Fleetwood Mac

Writing about Fleetwood Mac is like writing about the Kennedys. Their history is rifled with breakups, re-connections, affairs, drugs, and general drama. I imagine I'll write about them many more times so this is just a jumping off point.

Fleetwood Mac is named for two original band members. The only original member present in the band is its namesake drummer, Mick Fleetwood. Band founder Peter Green named the group by combining the surnames of two of his former bandmates (Drummer Mick Fleetwood, Bassist John McVie). John McVie played neither on their first single nor at their first concerts. The keyboardist, Christine McVie, has, to date, appeared on all but two albums, either as a member or as a session musician. Stevie Nicks came much later.

During the 10 or so years that Stevie was addicted to cocaine, Fleetwood Mac’s album credits would include a "thanks" to their dealer. In one interview Stevie estimated that she must have spent more than $1 million on cocaine. With the streets rates ranging between $20 to $100 a pop (a gram), she and the band likely purchased between 50,000 to 10,000 grams. Stevie, of course, did not single-handedly ingest 50 kilos of the white stuff; the band would buy massive amounts of coke for themselves as well as their friends.

Her 10 year addiction came to end in 1986, when a plastic surgeon advised her that if she wanted her nose to remain on her face she should stop snorting coke immediately. So it was off to the Betty Ford Clinic in Palm Springs. To this day there remains a legend of a hole in her septum the size of a nickle..