“But never have I been a blue calm sea, I have always been a storm.” -Fleetwood Mac
Growing up around musicians and song-writers, Stevie Nicks’ talent for singing and songwriting came easy to her. While she began singing duets with her grandfather at age four, her voice easily became her biggest weapon as she grew into adolescence. Nicks grew up in small parts of California, making it easy for her to assume connections with other musicians her age and kick-start her career. She quickly proved her spot as an accomplished musician making her rise towards stardom and eventually earning a spot as the first woman in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
While attending Menlo-Atherton High-School in Atherton California, she met her partner, both in music and romance, Lindsey Buckingham. Nicks joined Buckingham’s band, The Fritz, as a lead vocalist alongside guitarist, Brian Kane, Javier Pecheco as lead keyboardist and Bob Aguire on the drums. Their band quickly became popular and went as far as to open for Jimi Hendrix and Janis Joplin for almost three years.
Stevie Nicks’ stage performances were by far the take of their shows with her country-rock ambiance and witchy aura. While being a musician and opening for large shows, off-stage Nicks was still attending classes at San Jose University until she decided to drop out right before she graduated, to pursue her career in music full-time. Even as a young adult, Nicks was determined for musical recognition and she strived towards it everyday.
Even when her band had decided to go separate ways, her and Buckingham continued their passion for music with just the two of them. During her years as a young adult, she worked part-time at various jobs and continue working even harder on her voice. She wrote some of her biggest hits during this period of her life. Hits that include, “Rhiannon” and “Landslide”. In the long run, these songs will go on to be some of her biggest successes, earning her the worldwide fame and recognition she knew she deserved.
In 1975, Nicks, alongside her partner Buckingham, joined the band Fleetwood Mac and ultimately became a huge success. Stevie’s songs “Rhiannon” and “Landslide” were featured on the band’s first album Fleetwood Mac and earned Nicks a spot in The Rolling Stone’s Top 500 Hits. During the developing time period of Fleetwood Mac, Nicks began growing as a person and finding herself within her music. Eventually becoming someone her fans and everyone around her fell in love with.
As a young woman singing in a predominantly male genre of music, Stevie Nicks proved herself worthy of rock and roll with her quick rise to stardom and the lead role she took on stage.
In 1998, Stevie Nicks was the first female artist to be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, not only making her a woman to look up to, but a historical icon. Not only did she deserve this spot for writing songs but she deserved this spot for writing poetic masterpieces. Her songs were relatable and still are to this day.
Not only was she inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1998, but was also recently inducted — again — in 2019, as the only woman to ever be inducted twice. She continues making history as a solo artist.
Throughout her musical journey, Nicks struggled with love loss, affairs within the band, and drug addiction all while still touring and creating new music for her fans. Nicks and Buckingham separated but were still performing together as if nothing had changed. Even as there was trouble in paradise, Stevie gave her all as lead vocalist while her former lover backed up her vocals with guitar. Nicks also got tangled in a love-affair with Mick Fleetwood, also a member of the band. She was and still is strong-willed and wouldn’t let anything get in her way of making music, even if that meant she had to perform it along side two of her ex-lovers.
Despite the hardships and challenges Stevie Nicks faced during her young adulthood, she persevered and let her talent guide her through the dark times. As a women in the rock and roll industry, she made her way to the top and to this day holds her place as one of rock and roll’s most beloved icons.