Fleetwood Mac have been together since 1967, so it’s safe to say that the group have some stories. The Grammy-award winning band have had amazing success all around the globe and only a few have managed to see what really goes on behind the scenes. Here are a few things you might not have known about Fleetwood Mac.
1. Founding member Jeremy Spencer left the group in 1971 to join a cult
Jeremy Spencer had missed rehearsal the day before a gig and they were unable to find him for a few days. Once the band did find him, he refused to rejoin the group and they were forced to find a replacement. Spencer’s replacement, Peter Green, made things worse for the group at the time by openly mocking the audience.
2. Mick Fleetwood’s wife, model Jenny Boyd, was having an affair with his best friend and former Fleetwood Mac guitarist Bob Weston through the mid-70s
The pair divorced in 1977, where Fleetwood quickly rebounded from the end of his marriage by becoming involved with Stevie Nicks.
3. “Landslide” was never released as a single and the reason it’s so popular today is largely due to a cover version by the Smashing Pumpkins
Although Billy Corgan recorded a solo recording of the song in 1993, the song was used as a b-side. Later on, in 1994, the Smashing Pumpkins had the song on their compilation Pisces Iscariot. The song became a radio hit, and caused Fleetwood Mac to revisit the song and record a newer version on their live reunion album called The Dance in 1997.
4. Stevie Nicks’ cocaine habit in the ‘70s and ‘80s was so bad that she burned a hole in the cartilage of her nose
Naturally, after hearing this information, Nicks’ was motivated to kick her habit. A plastic surgeon had warned her that she could lose her nose or die.
Nicks told Rolling Stone: “He [the plastic surgeon] said to me, 'The next toot that you do could be your last. The tissue in your nose is very delicate. It could go straight up to your head, and then you could drop to the floor and die a lousy, two-hour death.”
5. Christine McVie wrote “You Make Loving Fun” about her affair with the band’s lighting director, Curry Grant
Grant and McVie’s relationship started while she was still married to John McVie. The pair remained married while the band was writing and recording Rumours, despite the duo being separated and seeing other people.
Did you know these facts about Fleetwood Mac? Have you ever seen them in concert? Let us know in the comments.
This article was written in partnership with Over60.