“When You Stop, We’ll Withdraw”: The Ultimatum Stevie Nicks’ Parents Gave Her Pre-Fame

Although it’s hard to imagine a world in which Stevie Nicks didn’t become one of the greatest rock singers of all time, in the late 1960s and early 70s, that was a real possibility that Nicks’ parents tried to address with an ultimatum they gave her pre-fame. Of course, history would prove that it all worked out for Nicks.

But just in case it didn’t, her parents wanted a backup plan.

The Ultimatum Stevie Nicks’ Parents Gave Her Pre-Fame

Stevie Nicks and Lindsey Buckingham met as high school seniors living in California’s Bay Area, and their romantic and musical relationships began shortly after that. Even before Nicks and Buckingham graduated high school, they knew they wanted to pursue a music career. While Nicks’ parents supported and believed in their daughter’s dream, they didn’t want her jumping into the music industry without a backup plan.

During an interview at the 2012 Hamptons International Film Festival, Nicks recalled her parents saying, “‘We’re not saying it’s not gonna work because we think you’re great.’ And they did; they were so supportive. They said in case—my mom, especially—she said, ‘You know, if you do become very famous, we want you to be able to stand in a room with world politicians and famous writers and famous economists, and we want you to be able to hold your own. We want you to be smart and beautiful and talented, and we want you to have an education.”

So, Nicks’ parents made her a deal. As long as she attended nearby San José State University, her parents would financially support her while she studied and pursued music. But they had a caveat: “Until you stop,” Nicks said. “But when you stop, when you quit school, we will withdraw all financial support.” Nicks enrolled at San José State as a speech communication major for the next five years.

From Undergrad Studies to Underground Music Scenes

Just as Stevie Nicks’ parents promised, they financially supported her throughout all five years of her undergraduate studies. She was six months away from earning her degree when she and Lindsey Buckingham decided it was time to put all their eggs in one basket and move to Los Angeles to pursue music full-time. “I called them, and I said, ‘We’re going, Mom,’” Nicks said. “She said, ‘Okay, honey, but you know what that means.’”

With her parents’ blessing, Nicks dropped out of San José State and moved south to L.A. with Buckingham in 1971. She picked up three waitressing jobs and earned extra money by cleaning her roommate and producer, Richard Dashut’s home at night. While venturing into the great unknown with no financial support to fall back on was understandably frightening, Nicks said it was alright.

“A, I had a great education. I didn’t have to be a waitress, but I chose to do that because I could pick my own hours, and I could clean [the] house at night, so it didn’t really matter. I did what I had to do to make that work, and it did work. We moved to L.A. in the beginning of 1971, and the first day of 1975, we joined Fleetwood Mac.” Yeah—we’d say it worked out just fine.

Photo by Nancy Barr Brandon/Mediapunch/Shutterstock