevon who had passed away the previous summer.

On March 15, 2004 Jackson Browne was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame by his good friend Bruce Springsteen. To mark the occasion, the following day, Rhino records released a 2-CD set called THE VERY BEST OF JACKSON BROWNE, with 32 tracks from 1972-1992. This is a great collection of some of the best of Jackson Browne's music over more than 30 years. The collection peaked on the Billboard Top Pop Album charts at #46.

In May, Jackson Browne was honored by the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers at ASCAP's annual Pop Music Awards in Beverly Hills, CA. Browne received the Founders Award, ASCAP's top honor, given to influential songwriters who have made significant contributions to music. Previous recipients include Elvis Costello, Tom Waits and Joni Mitchell. Later that summer, Jackson participated in the Vote For Change concerts to get out the vote with artists like Dave Matthews, Dixie Chicks, John Fogerty, John Mellencamp, Keb'Mo', Pearl Jam, Bonnie Raitt, R.E.M, James Taylor, Bruce Springsteen and others. This was a 33 city, 11 state tour that culminated on October 11th in Washington, D.C. at the MCI Center with a concert that was broadcast live across the U.S.

During the fall of 2003 and throughout most of 2004, Jackson Browne toured extensively throught the U.S., Europe, U.K., Japan, and Australia. These critically acclaimed and universally praised solo acoustic shows were recorded. The resulting release, JACKSON BROWNE SOLO ACOUSTIC, VOL. 1, was released on Jackson's own Inside Recordings label on October 11, 2005. (Previous releases on Inside Recordings included CDs by John Trudell and the Joel Rafael Band.) The collection is Jackson's first live collection since his 1977 multi-platinum album Running On Empty.

Jackson Browne Solo Acoustic, Vol. 1 is one of those very rare albums that captures the vigor and magnetism of the live performance. The obvious connection between Jackson and his fans is left intact. The potency of his humor and talent shine through in a way that accurately captures his recent solo acoustic tours. The sound quality is excellent. The release also marks the recording debut of a song more than three decades old, "The Birds Of St. Marks," not previously released on any Jackson Browne album. A stirring live version of "Lives In The Balance," the title track from Jackson's powerful 1986 album, was the new album's lead single. Released to radio stations in mid August, it recieved substantial airplay.

Jackson is highly respected among his peers in the music industry for both his musical gifts and his integrity. He spends much of his time helping various causes that he truly believes in. As Bruce Springsteen put it during his speech at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductions: "Listen to the chord changes of 'Rock Me On the Water' and 'Before the Deluge,' it's gospel through and through. Now I always thought that... our job here on earth, the way we regain our divinity, our sacredness, and our general good-standing is by reconstructing love and creating love out of the broken pieces that we've been given. That's all we have of human promise. That's the way we prove ourselves in the eyes of God and facilitate our own redemption. Now, to me Jackson Browne's work was always the sound of that reconstruction." Thank you, Jackson, for a creating the soundtrack to our lives.