Gold Dust Woman: A Q&A With Stevie Nicks

Especially men, I guess.

Well, yeah, and but then if you slip it over to women, then of course women are more sensitive. So then you’re really actually going to hurt somebody’s feelings. It didn’t hurt Don’s feelings that I didn’t like his idea. I think he just—he was like, way more famous than me, you know, Don Henley and the Eagles—so I think he probably just thought, “Well, you’re an idiot.” And just left it at that because certainly, me not liking the word “washes” is not going to wreck Don Henley’s confidence. But at the same time, it was a little thorn there for a moment.

It’s interesting that you say, “He was way more famous than me.” In retrospect—and it’s so strange to ask a question like this: “Do you guys ever sit there and consider who is more famous?”—but honestly, as time has gone by, wouldn’t you say it’s pretty much equaled out?

Well, maybe. But then, that was—well, when was “Dreams”? Was “Dreams” on the first or second record; I can never remember—whatever, when Lindsey and I drove to Los Angeles in 1971, “Witchy Woman” was on the radio, “One of These Nights” was on the radio, and we were totally inspired by them and by their amazing harmonies and amazing song craftsmanship. So in my little mind, this was two years—1976 is when it was, because that’s when I went out with Don—so in my mind, they had been famous for a good solid five, six years longer than than we had been famous. So I was listening to the Eagles long before I even knew if we’d make it or not. There’s bands that are famous—well it’s generations —five years before us, and then us, and there’s the five-years-after-us generation, and then there’s even older than that, which would be Eric Clapton and his generation, a little bit older than the Eagles generation. So that’s actually like a two-year-older generation, so each one of those generations brought up these amazing bands, so I, Stevie Nicks, would open for the Eagles in a second because they’re awesome and they were my big inspiration. It’s why I was able to go out on the road just now and feel very good about opening for Rod Stewart, because Rod Stewart [is] awesome; one of my big influences.

I was gonna ask you how that tour went.

It went great. He’s trippy, he’s charming. I’m used to English people so I’m very comfortable with the English people. 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. So taking me with him, he allowed me to be able to go play my single and say a few little words about my record in 18 huge cities, in 18 huge venues. He gave me a wonderful platform for that. On the last night I said to him, “If this record really does well Rod, I’m going to be sending you a cashmere blanket.” He really helped me in giving me that platform.

Did it feel like there was a particular age group in the audience or were you reaching new fans as well?

In Rod’s show?

Yeah.

Well, I’m starting to really be aware that there are children out there, I mean there’s kids, there’s 14-year-olds and 15-year-olds and 12-year-olds and 18-year-olds and 25-year-olds and 32-year-olds. It’s pretty much going across the board now, which is great. And it’s the same with Fleetwood Mac. When Fleetwood Mac first reconvened in 1998 for The Dance after not playing since 1987, since Tangle in the Night, there were mostly people that were our age, a lot of people who looked definitely older, and Lindsey said, “Where are the younger people?” I said “Lindsey, give it a chance here, these are all the people that are our fans, and their children will come along with them and so will their grandchildren, by the way, so just give it two weeks,” and in fact that’s exactly what happened. Within weeks, there was like, super young people there, and it’s because we had great, serious fans, original fans in 1975-’76, ’77, ’78, and their children have grown up with us, and their children. Lindsey and I were 27 and 28 when we joined Fleetwood Mac—we had fans for those first two records that were probably, 50? Twenty-two years older than us? So think about that now. We’re 63 and 62. So if they’re still alive, we have fans in their 80s! [laughs]

That’s what’s so cool about rock ‘n’ roll. When I was growing up, which was when you were coming out with Buckingham Nicks and Fleetwood Mac was out, the last thing you would ever do was go to a show with you parents. You didn’t even want them to consider liking your music.

Right, but now it’s pretty different. I mean, I think that they might go in different cars and be at the same concert and not hang out that much, but they’re both there.

If they’re lucky, their parents even bought them the ticket.