Stevie Nicks Credits Fleetwood Mac for ‘Protecting’ Her from Gender Challenges in the Music Industry
via Stevie Nicks / Youtube
Breaking into a Male-Dominated Industry
When Stevie Nicks joined Fleetwood Mac in 1974, it was rare for a woman to take the spotlight in a rock band. At that time, the music scene was mostly led by men, and women had to work harder to be taken seriously. Nicks, along with artists like Joan Jett, Debbie Harry, and Ann Wilson, helped shift the way people viewed women in rock.
These women didn’t just perform—they challenged expectations. But it wasn’t an easy path. Many of them have spoken openly about the struggles they faced in the early stages of their careers, including being underestimated, objectified, or pushed aside by the industry.
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Looking Back at Her Experience
Recently, fans have been revisiting the early days of Nicks’ career following the reissue of Buckingham Nicks, the 1973 album she recorded with Lindsey Buckingham before they both joined Fleetwood Mac. With that renewed attention, a 1993 interview resurfaced where Nicks reflected on her experience as a woman in the band.
Speaking to Rock World, Nicks shared how she felt protected from much of the unfair treatment that other women often dealt with in the music industry.
“In my ancient ways, now I know that I was very lucky to be the baby sister, you know? Yeah, let Christine [McVie] take all those hard knocks for me. She did. I didn’t have to,” she said.
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Nicks explained that Fleetwood Mac helped shield her from many of the pressures that came with being a female rock artist.
“They kept a lot of that bad stuff that happens away from me so, I didn’t have to have my dreams kind of crashed and ruined, which happens here in this town. I was really protected,” she continued.
Her comments suggest that having a strong group around her, including McVie and the rest of Fleetwood Mac, helped her grow as an artist without facing the same harsh treatment that many others experienced.
