Mick Fleetwood and Stevie Nicks lead tributes to Peter Green following his death
Peter was a founding member of Fleetwood Mac
Last updated 14th Aug 2020
Fleetwood Mac founding member, Peter Green, sadly passed away on Saturday 25th July aged 73, as confirmed by his family in a statement.
It read, "It is with great sadness that the family of Peter Green announce his death this weekend, peacefully in his sleep. A further statement will be provided in the coming days."
Fleetwood Mac co-founder, Mick Fleetwood, paid tribute to his dear friend, releasing a statement, "For me, and every past and present member of Fleetwood Mac, losing Peter Green is monumental.
"No-one has ever stepped into the ranks of Fleetwood Mac without a reverence for Peter Green and his talent, and to the fact that music should shine bright and always be delivered with uncompromising passion.
"Peter, I will miss you, but rest easy your music lives on. I thank you for asking me to be your drummer all those years ago. We did good, and trail blazed one hell of a musical road for so many to enjoy. God speed to you, my dearest friend."
Stevie Nicks, who joined Fleetwood Mac with her then-boyfriend Lindsey Buckingham five years after Green had left, never had chance to share a stage with Green, which she describes as her “biggest regret” in an emotional tribute to PEter.
She tweeted, 'I am sorry to hear about the passing of Peter Green. My biggest regret is that I never got to share the stage with him. I always hoped in my heart of hearts that that would happen.
'When I first listened to all the Fleetwood Mac records, I was very taken with his guitar playing. It was one of the reasons I was excited to join the band. His legacy will live on forever in the history books of Rock n Roll. It was in the beginning, Peter Green’s Fleetwood Mac and I thank you, Peter Green, for that. You changed our lives.'
Jeremy Spencer, who was part of the original Fleetwood Mac line-up along with Peter, said, "Hearing of Peter’s passing on made me recall my last phone conversation with him in March of this year. It was, as other calls over the last few years, pleasant communication, covering different topics. I believe he is finding the peace now that was forfeited him here.
"I owe him a lot, teaching me the importance of emotion and ‘less is more’ in music. In the words of Shakespeare, 'If music be the food of love, THEN PLAY ON'. So then, Peter, till we meet again. Play on!"
Who was Peter Green?
For those who don't know, blues rock guitarist Peter Green formed Fleetwood Mac with drummer Mick Fleetwood, bass guitarist John McVie and guitarist Jeremy Spencer back in 1967. He was the songwriter behind some of Fleetwood Mac’s biggest hits, including 'Black Magic Woman', 'Oh Well' and the band’s only Number 1 hit, 'Albatross'.
Peter left the band in 1970 due to struggles with his mental health, but later returned to music in 1979 to record his first solo album, 'In The Skies'. In the late 1990s, he went on to form the Peter Green Splinter Group and released nine albums between 1997 and 2004.
In 1998, Peter was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as a member of Fleetwood Mac, along with Mick Fleetwood and Stevie Nicks. Last year, Rolling Stone hailed him as one of the top 100 greatest guitarists of all time, describing him as "Britain's most progressive blues guitarist" during his heyday.
Our thoughts are with Peter's family at this time.