Saturday, May 12, 2007

Rock sweetheart, soldiers' angel


Rock sweetheart, soldiers' angel
Sylvie Simmons

Sunday, May 13, 2007


A small woman walks into the living room of her Southern California house carrying two mugs of steaming Earl Grey tea. A pair of tiny dogs, barely bigger than fur balls, skitter between her stiletto-booted feet. She is dressed in a floaty chiffon blouse and rock-star-tight black pants, her long blond hair worn loose and to her waist. Her expression, as she offers a mug and sits in front of the log fire, is open, unguarded and, as always, a little stunned, as if she'd just fallen out of a little girl's drawing of a fairy princess and hasn't quite got her bearings. She looks, in fact, exactly like Stevie Nicks.

In 1985, when Nicks was in the Betty Ford clinic being treated for cocaine addiction -- she was one of the first rock stars, if not the first, she says, to do the now-common rehab thing -- they gave her some homework: Write an essay on the difference between being Stevie Nicks, real-life human, and Stevie Nicks, rock goddess. She says it was the hardest thing she's ever had to do.

It prompts a story about going to her 40th high school reunion earlier this year in San Francisco -- Nicks was born in Phoenix, but her family moved West when she was a teenager. One of her close group of high school girlfriends told her, "You know what? You haven't changed a bit. You are still our little Stevie girl." Nicks says it made her cry "because it was the nicest thing anybody had said to me, that I'm still the same. Because I've always tried very hard to stay who I was before I joined Fleetwood Mac and not become a very arrogant and obnoxious, conceited, bitchy chick, which many do, and I think I've been really successful."

That this should be said so guilelessly by a woman who will be 60 years old next year, and who has spent a good three-quarters of those years experiencing the rock 'n' roll life in all its often less-than-innocent glories, might sound odd. But with Nicks, what you see really is what you get. Her hobbies include writing children's stories and drawing sweetly childlike illustrations. A couple of her drawings, still unfinished, are propped up in a corner of the room.

"They're my Zen thing, what I do on airplanes, what I do when I really think -- think about what I'm going to do," she says.

If she could only "organize my time a little better," she says, she would have had an art show by now and published the children's books.

"It's like Oprah says: If you wait around, you're never going to get it done," she says. "So I'll see if I can't multitask a little more."

To an outsider, Nicks' multitasking skills seem Olympian. For the past three decades she has run, concurrently, two phenomenally successful careers: as a solo singer and songwriter and as a key member of Fleetwood Mac. During a break from touring solo and with the band last year, she spent five months on the road as an unpaid guest member of Tom Petty's Heartbreakers "just for fun." She's been writing a ballet and a film based on the Menologian, the mythology book that inspired her best-loved song, "Rhiannon." Oh, and she also managed to establish the Stevie Nicks Soldier's Angel Foundation, a charity that helps injured U.S. military personnel.

She was planning a vacation in Hawaii before finishing the last few songs for a new solo album, when her record company called and told her it was putting out a greatest-hits CD and DVD, "Crystal Visions: The Very Best of Stevie Nicks" ("These records are never your idea," she says). So Nicks dusted herself off, packed her bags and got ready for the solo tour that brings her back to the Bay Area on Thursday.

"Due to the fact that I never got married and never had children, I do have this crazy world where I pretty much continually work," she says. "But I love my work, and it's so different all the time that I really can't complain. And when I do get tired and irritable I get really mad at myself and stop in my tracks and say, 'You have no right to complain. You are a lucky, lucky girl.' I always hear my dad, who I lost a year and a half ago, saying, 'Ninety-nine percent of the human race will never be able to do what you have been able to do, to see all the beautiful cities and meet the people that you've met. You're a lucky girl, Stevie.' And I just try to keep that very present in my life."

But it must be hard playing the ethereal fairy princess myth at the age of 59, isn't it?

She nods.

"It is. Because when you go onstage and perform in front of people, you want to be that person for everybody, but you are getting older, and there's nothing you can do to stop that," she says. "That is something I have had really long talks with myself about. All women have to deal with getting older, famous or not famous, and the way I deal with it is, I feel that if you stay animated from within, people don't see the age. I do my makeup and I do my hair and I try to look as fantastic as I can when I walk out of that bathroom, but once I walk out of that bathroom, I don't think about it again. I've never had a face-lift. The idea of having plastic surgery and looking like somebody else or a caricature of myself is so horrible. So I deal with it by just being me."

Her aversion to cosmetic surgery might have something to do with her work with wounded soldiers. In 2004, when Nicks was performing in Washington, D.C., her manager got a call from Walter Reed Army Medical Center, asking if she would visit, and she couldn't refuse.

"You put on a gown and gloves and they say, 'Well, this guy's name is John Jones and he was injured in a blast and lost both legs. He's had a bad day, but he's very excited to see you.' And you go in and I just say, 'My name's Stevie Nicks. What happened?' Because they would like to talk about it. I was there from 2 in the afternoon until almost 1 o'clock that night. When I walked out of that hospital, after having seen about 40 guys and girls who've lost arms and legs, I was completely blown away by it all, and by how these kids' lives had been completely changed."

It changed her, too. She went back, armed with iPods she'd filled with music for the patients. She and her girlfriends dropped by with movies and popcorn and sat and watched the films with the soldiers.

"I'm not a mother, but I feel incredibly motherly to all these kids," she says. "They are so young."

She phoned her musician friends and asked for their help with a foundation she was planning. And when she learned that a new facility for amputees and burn victims was opening in San Antonio, Texas, she set up her tour "so that I can hub out of San Antonio and go there and figure out what they need," she says.

"I'm very, very dedicated to this. It's nothing that I would have ever in a million years have dreamed that I would have ever become involved in," America's rock sweetheart says, smiling, "but I feel like it's probably the best thing I've ever done."

NEW Stevie Tour Date

TOUR DATED ADDED
Sat 28-Jul Phoenix, AZ
Dodge Theatre
TICKETS ON SALE: 2-May 10:00 AM

Stevie Nicks On Tour

STEVIE NICKS & CHRIS ISAAK TOUR 2007
May 17 2007 - Concord, CA - Sleeptrain Amphitheatre
May 19 2007 - Los Angeles, CA - The Greek Theatre
May 20 2007 - Los Angeles, CA- The Greek Theatre
May 23 2007 - San Diego, California - Coors Amphitheatre
May 25 2007 - San Jacinto, California - Soboba Casino
May 27 2007 - Albuquerque, New Mexico - Journal Pavilion
May 28 2007 - Denver, Colorado - Red Rocks
May 30 2007 - Oklahoma City, Oklahoma - Zoo Amphitheatre
Jun 1 2007 - Dallas, Texas - Smirnoff Music Centre
Jun 2 2007 - Houston, Texas - Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion
Jun 4 2007 - Atlanta, Georgia - Chastain Park
Jun 5 2007 - Atlanta, Georgia - Chastain Park
Jun 8 2007 - Chicago, Illinois - Charter One Pavilion
Jun 9 2007 - Detroit, Michigan - DTE Energy Music Theatre
Jun 12 2007 - Holmdel, New Jersey - PNC Bank Arts Center
Jun 13 2007 - Wantagh, New York - Jones Beach
Jun 15 2007 - Camden, New Jersey - Tweeter Waterfront
Jun 16 2007 - Atlantic City, New Jersey - Borgata Spa & Resort
Jun 17 2007 - Boston, Massachusetts - Tweeter Center

STEVIE NICKS (SOLO DATES) 2007
June 21, 2007 - Rama, ONT Casino Rama
June 22, 2007 - Rama, ONT Casino Rama
June 25, 2007 - London, ONT John Lebatt Center
June 26, 2007 - Verona, NY Turning Stone Casino
June 28, 2007 - Norfolk, VA Constant Center
June 30, 2007 - Scranton, PA Toyota Pavillion
July 1, 2007 - Uncasville, CT Mohegan Sun
July 3, 2007 - Youngstown, OH Chevrolet Centre
July 27, 2007 - Prescott Valley, AZ
July 28 2007 - Pheonix, AZ Dodge Theatre
July 30, 2007 - Las Vegas, (Shoe Convention)

Lindsey Announces Fourth Leg

Lindsey Buckingham Announces Fourth Leg of U.S. Solo Tour to Begin June 1st
Singer-Songwriter/Guitarist Touring Behind His Critically Acclaimed Solo Album, "Under The Skin"

BURBANK, CA -- (MARKET WIRE) -- May 10, 2007 -- Lindsey Buckingham will embark on the fourth leg of his first U.S. solo tour in nearly 14 years on June 1st, 2007. Buckingham and his three-piece band present an innovative, tightly orchestrated minimalism that captures the spirit of the Fleetwood Mac singer and guitarist's most recent solo album, the intricately crafted, acoustic guitar-driven "Under The Skin," which was released by Reprise Records on October 3rd.

The summer dates, which conclude June 30th, follow the enthusiastically received autumn, winter, and spring legs of Buckingham's nationwide trek. The New York Times praised the artist's appearance at New York's Town Hall, saying that, "the strength of Buckingham's songs, his singing and guitar playing, and his strange intensity as a performer carried the evening," while "his stamina kept the music's energy fresh and volatile." The Chicago Tribune calls Buckingham "an enigmatic rock'n'roll icon" whose tour is "worth the wait." The Austin American Statesman says Buckingham "mesmerizes and gets the crowd moving."

Critics have equally applauded "Under The Skin," hailing Buckingham's first solo album since 1992's "Out Of The Cradle" as "magnificent" (The Washington Post), "a stellar comeback" (Blender), and "a mesmerizing return to the side of Buckingham that birthed the proto-indie pop strangeness of 1979's 'Tusk'" (Rolling Stone).

Buckingham, the acknowledged musical visionary behind Fleetwood Mac, will release another solo album at the beginning of 2008. His recent television appearances include "Late Night with Conan O'Brien," "The Ellen Degeneres Show," PBS's "Tavis Smiley," "Soundstage," CBS's "Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson," and CMT's "Crossroads," where he appears with country quartet Little Big Town. A special acoustic performance of "Big Love" from this year's Sundance Film Festival's "Where Music Meets Film" will air on the WE network June 4th at 10pm, featuring Buckingham along with other artists.

Lindsey Buckingham's Summer tour dates are as follows:

June 1 Santa Rosa, CA Wells Fargo Center for the Arts
June 2 Hanford, CA Fox Theater
June 3 Bakersfield, CA Fox Theater
June 6 Los Angeles, CA House of Blues
June 7 Anaheim, CA House of Blues
June 8 Mesa, AZ Mesa PAC
June 9 Las Vegas, NV The Joint
June 11 San Diego, CA Humphrey's
June 13 Ventura, CA Ventura Theater
June 14 Saratoga, CA The Mountain Winery
June 16 Lake Tahoe, NV Harrah's
June 17 Redding, CA Redding Convention Center
June 19 Portland, OR Aladdin Theater
June 20 Vancouver, BC Commodore Ballroom
June 22 Bellingham, WA Mount Baker Theatre
June 23 Spokane, WA Big Easy
June 24 Boise, ID Big Easy
June 26 Rapid City, SD Rushmore Civic Center
June 27 Sioux Falls, SD Washington Pavilion Arts Center
June 28 Fargo, ND Playmakers Pavilion
June 30 Milwaukee, WI Summerfest

For more information, please visit www.lindseybuckingham.com

Tuesday, March 27, 2007

"Crystal Visions... The Very Best of Stevie Nicks"

MARCH 27, 2007 
Stevie released "CRYSTAL VISIONS…THE VERY BEST OF STEVIE NICKS" on March 27, 2007 on Reprise Records. "CRYSTAL VISIONS" is a collection of songs from her three decade career as a solo artist and member of the legendary Fleetwood Mac.  

The CD opens with the original mastered studio version of "Edge of Seventeen" and closes with a live performance of the song recorded in 2006 with the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra. It includes a live version of "Landslide" (also recorded with the Melbourne Symphony), a knock-out version of Led Zeppelin's "Rock and Roll", the Deep Dish dance remix of "Dreams" and "Silver Springs" from the original master of "RUMOURS."  

Released in two configurations a stand alone CD and a CD/DVD Version.  The DVD component of "CRYSTAL VISIONS" offers 13 Stevie videos with voice-over commentary by Nicks.  Also included on the DVD is a never before seen Stevie Nicks home video which was filmed during the making of the five-times platinum "BELLA DONNA" album.  

One bonus track was offered on the digital version purchased via iTunes; a live version of "Stand Back" recorded in Las Vegas.  

Reprise Records initially released two radio only promos, the live version of "Landslide" with the Melbourne

Multiple Remixes Available at iTunes
Symphony Orchestra and "Rock and Roll". Both tracks failed to garner much airplay and made no impact on the charts. Reprise Records released "Stand Back" (issued with club mixes) on May 29, 2007. "Stand Back", which peaked at #5 on the pop singles chart in 1983, reached #2 on the Billboard Club chart. Nicks previously reached #1 on this chart, with "Planets of the Universe" (from Trouble in Shangri-La) in 2001. The remix single of "Stand Back" debuted on the Billboard Hot Singles Sales chart on September 15, 2007 at #10, peaking at #4 the following week. It also debuted on the Billboard Hot Dance Singles Sales chart at #3, later peaking at #1.  

CRYSTAL VISIONS debuted April 14, 2007 at No.21 on Billboards Top 200 Albums Chart and spent a total of 12 weeks on the chart. The CD/DVD version debuted at No.2 on the Top Music Video Sales Chart  spending 14 weeks on the chart and also at No.2 on the Top Internet Albums Chart.  To date Crystal Visions has sold in excess of 500,000 copies in the U.S.. It has not been certified by the RIAA.

Thursday, December 01, 2005

STEVIE NICKS: LONG DISTANCE WINNER - SURVIVING THE 70S

Photo via Goldduststevie
By Andy Capper, Stevie Nicks
Dec 1 2005

I'm 56 now, but music still has the same effect on me as when I was 15. Every so often, I'll hear a couple of songs that will just kill me and make me go instantly to my desk to write, and then straight to the piano to compose. That feeling is something that's never gone away and I feel really blessed by that.

I know some people say they used to write better when they were younger, but I feel the greatest writing for me is yet to come. I'm always working on new material and I'm always inspired. At the moment, I'm going between preparing for a short residency at Caesar's Palace in Las Vegas and composing a series of songs based on the books of Rhiannon, these Welsh legends that I really love. They're such beautiful stories. It's what the old Welsh people left behind to teach future generations about how to raise their children and how to deal with relationships—how to run their lives, basically.

Another thing that inspires me in my music at the moment is my niece Jesse. She's 13 but she's an inch taller than me, with black hair and blue eyes. Sometimes when I'm running on my treadmill and listening to music on my CD player, I'll be singing and howling along while Jesse's in the same room and I'll make her listen to how the singer is singing. Jesse was with me when I wrote four songs for the last Fleetwood Mac album, and she even got to sing on the title track, "Say You Will." That was fun.

It's not that I want to push her into music. I would never do that. The arts are not something that you can push on anybody. People either have it or they don't. I really believe that. I would say to girls who are thinking about getting into making music that the most important thing to do is to learn how to play an instrument well. If you're a girl who can play, you can always get a job. You can play keyboards or guitar in a band no problem. Since you're a girl, you're even more special.

But making it all last, you know, having longevity, is another story. The thing that's kept me going all these years is absolutely "the music." It sounds like a cliché, but the music is way more personally motivating than being in a band. Yes, I was in a band, but it's not like Lindsey Buckingham and I wrote songs together. We never did. We were very, very separate in that. He was a very good producer for my music but that was that.

I was very selfish and was not willing to give up my art for a family and a husband. Now, at this point in my life, I am really glad, because I see so many of the people that did get married and did have relationships—they're all divorced, they're all miserable, their children are miserable, and it's like I'm thinking to myself: "You made the right decision."

I guess for me, as a woman, there was nobody who would tolerate my lifestyle. Even the richest of rock stars had reason to be jealous of me. The poorest of people, the waiter, the great men in my life, it hit them all very hard.

There was the waiter. There were the doormats and the security guards with some other famous bands. There were all these really beautiful and sweet men who have been in my life and then there's the rich, famous men, but at some point or another, my life was too much for ALL of them. They started to make demands. Like, "Where are you going? And what do you mean you're coming home from your tour but you're stopping over in England for a month?"

That kind of thing doesn't go over well. The long black limousine drives up the long path to your house to pick you up and your boyfriend is waving goodbye to you. It's never fun to be left. It wouldn't be for me.

I had my chances but I would never marry a rock star either. Because you can never trust them. I know, I have watched them while I was out there. There was an unspoken society, which Christine McVie and I always stayed completely away from. We didn't really ever know what the rest of the boys in our band did, but we knew what boys in other bands did because that gossip got to us. Whatever went on in Fleetwood Mac was kept from us. We didn't wanna know anyway. As a woman who lived in that world of groupies and rock and roll excess, I can understand why the men do what they do. But I don't have to like it.

I swear on my mom's grave (and she's not even dead yet) that Christine and I didn't go out and have one-night stands while we were on tour. We never met someone in a coffee shop and then went back and slept with them, ever. But the guys would. And in the rest of the world it happens all the time and it's not a big deal. It still happens now with all the new rock and roll bands.

Whatever went on—and plenty of things did—I'm just grateful that I've had so many beautiful memories in this life of music. I would say the most memorable day I ever had was when I was 29 and we played the first ever "Day on the Green" concert in San Francisco. It was Peter Frampton headlining. We were on before him. The concert was a tribute to the success of Peter's Frampton Comes Alive album, so the promoter Bill Graham had built a huge fairy tale castle on top of this massive stadium stage. The castle was so gorgeous. It was sparkling and glittering, and it had turrets and stairs that went up on both sides. The turrets had seats, so it had this Rapunzel kind of feeling. This was the beginning of 1976, and at that point Lindsey and I had only done a small tour with Fleetwood Mac, where there were like 5,000 people per show. This audience was 75,000 people!

We had no idea what to expect. When I got there, I saw each of our dressing rooms had personalized, carved-wood signs in beautiful calligraphy with our names written on them. Of course they were just trailers, but oh what trailers they were!

The first performer was this guy named Lee Michaels. I'd lived in San Francisco, where he's from, so I was a fan of his already. I went out and hid on the side of the stage and watched the show, and then I went back and got dressed during the last half of the next act's set. When we finally got on stage to do our set, I just thought to myself: "Where would I ever want to be in the world except for this sparkling castle in front of 75,000 people?"

I was standing in the middle of the stage thinking, "This is the big time!"

Even better than that was that my best friend and I got to go up the stairs on the side of the castle and sit in those little princess chairs and watch Peter Frampton play live. Peter's an amazing guitarist and back then he had that shoulder length golden hair. He was so gorgeous. He looked like a king. So to sit up there and watch him from that vantage point was just wonderful. When the show was over there was a huge party in Frampton's hotel suite. It was just a magnificent rock and roll moment.

At the party, everybody was drunk. But I can remember it like it was yesterday, so that means it was fun. Everybody was drinking wine, and there were wine spritzers there because of all the English people. It was a beautiful thing. At that point the serious drugs hadn't kicked in yet.
So yes, some bad days came later, but there's always been good days too. All of it, the good and the bad, is what allows me to sit now in a house that overlooks the ocean and have complete freedom in my life. I'm just really grateful to music every day.

STEVIE NICKS AS TOLD TO ANDY CAPPER
By: Andy Capper, Stevie Nicks - Vice