Clyde Jackson Browne (born October 9, 1948 in Heidelberg, Germany) is an American rock singer-songwriter and musician. His political interest and personal angst have been central to his career, resulting in popular songs such as "Somebody's Baby", "These Days", "The Pretender" and "Running On Empty". In 2004, Browne was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame by his friend Bruce Springsteen. The same year, Browne received an honorary Doctorate of Music from Los Angeles' Occidental College for "a remarkable musical career that has successfully combined an intensely personal artistry with a broader vision of social change and justice".

Browne was born in Heidelberg, Germany, where his father, an American serviceman, was stationed. Browne's mother, Beatrice Amanda (née Dahl), was a Minnesota native of Norwegian ancestry. Browne has three siblings: Roberta "Berbie" Browne who was born during 1946 in Nuremberg, Germany (Nuernberg) and Edward Severin Browne who was born during 1949 in Frankfurt am Main, Germany. His younger sister, Gracie Browne, was born a number of years later. Browne moved to the Highland Park district of Los Angeles, California, at the age of 3 and in his teens began singing folk music in local venues like the Ash Grove. He attended Sunny Hills High School in Fullerton, California, graduating in 1966. That same year, he joined the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band.

Browne signed a publishing contract with Nina Music, and his songs were performed by Joan Baez, Tom Rush, the Eagles, Linda Ronstadt, the Byrds, Steve Noonan, and others. After moving to Greenwich Village, New York, Browne was briefly in Tim Buckley's back-up band. In 1967 Brown was romantically linked to Nico of the Velvet Underground. He added to her album, Chelsea Girl, playing guitar on her version of one of Browne's earliest songs, which he wrote in high school; "These Days". After leaving New York City, Browne formed a folk band with Ned Doheny and Jack Wilce, and settled in Southern California.