The Story Of The Musicians Who Made Stevie Nicks Join Fleetwood Mac
Stevie Nicks on 7/18/83 in Chicago,Il. (Photo by Paul Natkin/WireImage)
One of the most significant turning points in rock history occurred when Stevie Nicks and Lindsey Buckingham joined forces with Fleetwood Mac. However, the folk-rock duo wasn’t sure if it was the proper decision to join a British blues band at the time. They weren’t sure if their music would fit in after putting a lot of effort into developing their own profession. Fortunately, they received the confidence they needed to leap at a certain player who was no longer even a member of the band.
The Musician Who Convinced Stevie Nicks to Join Fleetwood Mac
Stevie Nicks and Lindsey Buckingham were having trouble making a name for themselves in California as a pair before joining Fleetwood Mac. Fleetwood Mac, meanwhile, required a new guitarist despite already being well-known for their blues-rock sound. After noticing Buckingham’s talent, the band’s founder and drummer, Mick Fleetwood, offered him the position.
But Buckingham wasn’t willing to leave Nicks behind. Instead, he made a deal—he would only join if Nicks could join, too. Fleetwood Mac agreed, and suddenly, the duo had a major decision to make.
“When we got the phone call from Mick Fleetwood asking us if we wanted to join the band, Lindsey and I went out and bought all those records from the beginning of Fleetwood Mac until then,” Nicks recalled. “We listened to them back to back, very carefully, to see if we could add anything to the band, or if they could add anything to what Lindsey and I were doing.”
They weren’t just thinking about money—they wanted to make sure it was the right creative fit.
Peter Green’s Influence
What ultimately convinced them? The music of Peter Green, Fleetwood Mac’s original guitarist and founder.
“What we connected to, of course, was Peter Green,” Nicks said. “It was his mystical influence that drew us in, that made it okay to stop doing Buckingham Nicks and join Fleetwood Mac.”
Green had left the band years earlier, but his moody, bluesy style still shaped their sound. His influence reassured Buckingham that he could step into that guitarist role, and it gave Nicks the confidence to bring her own ethereal style into the mix.
A New Era for Fleetwood Mac
By the time Nicks and Buckingham joined, Peter Green had been gone for years. He left in 1970 due to personal struggles, including mental health issues and a disconnect with the music industry. But even though they never played together, his legacy paved the way for Fleetwood Mac’s new era.
Buckingham’s folk-rock sensibilities helped shape songs like “Go Your Own Way” and “Never Going Back Again”, while Nicks brought darker, mystical energy with “Dreams” and “Gold Dust Woman”. She has often said one of her biggest regrets is never performing with Green, but in many ways, she carried on the musical magic he started.
Without Peter Green’s influence, Nicks and Buckingham might have turned down Fleetwood Mac—and rock history would have been very different.
