“Very funny and charming”: The artist Stevie Nicks said no one could dislike
Stevie Nicks had to grow a thick skin early on. Driven by the fear of not making it, she had no choice but to persevere and develop the kind of resilience that wouldn’t falter, no matter what. Even before she joined Fleetwood Mac, when she faced the real possibility of failure head-on, she continued writing, unknowingly penning several hits that would later define her entire career.
Although she always had the voice and songwriting ability to make it eventually, it was also Nicks’ ability to easily and effortlessly endear herself to her peers that made her stand out. Unlike many musicians, most believed in her ability straight away, like Lindsey Buckingham, who knew she had something special the very first day that he met her.
However, being a woman in rock also came with its share of challenges. Firstly, Nicks had to work twice as hard as her male counterparts, knowing that any taste of the spotlight would also come with a heady dose of scrutiny, whether it was about her lifestyle choices or the people she chose to date or be close with. With the possibility of fame up in the air, the positives of either side of the coin threatened to overthrow her steady rise.
That said, many of those she has crossed paths with throughout her career have inspired her in different ways, whether it was Buckingham’s pragmatic approach in the studio, Christine McVie’s ability to blend intimate experiences with explosive vocals, or beyond Fleetwood Mac, the intuition of others when it comes to branching out on your own, knowing exactly how to captivate audiences in the right way.
This occurred the moment Nicks became enamoured with Tom Petty, who, in her eyes, held so much knowledgeability and wisdom that she entrusted him with many facets of her own career. While working on her first debut album after leaving Fleetwood Mac, Petty became a significant touchpoint for Nicks, who sought guidance from the singer to ensure she wouldn’t completely tank as a solo artist.
However, the one person Nicks met who immediately charmed her more immediately was Rod Stewart, who she described as “one of my big influences” when she went out on the road with him several years back. This was a pivotal moment for Nicks, who was grateful Stewart invited her to join him on stage following years of uncertainty about whether her name held enough appeal to headline her own show, which, of course it did, but Nicks has always been susceptible to imposter syndrome.
Discussing the opportunity, she also reflected on Stewart’s reputation, arguing that it’s difficult to dislike him because of his charisma and musical ability. “He’s trippy, he’s charming. I’m used to English people so I’m very comfortable with the English people,” she told American Songwriter, adding, “They are very witty and very funny and charming. You can’t not like Rod Stewart because he’s darling, and he was very good to me and he gave me a chance to take my new album around the United States and do 18 arena gigs, which, by myself, I could not command. I can’t play the arenas that Rod Stewart and Fleetwood Mac play.”
Therefore, not only did Stewart help Nicks’ much-welcomed resurgence, but he also presented her with a supportive hand, demonstrating how to get up and be confident in front of a crowd already waiting for her return. Nicks might have spent years questioning her value and worth, but her peers always bring her back to the surface, reminding her why she’s one of the best figures in music today.
