After the Glitter Fades

PREFACE Fleetwood Mac was founded in 1967, and in the nearly fifty years since, it's gone through so many personnel changes, it would make a Foreigner fan's head spin. The only original band members left are Mick Fleetwood and John McVie. McVie's wife Christine joined the band in the early 70s, and the band replaced Peter Green with Bob Welch as its lead singer. Welch subsequently left the band in 1974, and Mick tried to bring in Lyndsey Buckingham. Buckingham insisted that he and Stevie Nicks were a team and wouldn't come in without her. That line-up change started the most successful period for "The Mac", with lead vocals shared by Buckingham, Nicks and Christine McVie But great success brought with it great pressures, resulting in abhorrent behavior from every one of the band members. From binge drinking to serious drug use to sordid affairs with one another, it was a soap opera deluxe until it all crashed in the late 80s. Oddly, it was Bill Clinton who provided the impetus for the band's reconstitution by using "Don't Stop" in his first presidential campaign. The band reunited in 1997 and continues to tour today This account, written in the six word short story format, tells the story of The Mac's great success and great failure of the 70s and 80s, and what's become of their music in the 21st century. Each chapter in this story consists of just six words Chapter One Young Stephanie sang country with grandpa Stevie with Grandpa and Grandma Nicks:) Chapter Two Met a guy at Menlo High Stevie (circa 1968): Chapter Three Had an unusual name, Lindsey Buckingham Lindsey Buckingham (circa 1968) Chapter Four Their hearts were full of music Stevie and Lindsey (1973 photo from their Buckingham-Nicks album) Chapter Five They visited Aspen for a while Stevie - 1972: Chapter Six Stevie wrote 'Rhiannon' and 'Landslide' there Chapter Seven Mick Fleetwood offered Lindsey a job (Mick Fleetwood, shortly after the Bob Welch period:) Chapter Eight But Lindsey wouldn't break the chain (Buckingham-Nicks always operated as a team.) Chapter Nine She became the gold dust woman Chapter Ten It's not that funny, is it? Chapter Eleven Lindsey said: "Go your own way." Chapter Twelve Stevie: "Stop draggin my heart around." Chapter Thirteen The mess finally crashed in ugliness Chapter Fourteen Stevie moved on with solo success Chapter Fifteen They've tried to recapture the glory Chapter Sixteen And "Say You Will" is great Chapter Seventeen But Country is the new Pop (Lady Antebelum is representative of the slide of pop toward country music.) Chapter Eighteen So Stevie sings about Houston, Texas (Sheryl Crow and Stevie Nicks are just two of many pop and rock artists who've joined that movement.) Chapter Nineteen And finds she is "Golden" again Hillary Scott and Stevie Nicks: Chapter Twenty And the others say, "Oh Well" Chapter Twenty One Fleetwood Mac: For what it's worth