FLEETWOOD MAC’S GYPSY
∗ Born Stephanie Lynn Nicks on May 26, 1948 at Good Samaritan Hospital in Phoenix; her parents were both Arizona natives
∗ Learned to perform from her grandfather A.J., an aspiring country music entertainer, who brought her along to sing with him at local bars when she was five
∗ Moved to New Mexico, Texas, Utah and California as her father Jess rose through the ranks of the Armour/Dial/Greyhound conglomerate, ultimately becoming president; he was primarily responsible for relocating the corporate headquarters to Phoenix (the Dial portion is now part of German conglomerate Henkel, whose consumer products division was still headquartered in Scottsdale until 2017)
∗ Attended high school in Palo Alto, California, where she met songwriting and romantic partner Lindsey Buckingham; both also attended San Jose State College, where she majored in speech communication, but dropped out a semester before graduation
∗ Joined Buckingham’s band Fritz, a popular Bay Area group that opened for Janis Joplin and Jimi Hendrix, among others; disbanded in 1971
∗ Released Buckingham-Nicks album with Lindsey Buckingham in 1972; though not very successful, it did receive some radio airplay in Phoenix at the time
∗ Joined Fleetwood Mac in 1975, after Mick Fleetwood heard “Frozen Love” from the Buckingham-Nicks album; he wanted Lindsey Buckingham to replace the departed Bob Welch, but Buckingham insisted that Stevie be part of the deal
∗ Became an “overnight sensation” with the release of the Fleetwood Mac album in 1975, which reached #1 and sold 3 million copies at the time; hits included Stevie’s “Rhiannon” and “Landslide”; her costumes and mystical stage persona made her a focal point of concerts
∗ Solidified success with the group’s Rumours album in 1977, which spent 31 weeks at #1 and ultimately selling 40 million copies, making it the fifth-best-selling album of all time; won Album of the Year Grammy Award; produced the #1 single, Stevie’s “Dreams” and three other Top 10 hits; during the making of the album, Stevie split from Buckingham
∗ Featured on subsequent Fleetwood Mac hit albums, including Tusk (1979) that included her song “Sara,” a #7 single; Mirage (1982), which included her “Gypsy” (#12); Tango In The Night (1985); Behind The Mask (1989) and Say You Will (2003)
∗ Sang very prominent harmony on two top 5 hits by other artists: Kenny Loggins’ “Whenever I Call You Friend” (1978) and John Stewart’s “Gold” (1979)
∗ Released her first solo album, Bella Donna (1981), which went to #1 and produced the #3 hit, “Stop Dragging My Heart Around,” a duet with Tom Petty; other hits included “Leather And Lace” (#6) duet with Don Henley, and “Edge of Seventeen” (#11)
∗ Released subsequent hit solo albums The Wild Heart (1983) featuring the #5 single “Stand Back”; Rock A Little (1985) featuring “Talk To Me” (#4); The Other Side of the Mirror (1987); Street Angel (1994); Trouble In Shangri-La (2001); In Your Dreams (2011); 24 Karat Gold: Songs From the Vault (2014)
∗ Inducted in 1988 into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as a member of Fleetwood Mac; has continued to tour extensively over the years with the group and as a solo artist
∗ Sang with Fleetwood Mac at Bill Clinton’s first inauguration as U.S. president in 1993
∗ Built a home in 1981 on the north side of Camelback Mountain in Paradise Valley, where she lived part-time until selling it in 2007; her parents settled in Paradise Valley in 1972; father Jess launched a second career as a concert promoter and owned and operated the Compton Terrace amphitheater; mother Barbara opened Silver Springs Emporium in 1985, a Scottsdale antique shop on First Avenue, just west of Goldwater Blvd., now operated by family members; Jess died in 2005, Barbara in 2011
∗ Performed multiple Arizona benefit concerts through the years (with and without Fleetwood Mac) benefiting the Arizona Heart Institute; her father Jess was a patient who then served on the board of directors for more than 30 years
∗ Established the Stevie Nicks Soldiers’ Angels Foundation; began visiting wounded soldiers in 2004 and delivering personal presents, including hundreds of iPods loaded with music she selected
∗ Toured with Chrissie Hynde and the Pretenders in 2016-17
∗ Inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2019 as a solo artist, the first female performer to be inducted twice
∗ Lives in Santa Monica, California; her Facebook page lists her hometown as Phoenix
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