John Mayall & the Bluesbreakers members John Green, Mick Fleetwood, and John McVie found a chance to make their music after Mayall gave them free recording time. That session went so well and prolific that they had five songs, and Green started thinking about forming a new band with them. Then, he shared this idea with his bandmates which can be considered the beginning of the legendary band Fleetwood Mac.
Fleetwood, Green, and guitarist Jeremy Spencer, then McVie, who decided to join shorty after concerns about leaving his previous band, became the band’s first stable lineup. They released their self-titled debut studio album, also known as ‘Peter Green’s Fleetwood Mac’ on February 24, 1968, and it got critical acclaim. However, a short time later, Green’s addiction problems worsened over the years, which ruined many things in his life and career.
During their European tour in 1970, Green was using LSD and tried a different version of it at a hippie commune in Munich, which some people that were close to him claimed that it caused his following mental disorders. At the end of the tour, Green parted his ways with Fleetwood Mac, and the band lost a crucial member who was the person behind the formation. The group’s newer member and singer Stevie Nicks realized that.
Stevie Nicks’ Regret About Peter Green
Stevie Nicks and her then-boyfriend Lindsey Buckingham joined Fleetwood Mac four years after Green’s departure to replace guitarist, Bob Welch. Nicks and Buckingham contributed a lot to the band’s style and hit records, making them one of the world’s most famous and commercially successful rock groups. Despite the personal disputes and problems with each other, Fleetwood Mac’s new lineup gained international popularity quickly.
However, the founding member Green wasn’t with them throughout these golden times, and he had a severe mental disorder, schizophrenia. He went to several psychiatric hospitals to receive treatment. Even though the musician continued his musical career despite his problems, he couldn’t reach Fleetwood Mac’s success, but the fans always remembered his legacy. Nicks never forgot his influence while paying tribute to Green along with the fans after his death.
Nicks shared a post, saying that the musician inspired her all the time with his outstanding performances in the earlier records. Nicks revealed that Green was one of the people that made her admire Fleetwood Mac which eventually led to her becoming a member. Her only regret about Green was not being able to perform or create together as band members.
In Nicks’ words, she said:
“I am so sorry to hear about the passing of Peter Green. My biggest regret is that I never got to share the stage with him. I always hoped in my heart of hearts that that would happen. When I first listened to all the Fleetwood Mac records, I was very taken with his guitar playing.
It was one of the reasons I was excited to join the band. His legacy will live on forever in the history books of Rock ‘n Roll. It was in the beginning, Peter Green’s Fleetwood Mac, and I thank you, Peter Green, for that. You changed our lives.”
Peter Green passed away on July 25, 2020, at the age of 73, due to an unknown reason. His latest musical effort was with the Peter Green Splinter Group he found in the late 1990s. After releasing nine blues albums, Green moved to Sweden. In February 2009, the musician began playing and touring again as Peter Green and Friends.
