Stephanie Lynn "Stevie" Nicks (born May 26, 1948 in Phoenix, Arizona) is an American singer and songwriter, best known for her work with Fleetwood Mac.
Nicks met future partner Lindsey Buckingham while attending Menlo Atherton High School and along with two others formed a band called Fritz which became popular as a live act from 1968 until 1972. They were the opening act for, among others, Jimi Hendrix and Janis Joplin. After the band parted, Nicks and Buckingham remained as a duo releasing the album Buckingham Nicks in 1973. While not a commercial success it caught the attention of drummer Mick Fleetwood who was looking for a new guitarist for his band Fleetwood Mac. Stevie was reduced to cleaning houses at the time that Fleetwood Mac stumbled onto the duo. They invited the duo to join them, and the new ensemble released the album Fleetwood Mac in 1975. Nicks contributed songs such as "Rhiannon" and "Landslide", originally written for the second Buckingham Nicks album. The team-up proved to be no fluke, as the Mac enjoyed its first #1 on the Billboard 200 and sold more than five million copies.
The album was a considerable success, and its follow-up Rumours released in 1977 became one of the all-time best-selling albums, selling more than 19 million copies. With several Nicks songs such as "Gold Dust Woman" it also contained Fleetwood Mac's only Billboard Hot 100 number one single, Dreams which was written by Nicks and featured her on lead vocals. The band's next album Tusk was more experimental in sound, and while successful, alienated some of its fans. Though the album sold four million copies, it was considered a failure. One urban legend states that Nicks' single from the album, "Sara," was written about a terminated pregnancy Nicks had with Don Henley, a member of Eagles; however, no evidence for the truth of this rumor has been found. Another rumored meaning of Sara is the alter ego Sara Anderson, which Stevie used while attending the Betty Ford clinic to battle cocaine dependency. Nicks has consistently stated the song is about band member Mick Fleetwood's girlfriend at the time.
