Jackson Browne's career began in the mid-60s folk clubs of Los Angeles/Orange County where he played solo and briefly with the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band. He was one of the key figures in the emergent singer/songwriter scene of the late 60s, alongside the likes of Joni Mitchell and James Taylor. He was the first artist signed to David Geffen's Asylum Records label and released his debut self-titled album in 1972. The now classic LP featured David Crosby and Graham Nash of Crosby, Still and Nash as guests.
The album's first single, "Doctor My Eyes", became a #8 hit on Billboard's pop singles chart. The 1973 follow-up, "For Everyman", was described by Rolling Stone Magazine as "brilliantly conceived" and "incomparably immediate." 1974's "Late For The Sky" was cited by Rolling Stone that year as one of the '100 Best Albums,' and again in 1997 as one of the "200 Essential Rock Collection Albums," and in 2003 as one of the '500 Greatest Albums Of All Time'. "The Pretender", following two years later, was a breakthrough album -- Jackson's first to chart in the Billboard Top 10, peaking at #5.
On the heels of that success came what stands as Jackson's top-selling album, 1977's seven-times platinum, life-on-the-road concept opus Running On Empty, recorded onstage, in hotel rooms and on a tour bus. The album spun off two Top 40 hits -- "Running On Empty" and "The Load Out/Stay". Browne's next project was the all-star series of concerts in 1979 to benefit MUSE (Musicians United for Safe Energy), which resulted in a live album, "No Nukes/The MUSE Concerts for a Non-Nuclear Future".
Throughout the 80s and 90s, Jackson continued to record and develop his social focus with 1986's "Lives In The Balance". 1989's "World In Motion" was a call to action even more explicitly political than its predecessor. 1993's "I'm Alive" was a striking return to the personal and romantic subject matter that characterized Jackson's earlier work.
In 1999, a duet version of "Kisses Sweeter Than Wine" with he recorded with Bonnie Raitt for a Pete Seeger tribute album was nominated for a Grammy. Jackson Browne's overall body of work was celebrated in 2004 with the release of a 2CD compilation "The Very Best of Jackson Browne", featuring 32 songs selected from throughout his career.