70’s Hippie Stevie Nicks
1970s Hippie Stevie Nicks
Stevie Nicks is not just a legendary rock ‘n’ roll singer; she’s also a fashion icon. Her psychedelic hippie style, Gothic tints and floppy tousled mullet have influenced numerous designers from Clare Waight Keller to Michael Kors. She’s even been a source of inspiration for modern stars like Taylor Swift and Harry Styles, who’ve gotten the chance to dress up in her gossamer shawls and lace tunics while on stage.
Her music is steeped in mysticism and metaphor, casting spells and connecting a slew of unlikely connections between old Welsh witches and contemporary seekers. Her songs are full of time and space, a theme that’s central to her lifelong meditations.
1970s-1990s
The ’70s were the high point of her career: she was the star of her own solo albums and, most importantly, a member of Fleetwood Mac, where she helped write classic songs with husband Lindsey Buckingham, drummer Mick Fleetwood and vocalist Christine McVie, including “Dreams,” “Go Your Own Way,” “Don’t Stop” and “You Make Loving Fun.” She was the only female member of the band to score a number one single.
Rumours — her breakout album with Fleetwood Mac — won the Grammy Award for Best Album of the Year in 1977 and generated four top-ten hits. The album’s standout tracks were “Dreams,” “Go Your Way,” and “Don’t Stop” (which became her US No. 1 hit) as well as the title track.
She toured and recorded with Fleetwood Mac throughout the ’70s, making several more solo albums in the process. Her most acclaimed work was 1983’s The Wild Heart, which topped Billboard’s charts and included the eponymous opening number “Wild Heart.”
Amid her solo successes, she also found time to record a handful of Fleetwood Mac collaborations. She appeared on the soundtracks of Practical Magic and The Last Waltz, and was a key part of the group’s reunions in 1990 and 1997.
Despite her success, she suffered from depression and drug addiction. She was a regular user of the tranquilizer Klonopin, and was under the care of a psychiatrist during her time away from music.
In the early ’90s, she began touring with her new band The Little River Band and started recording solo material again. She also made appearances in films, including 1998’s Practical Magic.
She has had a busy career, but her music still remains as vital as ever. She’s touring again, and she’s releasing two new albums this year. She’s also working on her upcoming memoir, which will be published in 2015. At age sixty-nine, she is still as charismatic and captivating as ever. She’s one of the most important musicians of her generation.