Rock icon The voice of Fleetwood Mac: Stevie Nicks turns 75

She used to clean and wait tables, then moved millions as the voice of Fleetwood Mac. But with her rise to fame, rock star Stevie Nicks also struggled with addiction.

DPA

03.07.2024, 08:27

Benno Schwinghammer, dpa/bb

More than half a century ago, the name Stevie Nicks became one of the not-so-secret insider tips of the San Francisco music scene.

A little bit Janis Joplin, a little bit Jimi Hendrix, a little bit Grace Slick.

And suddenly singer-songwriter and Fleetwood Mac member Nicks was her own brand. She is currently touring the USA again, playing concerts with Billy Joel and can be heard on Dolly Parton's new album. On Friday, May 26, she will be 75 years old.

Stevie Nicks: "I've worked in dirty houses"

Nicks was born in Phoenix in 1948 and later moved to California. In high school, she met a certain Lindsey Buckingham - and her musical partnership took off.

She thought about becoming a hairdresser, but Nicks' passion for singing and songwriting also drove her ambition. She initially earned the money on her own, Nicks said a few years ago: "Three waitressing jobs and two cleaning jobs were cool: Lindsey honed the music - I worked in restaurants and dirty houses".

In 1968, the couple gained local notoriety in San Francisco with their group Fritz, which opened for big-name acts such as Joplin and Hendrix. Inspired by their influences, Nicks emulated Joplin's energy, the vocal style of Grace Slick from the band Jefferson Airplane and Hendrix's style of dress.

31 weeks at the top of the charts

Nicks and Buckingham's talents also came to the attention of Mick Fleetwood, who invited them to join his band Fleetwood Mac in 1975 despite their turbulent relationship. When writing songs, the two were inspired by their quarrel.

Fleetwood Mac's self-titled album in 1975 marked Nick's breakthrough, with her tracks "Rhiannon" and "Landslide" becoming instant hits.

The follow-up album "Rumours", released in 1977, cemented her star status, remained at the top of the US charts for 31 weeks and won a Grammy.

But Nicks was also drawn to the stage on her own: her first solo album "Bella Donna" was released in 1981, which reached the top of the charts and contained popular singles such as "Edge of Seventeen" and "Leather and Lace".

Next tour coming up

This was followed by tours with Bob Dylan and Tom Petty, among others. During this time, however, drug problems would not let her go - and ultimately landed her in rehab.

Despite successful years as a solo artist, Nicks remained loyal to Fleetwood Mac: she repeatedly went on tour with the band, most recently in 2019 - although her childhood friend Buckingham had since left. Incidentally, she is the first woman to be inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame twice: with Fleetwood Mac and as a solo artist.

Almost ten years ago, Nicks released her last record to date, "24 Karat Gold: Songs from the Vault", which presented reworked versions of earlier demos. She has also appeared on well-known television shows such as "The Voice" and "American Horror Story".

And, of course, she is still on tour: almost 20 solo shows in North America are scheduled until December.

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