Why Stevie Isn't Involved With the Fan Club

[dissention]

I've been pondering this (yes, I ponder) and it all makes sense to me.

Back in the eighties, she let Chris Nicks run her fan club. We all know how that went over...like a lead balloon. People were screwed out of money, false addresses were used, the works.

Then, Stevie hired some nut case (I can't remember her name) to do something along the lines of a fan club, or start one up, and she turned out to be a whack job. She had to be hospitalized in an institution and everything. She was involved with the NicksFix for awhile, but they severed ties with her real fast. She stole money, lied to fans, and again, the works.

I've come to the conclusion that Stevie wants nothing to do with the whole fan club bull****, especially with all of the things that have happened in the past. I mean, think about it, are there ever really ANY photos of Stevie at the fan club? On the videos, do they really EVER SHOW Stevie? Nope and, uh, nope. I think she wants to distance herself from it because she probably knows instinctively that it'll turn on them. Sort of turning a blind eye to it.

What does everyone else think?

[WednesdaysChild]

Chris Nicks cheated his own sister out of money? Or was it someone else?

And the woman...was that Ginny Kamano? I wondered what happened to her...That lady answered her fan mail, I think.

At least Stevie allowed the NicksFix to become HER site, although I think they could do a slightly better job at it, IMO. Especially with the "ask Stevie" stuff. People ask DUMB questions--you can find the answers in old articles, lol.

[dissention]

Originally posted by WednesdaysChild
Chris Nicks cheated his own sister out of money? Or was it someone else?

And the woman...was that Ginny Kamano? I wondered what happened to her...That lady answered her fan mail, I think.

At least Stevie allowed the NicksFix to become HER site, although I think they could do a slightly better job at it, IMO. Especially with the "ask Stevie" stuff. People ask DUMB questions--you can find the answers in old articles, lol.

No, he cheated the fans out of money. It was back in the early eighties that the fan club started up, around the time BD was released. It was about twenty bucks to join (not bad at all) and you got a photo, a button, a letter from Stevie, and a few other things. Every once in awhile, they would send you flyers about merchandise for sale. People would send in the money for merchandise and never get anything in return. Around the time of the BD tour, it all came to a head. At the end of the tour, flyers were sent advertising tour t-shirts and the like. Once again, people sent in money and got nothing in return. So, a TON of fans started writing letters to the fan club address and all the letters were returned with the stamp saying there was no such address. Then, some people went to the address and found an empty office...Needless to say, the fan club was no more.

And yes, it was Ginny! She was quite the NUTCASE!!!!! She thought she was Stevie, for cripes sake. I remember she showed up at a fan convention and asked people if they wanted Stevie's autograph. They said yes and she told them to pay her money and she would sign a photo because she was Stevie! I almost died. I heard reports that she was quite the extortionist, too.

[wetcamelfood]

I don't mean to start WW3 or anythinng OK but I'm glad you started this thread dissention because I gotta ask everybody here, an I'm honestly just wanting to know what people's take on this is:

If Stevie cares so much about her fans then why would she turn a blind eye to a fan club that many of her fans joined where she knows that the fans that she cares for so much are getting screwed etc.? ...and not just once but a few times from what you had said.

Just a thought and I'll look forward to hearing the replies as I'm sure there is a good reason for this but I just can't think of what it might be, it's probably too obvious that's way I can't guess.

John

[teedee]

Hi,
I think that because she has had bad experiences before with a fanclub, that is why she didnt want to be apart of this one. I do think that it was unfair to call this fan club the fleetwood mac club instead of the mick fleetwood club . that part was deceiving to the fans, and yeah , if all the members of the band werent going to be a part of it, maybe that should of been made known from the onset. but then again, it wouldnt have sold well, if ppl read "but stevie nicks will not be part of it". i totally understand why she is not apart of it, but my concern for her is if this ever does go to some kind of court system to get settled, she is part of the band named fleetwood mac, i just hope she has some kind of written agreement that she stated that she will not be apart of the club, so it will exonerate her in all charges that may be filed against the club and or band.

[WednesdaysChild]

Wow, Chris Nicks actually did that to his sister's fans? No wonder some people don't like him...I didn't know he did that...how shady.

Maybe Stevie didn't catch on to what was going on because she was so busy (and on drugs) and she just let these people help her out and trusted them and thought she didn't need to check up on them?

I hope Stevie's reasons for not getting involved were because she learned a lesson about fan clubs...but it does strike me odd that she doesn't have a problem with the rest of the band cheating the fans...

[Gypsy-Rhiannon]

The main problem with the fan club is that Jonathan Todd was (as still is) too far up his own ass and promised things that he was never going to be able to deliver

Pip

[ShangriLaTroubl]

The Ginny Kamano thing was a good and cool thing at first...but of course of lot of stuff did happen that ruined that experience....

The fan mail service WAS a good idea, and it worked out good while it lasted....a lot of the things about Ginny are rumours and exaggerated of just how crazy she was/is....According to John Kinney her and Stevie are still friends

Chris

[Gypsy-Rhiannon]

Ginny was backstage after the TISL LA show

Pip

[AliP]

I bet Lindsey and Stevie never even wanted a fan club. It was all Mick's idea. Stevie and Lindsey don't want their names tainted with all this business with JT. They're staying as far away from it as possible.

[WednesdaysChild]

And that's the reason why Lindsey looks pained in the fan club videos (just what I've heard--haven't seen them--not a member).

Save our Singers!

[Johnny Stew]

Just a couple quick comments....
To the best of my knowledge, Chris Nicks wasn't involved with that 'Wild Heart' era fan club.
I could be wrong, but I'm pretty sure that it was only after that debacle, that Stevie worked it out so that Chris is the only person with the rights to run a fan club if he so desires... but he's always chosen not to.
(I even have a letter from Ginny Kimano, from around 1991, stating as much.)

Also, Ginny never ran a fan club, per se. She simply answered Stevie's fan mail, and often fulfilled fans' requests for photos, etc.
I know that you used to be able to send a photo, and ask that Stevie sign it.

As for the other allegations... again, to the best of my knowledge, some twisted person claiming to be Ginny used to post on various message boards and Mac-related chatrooms. She was nasty, rude, and generally dislikable... but I don't believe for one second she was really Ginny Kimano. Just someone who, unfortunately, gave the poor woman a bad reputation... and people fell for it.
I don't know Ms. Kimano personally, but I hate when someone's reputation is marred by rumours... and that's exactly what these are.

Ginny no longer handles Stevie's fan mail, because of a very serious car accident she was involved in. She quit to recuperate and to focus on physical rehabilitation.
Again, there wasn't anything "sinister" that caused her to stop working with Stevie.

As far as the current fanclub... being that both Stevie and Lindsey are not original members, and being that there have been long stretches of time when they were no longer a part of Fleetwood Mac, I wonder exactly how much control they have over something like a fanclub.
It's quite obvious that both tend to distance themselves from it as much as possible... while also trying to give back to the fans, by making themselves available for those little meet & greets, and personal photos.

Who knows what the exact situation is, but to me it seems very apparent that Buckingham & Nicks keep their involvement to a minimum... at least with the "business" end of it.
In their minds, I'm sure they know that they're the biggest reasons why people have joined the fanclub (as much as we love him, would anyone join a John McVie fanclub?), so they probably feel a bit between a rock and a hard place. Damned if you do, damned if you don't.

At least that's my take on it.
Either way, I'm just glad I chose not to waste any money joining the fanclub.
I prefer to spend my dollars on CDs, DVDs, etc. Something that I can actually continue to enjoy decades down the road.

[WednesdaysChild]

Originally posted by Johnny Stew

In their minds, I'm sure they know that they're the biggest reasons why people have joined the fanclub (as much as we love him, would anyone join a John McVie fanclub?), so they probably feel a bit between a rock and a hard place.

I think Meredith would be the first one in line for the John McVie fanclub.

[dissention]

Originally posted by Johnny Stew
Just a couple quick comments....
To the best of my knowledge, Chris Nicks wasn't involved with that 'Wild Heart' era fan club.
I could be wrong, but I'm pretty sure that it was only after that debacle, that Stevie worked it out so that Chris is the only person with the rights to run a fan club if he so desires... but he's always chosen not to.
(I even have a letter from Ginny Kimano, from around 1991, stating as much.)

He was very much involved in it. He was the one that peddled all of the merch and stuff. He was the one that organized the fan club. I'm sure there are people out there that can vouch for it and how their money was stolen. The reason he chooses not to run one nowadays is because of the debacle that was the original one.

About Ginny, y'all are probably right. If she was that much of a whack job, Stevie wouldn't still be involved with her. I've just heard sooooo many stories about her, as I'm sure others have. But the whole Chris Nicks/fan club thing is completely true.

Also, does anyone remeeber what happened to that character Barabra Marx? I've always wondered if anyone knows what happened to her...

[Merf]

Originally posted by WednesdaysChild
I think Meredith would be the first one in line for the John McVie fanclub.

Aye, well I'd be in good company with AliP and Deanna!

Johnny Stew-- ITA with your post. I choose not to get involved with the fan club BS but I do genuinelly feel angry for the sake those that have been wronged (and I know there are many of you) it just ain't right.