Stevie Nicks Biography
Biography:
Stevie Nicks
Famed for her mystical chanteuse image, singer/songwriter
Stevie Nicks enjoyed phenomenal success not only as a solo artist but also as
a key member of Fleetwood Mac. Stephanie Lynn Nicks was born May 26, 1948 in
Phoenix, Arizona; the grand daughter of a frustrated country singer, she began
performing at the age of four, and occasionally sang at the tavern owned by
her parents. Nicks started writing songs in her mid-teens, and joined her
first group, the Changing Times, while attending high school in California.
During her senior year, Nicks met fellow student Lindsey Buckingham, with whom
she formed the band Fritz along with friends Javier Pacheco and Calvin Roper.
Between 1968 and 1971, the group became a popular attraction on the West Coast
music scene, opening for Jimi Hendrix, Janis Joplin and Creedence Clearwater
Revival. Ultimately, tensions arose over the amount of attention paid by fans
to Nicks' pouty allure, and after three years Fritz disbanded; Buckingham
remained her partner, however, and soon became her lover as well.
After moving to Los Angeles, the duo recorded their 1973 debut LP,
Buckingham-Nicks. Despite a cover which featured the couple nude, the album
flopped; however, it caught the attention of the members of Fleetwood Mac, who
invited Buckingham and Nicks to join their ranks in 1974. In quick time, the
revitalized group achieved unparalled success: after the LP Fleetwood Mac
topped the charts in 1975, they recorded 1977's Rumours, which sold over 17
million copies and stood for several years as the best-selling album of
all-time.
Major hit singles like "Dreams" and "Rhiannon" made Nicks a focal point of
Fleetwood Mac, and in 1981 she took time off from the group to record her solo
debut, Bella Donna, which hit Number One on the strength of the Top 20 hits
"Stop Draggin' My Heart Around" (a duet with Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers),
"Leather and Lace" (a duet with Don Henley) and "Edge of Seventeen (Just Like
the White Winged Dove)." After a return to Fleetwood Mac for the 1982 album
Mirage (which featured her hit "Gypsy"), Nicks released her second solo
effort, The Wild Heart, highlighted by the Top Five smash "Stand Back." Rock a
Little, which featured the single "Talk to Me," followed in 1985.
After a long hiatus (during which time Nicks was treated for a chemical
dependency problem), Fleetwood Mac reunited for the album Tango in the Night;
The Other Side of the Mirror, Nicks' first solo record in four years, followed
in 1989. After a series of line-up changes and dropping sales figures, she
left Fleetwood Mac in 1993, and issued Street Angel a year later. In 1997, she
rejoined the reunited Fleetwood Mac on tour and on the album The Dance. A
Nicks solo box set, Enchanted, followed in 1998.~ Jason Ankeny, All Music
Guide
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A "peace-and-love" folk singer, Stevie Nicks'
lyrics created the vibe that helped propel '70s supergroup
Fleetwood Mac to fame.
Stevie Nicks was born Stephanie Lynn
Nicks in 1948 in Phoenix, Ariz. She met Lindsey Buckingham
during her senior year of high school in California and
together they formed the band Fritz, enjoying mild success
in the California music scene. In 1973 they released
Buckingham-Nicks, their first and only album as a duo.
Soon after, the couple was recruited by Mick Fleetwood and
John and Christine McVie to join Fleetwood Mac. The new
lineup released a self-titled album in 1975, which sold
several million copies. Fleetwood Mac's landmark album,Rumours,
was released in 1977 and became one of the biggest-selling
albums of all time - with more than 25 million copies sold
to date. However, during the recording of the album Nicks
and Buckingham's relationship fell apart and the McVies
divorced, severely altering the chemistry of the band. After
the release of Tusk, (1979) their successful
follow-up to Rumours, the band's prestige gradually
eroded. Finally, in 1987, after the lackluster Tango in
the Night album, Buckingham quit the band.
Nicks toured with Fleetwood Mac through
1990, through the veritable river of new members who came
and went. During this time, she carried on a solo career,
which included the albums: Bella Donna (1981), The
Wild Heart (1983), Rock a Little (1985), The
Other Side of the Mirror (1989), Timespace - The Best
of Stevie Nicks (1991), and Street Angel (1994).
Her songs have been covered by other artists, such as the
Smashing Pumpkins cover of her ballad "Landslide."
Nicks and the other members of
Fleetwood Mac reunited in 1997 to record the retrospective
album The Dance and launch a much-anticipated
comeback tour.
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Stevie Nicks was born
Stephanie Lynn Nicks in Arizona on May 26, 1948. Stevie has made her mark as a
member of a superstar group of the 70s, Fleetwood Mac,
and as a superstar solo artists of 80s. Stevie is known for her poetic lyrics,
raspy yet tender vocals, and mystical demeanor while singing. Stevie's musical
desire began while singing and writing her own songs while still a teenager in
California. Her first musical collaboration was a group called the Changing
Times. While attending Menlo-Atherton High School, Stevie met
Lindsey Buckingham and together with a friends, they formed a
group called Fritz.
Stevie quit college and
toured with Fritz around the West Coast and opened for artists including
Janis Joplin and Jimi Hendrix.
Fritz lasted for 3 years, at which point they broke up leaving Stevie and
Lindsey to make personal and professional music together as a duo.
Stevie worked did various
jobs including a waitress and a dental assistant, and Stevie and Lindsey
released an LP together - Buckingham-Nicks. Although the LP didn't do
well, it helped get the duo noticed by Fleetwood Mac,
who were looking to expand their appeal to the U.S. and needed a "West Coast
touch." In 1974, the duo joined the group and Nicks helped
Fleetwood Mac become one of the most successful bands in history.
Stevie appeared on the
soundtrack for Heavy Metal with "Blue Lamp."
Stevie released her first solo LP, Bella Donna. A majority of the
songs on Bella Donna were compositions she wrote in the 70s. Stevie
later said of her solo outing: "When you're in Fleetwood Mac,
you don't have much of a life... you don't have much of a personal life
anyway... you're a member of a band, part of the team... my solo work is a
whole other thing... everything that happens is my decision, which makes it a
lot more special."
Stevie hit the Top 40 with
"Stop Draggin' My Heart Around" with Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers.
Bella Donna was
certified platinum.
Stevie appeared on the
soundtrack for Fast Times At Ridgemont High with "Sleeping Angel."
Stevie released her 2nd LP,The
Wild Heart. Stevie landed back
in the Top 10 with the singles "Stand Back" and "If Anyone Falls." The LP went
on to sell over 2 million copies in the U.S.
The Wild Heart
was certified platinum.
Stevie appeared on the soundtracks for Against All Odds with "Violet
& Blue."
Bella Donna was
certified 3x platinum.
Stevie released Rock A Little.
Rock A Little was
certified platinum.
Stevie hit the Top 10 with
"Talk To Me." Rock A Little also contained the hits "I Can't Wait"
and "Has Anyone Ever Written Anything For You."
Stevie also appeared on
the soundtrack for American Anthem and spent a month at the Betty
Ford Center to help kick a cocaine habit.
Stevie also hit the Top 40
with Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers with a live remake
of "Needles And Pins."
Stevie released The Other Side Of The Mirror with the hit "Rooms On
Fire."
The Other Side Of The
Mirror was certified gold.
Bella Donna
was certified 4x platinum.
Stevie officially left
Fleetwood Mac after a track that Stevie wrote during her
Fleetwood Mac years, "Silver Springs," was not allowed
(by Mick Fleetwood) to be included on a greatest hits collection.
The hits collection,
Timespace: The Best Of Stevie Nicks, was released. Stevie had a moderate
hit with "Sometimes It's A Bitch" - 1 of 3 new tracks in the hits collection.
Timespace: The Best Of Stevie Nicks was certified gold by the end of
the month.
Stevie went into detox for
a dependence on Klonopin.
The Wild Heart
was certified 2x platinum.
# 172
Singles Artist of the Year
Stevie released Street Angel with the hit "Maybe Love Will Change
Your Mind." Entertainment Weekly called the LP "...a solid pop-rock
collection."
Stevie hit the Top 40 with
"Maybe Love Will Change Your Mind."
Stevie appeared
on the Boys On The Side soundtrack with "Somebody Stand By Me."
Stevie appeared on the soundtrack for Twister with "Twisted" (helped
out by Lindsey Buckingham) and Party Of Five
compilation with her version of Tom Petty's "Free
Fallin'."
Street Angel was
certified gold and The Other Side Of The Mirror was certified
platinum.
Timespace: The Best Of
Stevie Nicks was certified platinum.
# 118
Singles Artist of the Year
At
the beginning of the year, Stevie was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of
Fame along with Fleetwood Mac.
Stevie also released a
3-CD box set, Enchanted: The Works Of Stevie Nicks in May. The set
contains many of Stevie's classics in addition to unreleased tracks, live
performances, soundtrack contributions, and studio demos.
Stevie received a
restraining order against a schizophrenic fan who believed Nicks was a witch
who could heal him and "...enable him to get along with others and find a
woman to marry" and who showed up at her Denver concert. The "fan" allegedly
had stated that he wanted to kidnap Nicks, use her witchcraft to cure his
schizophrenia, and then "make babies" with her. He was banned from all future
Nicks concerts and from hanging around her Los Angeles home.
A a man hung himself after
a Stevie Nicks concert in California in front of hundreds of existing concert
goers. The man reportedly was arguing with his wife (who had a restraining
order against him) at the concert. After climbing a utility pole near the
entrance with jumper cables, the man hung himself either by accident or
deliberately.
Stevie could be heard on
the soundtrack for Practical Magic with an updated version of
"Crystal" and the Top 40 hit "If Ever You Did Believe."
Enchanted: The Works
Of Stevie Nicks was certified gold.
Ranked #
14
on VH1: 100 Greatest Women of Rock & Roll.
Stevie will be
heading a benefit concert in Arizona for the Arizona Heart Institute
Foundation and will be joined by Don Henley,
Lindsey Buckingham, Sheryl Crow,
and possibly Chris Isaak and Lenny Kravitz.
# 167
Singles Artist of the Year
Stevie released Trouble In Shangri-La and hit the Top 40 with "Every
Day." The LP topped the Billboard Internet Sales chart for a week.
Trouble In Shangri-La
was certified gold.
Stevie had to cancel 2
concerts in Virginia and North Carolina due to illness.
Stevie topped the
Billboard Dance Club Play chart for a week with "Planets Of The Universe."
Stevie was nominated for a Grammy Award for Best
Female Rock Vocal Performance ("Planets Of The Universe").
Stevie ranked #
52 on VH1: 100
Sexiest Artists.
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Bella Donna
Released: July, 1981
US: 4x
Platinum
Billboard
peak: # 1 (for 1 week)
Rolling Stone review:
Tracks:
"Bella Donna" - "Kind Of Woman" - "Stop Draggin' My Heart Around" - "Think
About It" - "After The Glitter Fades" - "Edge Of Seventeen" - "How Still
My Love" - "Leather And Lace" - "Outside The Rain" - "Highwayman" |
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The Wild Heart
Released: June, 1983
US: 2x
Platinum
Billboard
peak: # 5
Rolling Stone review:
Tracks:
"Wild Heart" - "If Anyone Falls" - "Gate And Garden" - "Enchanted" -
"Nightbird" - "Stand Back" - "I Will Run To You" - "Nothing Ever Changes"
- "Sable On Blond" - "Beauty And The Beast" |
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Rock A Little
Released: November, 1985
US:
Platinum
Billboard
peak: # 12
Tracks:
"Talk To Me" - "Nightmare" - "If I Were You" - "No Spoken Word" - "Has
Anyone Ever Written Anything For You" - "I Can't Wait" - "Rock A Little
(Go Ahead Lily)" - "Sister Honey" - "I Sing For The Things" - "Some Become
Strangers" - "Imperial Hotel" - "Has Anyone Ever Written Anything For You" |
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The Other Side Of The Mirror
Released: May, 1989
US:
Platinum
Billboard
peak: # 10
Rolling Stone review:
Tracks:
"Rooms On Fire" - "Long Way To Go" - "Two Kinds Of Love" - "Ooh My Love" -
"Ghosts" - "Whole Lotta Trouble" - "Fire Burning" - "Cry Wolf" - "Alice" -
"Juliet" - "Doing The Best I Can (Escape From Berlin)" - "I Still Miss
Someone (Blue Eyes)" |
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Timespace: The Best Of Stevie
Nicks
Released: September, 1991
US:
Platinum
Billboard
peak: # 30
Rolling Stone review:
Tracks:
"Sometimes It's A Bitch" - "Stop Draggin' My Heart Around" - "Talk To Me"
- "Stand Back" - "Beauty And The Beast" - "If Anyone Falls" - "Rooms On
Fire" - "Love's A Hard Game To Play" - "Edge Of Seventeen" - "Leather And
Lace" - "I Can't Wait" - "Has Anyone Ever Written Anything For You" -
"Desert Angel" |
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Street Angel
Released: May, 1994
US:
Gold
Billboard
peak: # 45
Rolling Stone review:
Tracks:
"Blue Denim" - "Greta" - "Street Angel" - "Docklands" - "Listen To The
Rain" - "Destiny" - "Unconditional Love" - "Love Is Like A River" - "Rose
Garden" - "Maybe Love Will Change Your Mind" - "Just Like A Woman" - "Kick
It" - "Jane" |
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Enchanted: The Works Of Stevie
Nicks
Released: May, 1998
US:
Gold
Billboard
peak: # 85
Rolling Stone review:
Tracks:
"Enchanted" - "Outside The Rain" - "After The Glitter Fades" - "Wild
Heart" - "Leather And Lace" - "Garbo" - "Stand Back" - "Nightbird" - "Stop
Draggin' My Heart Around" - "Beauty And The Beast" - "Kind Of Woman" - "If
Anyone Falls" - "One More Big Time Rock & Roll Star" - "Blue Denim" -
"Bella Donna" - "Edge Of Seventeen" (live) - "Street Angel" - "Rock A
Little (Go Ahead Lily)" - "I Sing For The Things" - "Rooms On Fire" - "I
Can't Wait" (Extended Rock Mix) - "Two Kinds Of Love" - "Highwayman" -
"Rose Garden" - "Talk To Me" - "Destiny" - "Ooh My Love" - "Desert Angel"
- "Whole Lotta Trouble" - "Has Anyone Ever Written Anything For You" -
"Twisted" (Demo Version) - "Long Distance Winner" - "Battle Of The Dragon"
- "Gold" - "Free Fallin'" - "It's Late" (Demo Version) - "Violet And Blue"
- "Whenever I Call You 'Friend'" - "Sweet Girl" (Demo Version) - "Blue
Lamp" - "Gold And Braid" (live) - "Reconsider Me" - "Somebody Stand By Me"
- "Sleeping Angel" - "Rhiannon" (Piano Version) |
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Trouble In Shangri-La
Released: May, 2001
US:
Gold
Billboard
peak: # 5
Rolling Stone review:
Tracks:
"Trouble In Shangra-La" - "Candlebright" - "Sorcerer" - "Planets Of The
Universe" - "Every Day" - "Too Far From Texas" - "That Made Me Stronger" -
"It's Only Love" - "Love Changes" - "I Miss You" - "Bombay Sapphire"-
"Fall From Grace" - "Love Is" |
