Phyllis Major was a beautiful and successful model who had a brief but turbulent marriage with singer-songwriter Jackson Browne. She died by suicide at the age of 30, leaving behind a young son and a grieving husband. What led to her tragic end? What impact did her death have on Browne’s music and life? This article will explore the life and death of Phyllis Major, and how she inspired some of Browne’s most poignant songs.
Contents
Early Life and Career
Phyllis Major was born on January 9, 1946, in Tampa, Florida. She was the daughter of Stanley Burdett Major, a World War II veteran and a businessman, and Nancy Caroline Farnsworth, a former model and a writer. Phyllis inherited her mother’s beauty and talent, and started modeling at a young age. She moved to Europe in the late 1960s, where she became a popular model for magazines and fashion shows. She also appeared in a few movies, such as The Candy Snatchers (1973), a low-budget crime thriller.
Meeting Jackson Browne
Phyllis Major met Jackson Browne in 1971, at the Troubadour, a legendary music venue in Hollywood. Browne was an emerging singer-songwriter who had just released his debut album. He had also recently split with his former girlfriend, Joni Mitchell, another famous musician. According to Jonathan Taplin, a former manager of The Band and an ex-boyfriend of Phyllis, Browne got into a fight with an unemployed actor who was also interested in Phyllis. Browne lost the fight but won Phyllis’s heart. He later wrote a song about this incident, called “Ready or Not”, which appeared on his second album, For Everyman (1973).
Phyllis and Browne soon became a couple, and moved in together in Laurel Canyon, a neighborhood known for its artistic community. They had a son, Ethan Zane Browne, born on November 2, 1973. They got married in December 1975, after four years of living together.
Struggles and Suicide
Despite their seemingly happy relationship, Phyllis and Browne faced some challenges and difficulties. Phyllis suffered from depression and anxiety, which may have been influenced by her mother’s suicide attempt when she was young. She also struggled with the pressures of being a mother and a wife of a famous musician. She felt isolated and lonely, as Browne was often away on tour or busy with his work. She also had some insecurities about her appearance and her age, as she feared losing her attractiveness and relevance as a model.
On March 25, 1976, Phyllis Major took her own life by overdosing on sleeping pills at their home in Hollywood Hills. She was found by Browne when he returned from his tour. She was 30 years old.
Legacy and Influence
Phyllis Major’s death shocked and saddened many people who knew her or admired her. She was buried at Forest Lawn Memorial Park in Glendale, California. Her son Ethan grew up to become a DJ and an actor. He has appeared in some movies and TV shows, such as Raising Helen (2004) and CSI: NY (2005).
Phyllis Major’s death also had a profound impact on Jackson Browne’s music and life. He dedicated his fourth album, The Pretender (1976), to her memory. The album contains some songs that reflect his grief and loss, such as “Here Come Those Tears Again”, “Sleep’s Dark and Silent Gate”, and “The Only Child”. He also wrote another song about her, called “In the Shape of a Heart”, which appeared on his sixth album, Lives in the Balance (1986). He later remarried twice, but both marriages ended in divorce.
Phyllis Major was a woman who lived a short but eventful life. She was a model who graced the covers of magazines and the screens of cinemas. She was a wife who loved and supported her husband’s career. She was a mother who gave birth to a son who inherited her talent. She was also a woman who suffered from mental illness and despair. Her death was tragic and preventable, but it also inspired some of the most beautiful and touching songs ever written by Jackson Browne. She will always be remembered as one of the muses of rock music history.
