Easily one of the most loved personable folk singers of all time, and also one of the biggest clean energy advocates, Jackson Browne is an American icon—and world icon, moreover—in the truest sense of the word. In his early career, he ran neck-and-neck with Bob Dylan for the top spot of best personal writer-performers, and he remains a legend today.

Browne was born Clyde Jackson Browne on October 9, 1948 in Heidelberg, Germany. Technically, he was still an American, born overseas due to his father being stationed in Germany at the time. By the age of 3, Browne had returned home with his family and settled in Los Angeles, California. It was here his passion for music developed.

By the time Browne was in high school, he began performing folk music in local clubs around the area. In 1966, right after graduating from Sunny Hills High School, Browne joined the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band – one of the most successful bands in the history of country and folk music.

Although Browne’s career in the band was taking off, he still worked on his solo craft and especially his writing talents. Browne wrote songs that were performed by the most popular artists of the day, including Tom Rush, the Eagles, Joan Baez, and the Byrds. By 1971, Jackson had left his band and signed with Asylum Records to start his solo career.

His first album, released in 1972, was the self-titled Jackson Browne and included one of the artist’s most popular songs to date, Doctor My Eyes. It was a top-ten hit in the US and easily established Browne as the new kid on the folksinger block. He followed up with his next album, For Everyman, but fell into the inevitable sophomore jinx.

However, Browne’s second album would still go on to sell over a million copies – not a failure by any stretch of the imagination. It just never equaled the success of his debut. His third album, Late for the Sky, really garnered the artist a loyal following, and by the time his fourth album, The Pretender, came along in 1976, he was a legitimate superstar.

Still looking for an album to equal the success of his first, Browne went back to basics and decided to work straight from his heart. He recorded Running on Empty while on tour in 1976 and released it the following year. The album became a huge commercial success and is considered one of the best live folk albums ever.

Browne would release eight more albums in his career, including notable records like Looking East, I’m Alive, Hold Out and The Naked Ride Home, but his passions shifted in 1979 and he entered into political activism with a full head of steam.

After the Three Mile Island incidence in which a nuclear reactor experienced a meltdown, Jackson turned his entire focus to clean energy. He has also campaigned for decidedly liberal candidates in recent years and continues to be a driving force in the “Hollywood” political culture.