Music
25 Mar 20

Jackson Browne tests positive for coronavirus

The 71-year-old singer-songwriter is recovering at his home in Los Angeles.

In a new interview with Rolling Stone, Jackson Browne has revealed that he has tested positive for COVID–19.

The legendary singer-songwriter, 71, is currently recovering at his home in Los Angeles.

"My symptoms are really pretty mild, so I don't require any kind of medication and certainly not hospitalisation or anything like that," Browne said. "So many people that have it aren't going to be tested."

"They don't have symptoms, but they might have it and might pass it on," he continued. "That's what younger readers need to understand: They need to take part in the global response to stop the spread. That means not going anywhere, not getting into contact with anybody, not seeing anybody."

In the interview, Browne notes that he suspects he was exposed to the virus when visiting New York for the Love Rocks NYC benefit – a live-streamed benefit concert that also featured Dave Matthews, Cyndi Lauper, Joss Stone, Leon Bridges and more.

"There's so much we don't know," he told Rolling Stone. "The one thing you can do is not go anywhere, not show up anywhere. Now, I wish I hadn’t gone to New York and done this benefit. I think to myself, “How much simpler would it have been had I just called in and said, ‘No, I’m not going to travel on a cross-country flight and spend two days in New York with all these people that are singing all over the country.'”"

He also noted that he hoped his case would inspire people to take the pandemic more seriously.

"It’s important for us all to be pretty forthcoming about what we’re going through," Browne said. Our experiences will be helpful for others to know. I don’t think my case is that important, but it might be helpful to know that some people don’t get this really bad. The idea that we can contribute to the overall herd immunity. You get over this as quickly as you can and be available to help others."

Browne is widely considered one of the greatest songwriters of all time – with Gregg Allman, Nico, Elliott Smith, the Eagles, the Byrds, the Jackson 5 and Joan Baez all recording his songs. In 2004, he was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.