Can I respect Lindsey?

[ViscountViktor]

I've just read Carol Ann Harris' book for the first time, and I'm really shocked and surprised at the violent portrayal of Lindsey, and sympathize a lot for Carol.

How can a man who I respect so much musically be so violent to someone he supposedly loved? The comparisons to Chris Brown do come to mind...

How did other Lindsey fans cope with this harsh reality when they read the book? Did it affect you at all? I really want a way to be able to respect Lindsey again...

[iamnotafraid]

Originally Posted by ViscountViktor

How did other Lindsey fans cope with this harsh reality when they read the book? Did it affect you at all?

By not believing every single word. Nice recollections don't
translate into sales. It's all about dirt.

Like most books it's a mixture of lies and truth. It's up to the
reader to distinguish which is which.

Unless there are cold hard facts against him (Stevie's stories
don't count), I choose to respect him as an artist.

[haleyd]

Originally Posted by iamnotafraid

Unless there are cold hard facts against him (Stevie's stories
don't count), I choose to respect him as an artist.

Lol I'm confused... Why don't Stevie's stories "count"?!

[louielouie2000]

Originally Posted by haleyd

Lol I'm confused... Why don't Stevie's stories "count"?!

Because Stevie wildly exaggerates, changes her recollections frequently, and makes claims others flat-out refute. Part of this is due to her flamboyant personality; part is due to her long-term drug usage. She was being serious when she sang "long nets of white cloud my memory."

Regarding Lindsey's past treatment of women... I struggled with how I felt about that for a long time. The reality is that multiple women have accused him of physical and psychological abuse. While Carol Ann and Stevie each have their own reasons for bringing this to public attention, I don't think their interests have common threads or roots. So this tends to make me believe that their claims are indeed true.

That being said, each of these women are known to embellish the truth. Both were completely strung out on drugs at the time... as was Lindsey. Drugs not only change behavior amongst people, they can also greatly effect memory. Am I putting some blame on Stevie and Carol Ann? Hardly. However, truth has many facets to examine.

Let's not forget Christine, Mick, and John have all recounted at various times Lindsey's assaulting Stevie on and off stage. All of these stories which have been relayed to the public start to build a broader picture of Lindsey's behavior back then.

However, everything seemed to change for Lindsey after he ended his time with Carol Ann and Fleetwood Mac in the 1980s. I think he finally was able to center himself after all of that- he was able to let go of his anger at losing Stevie, and at his career not quite taking the route he'd hoped. He seems like a different man these days- gone is the neurotic, frazzled, insecure, angst-ridden young man of the 70s and 80s... and in it's place a much more contented man. Part of it is marriage and children. Part of it is maturity. But more than anything, I think it was his walking away from FM for a decade that righted himself.

Regarding how this whole thing affects my opinion of Lindsey and FM is complex. I'm cognoscente of it. I accept it. I don't give him a pass. At the same time, he seems like a wholly different person now. He has conquered his demons, he has become a better person. And for that, he has my respect.

Now if he and Kristin were to split, and she were to relay stories of abuse... that would change everything. However, I just don't think that's going to happen.

[michelej1]

Originally Posted by louielouie2000

Let's not forget Christine, Mick, and John have all recounted at various times Lindsey's assaulting Stevie on and off stage.

Not really. Mick and Stevie have. Also Ken has talked about Lindsey assaulting both Carol and Ken.

Christine didn't say that Lindsey assaulted Stevie. She didn't describe what happened exactly. Christine said that Lindsey should not have shown Stevie such disrespect on stage, but she didn't say what he did. She was likely responding to being asked about slapping him and throwing a drink in his face. She acknowledged that she did that, but didn't describe what he had done herself.

John made a strangling gesture, but didn't say whether Lindsey had strangled Stevie or whether Stevie had strangled Lindsey. It could very likely be Stevie strangling, because Stevie herself said she had strangled Lindsey while they were in Christine's house with the other band members. She (and Mick) also said that when they ran outside Lindsey assaulted her over the car hood. But John was not talking about what happened outside. So, when John did the strangle motion with his hands, he could have been talking about Stevie grabbing Lindsey around the neck, not the other way around.

John did say he told Lindsey to leave the room though.

Michele

[iamnotafraid]

Originally Posted by haleyd

Lol I'm confused... Why don't Stevie's stories "count"?!

Louielouie did a good job at explaining that.

If Lindsey is Elvis, then that would make Stevie
the Lamar Fike* of the group.

* a person prone to telling tall tales

[landslide95]

I only finished the book this summer but I bought it last year. It took me a while to get through it (which is unusual for me) mainly because I felt like the book was written by a teenage fan girl. With that being said, I don't think we could excuse Lindsey for the things he did but some things seem a little far fetched in the book. Drugs seemed to have f**ked them both up. Until we know what really happened we can't point fingers.

Although did I read somewhere in an interview from back in the 80's or 90's (more likely the 80's) that they both worked out an agreement were he would support her financially for a few years while she got back up on her feet. Regardless of what happened or what we read, he seems to be somewhat of a good man.

[michelej1]

Originally Posted by landslide95

Although did I read somewhere in an interview from back in the 80's or 90's (more likely the 80's) that they both worked out an agreement were he would support her financially for a few years while she got back up on her feet.

She wrote that he did this at the end of the book. She also said that it was not especially generous of him, to support her temporarily, since she could have sued him for a lot more, in her opinion. I doubt that is the case however, because the Michelle Triola Marvin case (against actor Lee Marvin) set a bad precedent for people who lived together but were never married to make community property claims.

Michelle Triola lost badly and I don't think Carol Ann had a leg to stand on.



Michele

[SisterNightroad]

Maybe this should have gone on the Lindsey forum.
By the way I think respect is something we should practice towards everyone all the time, not only towards those we like.
It's also true that the main reason we appreciate Lindsey is his undeniable musical prowess and that should be kept well distincted from his private life.
My personal opinion is that Lindsey isn't evil but just a very flawed man with an incredible talent and he deserves to be known by fans just for that.

[David A]

Hello there

I read Carol's book as well, when it first came out and it did, for a few weeks, effect me, but I am friends with Carol and she is the nicest person, my answer is yes you can respect LB, you can surely respect him for his music, etc, and my opinion, and its merely a opinion, is that I am sure LB, like the rest of us, has many regrets about how he handles things possibly, and we all make mistakes, but he has moved on, as has Carol, I am not at all saying would LB may or may not have done is right, not at all, I am not condoning that possible behavior, but I am saying that we are all human and all make mistakes, and I didnt let that effect me as far as my respect for him goes, I respect him as a musician and for what his music has meant to me personally, he , from what I gather, went through a lot of personal issues back in the day, and I would assume, and like I am saying, I am assuming, he had some skeletons as some of us do, and he surely could have been a better person, but I dont know him personally nor was I in his shoes so I wont judge him, does it leave a bitter taste ? sure , its not great when your heroes or people you look up to have these dark moments come to life and it does and will leave a bad taste, but I respect him, he has a big family, he appears to be happy with his new wife and Carol is 100 % happy , so I am ok respecting him, I mean, it wasnt the best thing to find out per say, and its ok to maybe not hold some respect for him, but I am willing to put it aside per say, I respect people who dont, because of the violence , etc, so even though I am ok with moving on, I surely also respect others who dont approve or respect him. David

[AncientQueen]

I respect him as a musician, for his work and for the energy he continues to put into his artistic vision. I also respect him for realizing that he needed to change and for trying to change.
I'm pretty sure he is a different person now than he was back then.

Dang, I sound like one of his own speeches

[jbrownsjr]

Originally Posted by AncientQueen

I respect him as a musician, for his work and for the energy he continues to put into his artistic vision. I also respect him for realizing that he needed to change and for trying to change.
I'm pretty sure he is a different person now than he was back then.

Dang, I sound like one of his own speeches

You were pretty organic.

[elle]

Originally Posted by AncientQueen

I respect him as a musician, for his work and for the energy he continues to put into his artistic vision. I also respect him for realizing that he needed to change and for trying to change.
I'm pretty sure he is a different person now than he was back then.

Dang, I sound like one of his own speeches

couldn't have said it better, including sounding like his speeches.

i do believe that's why he always gives that same speech before big love - because it means exactly what you wrote above.

[PenguinHead]

No one is perfect! We all have good and bad traits. The path of life is paved with bumps. Sometimes circumstances surface that cause good people to behave badly -- situations, choices, and acts that they come to regret.

It's likely some of what Carole Anne wrote about Lindsey is true, and some of it is embellished. Her portrayal of him is of that particular time in their lives. It doesn't speak of the entirety of Lindsey's character and who he is now.

People do evolve with age, and circumstances change. Lindsey, no doubt, has a self-involved, controlling presence. But he is not a monster. He's a temperamental artist not unlike Stevie. His ego may have led him to some incidents of disrespectful behavior, but that hardly defines him as a whole.

[welcomechris]

Originally Posted by ViscountViktor

I've just read Carol Ann Harris' book for the first time, and I'm really shocked and surprised at the violent portrayal of Lindsey, and sympathize a lot for Carol.

How can a man who I respect so much musically be so violent to someone he supposedly loved? The comparisons to Chris Brown do come to mind...

How did other Lindsey fans cope with this harsh reality when they read the book? Did it affect you at all? I really want a way to be able to respect Lindsey again...

I think Carol made up and exaggerated a lot in that book.

Carol: What's the matter Stevie
Stevie: Sigh, Jimmy [Iovine] Isn't into cocaine that much.

What the hell? I don't think she said that. I don't think they we're friends.