In a turn of events that would surprise absolutely no one with even a moderate knowledge of Fleetwood Mac’s decades-long interpersonal drama, Stevie Nicks and Lindsey Buckingham had very different opinions on the potential personnel addition. -
By Melanie Davis November 29, 2024- Americansongwriter
Feminine energy is a critical component of Stevie Nicks’ stage persona. Not only did she and keyboardist Christine McVie have a special bond while working together in Fleetwood Mac. But after embarking on a solo career, Nicks also opted to keep women an integral part of her live shows, working with the same two backing vocalists for all of her solo albums. In the wake of McVie’s absence from Fleetwood Mac in the 2000s, Nicks began thinking of women who could step in and add their feminine energy to the mix.
“I missed Christine so much,” Nicks told Rolling Stone in 2009. “I wanted another woman in the band. It’s hard to be in the boys’ club.” So, Nicks suggested country pop star, Sheryl Crow, who was riding high off her massive hits “All I Wanna Do” and “Soak Up the Sun.” Nicks continued, “I explained to Sheryl what it was like to be in the group—that it’s all-encompassing. Like, on 2003’s “Say You Will” tour, we went out expecting to do 40 shows, and it turned into 135 shows.”
After taking Fleetwood Mac’s arduous touring schedule into consideration, Crow called Nicks and said, “I’ll have to pass.” Nicks told Rolling Stone, “As Stevie Nicks, I was disappointed. As her friend, I told her she made the right decision. Sheryl Crow passed on Fleetwood Mac. I want that out there.”
Not Everyone In The Band Was Happy With The Decision
Stevie Nicks and Lindsey Buckingham’s clashing egos have been a staple of Fleetwood Mac’s band dynamic since the former folk-rock duo first joined in the mid-1970s. Unsurprisingly, Nicks and Buckingham also disagreed about how likely it was that Sheryl Crow would (or, perhaps, should) have joined Fleetwood Mac. For Buckingham, his reservations stemmed from what he perceived to be an inappropriately early announcement via Crow.
