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Book Review.“Gold Dust Woman: The Biography of Stevie Nicks” by Stephen Davis.
http://www.ocala.com/entertainment/2...ks-in-new-book
Stephen Davis has an unusual wish for a man prior to the release of his 18th rock book — a biography of Fleetwood Mac singer and solo artist and songwriter Stevie Nicks. “The main thing is I want to be in the next issue of AARP,” said Davis, who wrote “Gold Dust Woman” out of his Milton, Massachusetts, home. “She’s almost 70 and I’m 70, and they send out something like 25 million copies (actually the magazine claims more than 47 million readers).” Davis said he is fascinated by Nicks, who found stardom relatively late (for a rock star) in her 20′s and still fills an arena both solo and with Fleetwood Mac. She recently announced an 18-month tour starting in mid-2018 with Fleetwood Mac. Her 40 top-50 hits include “Don’t Stop,” the signature song of former President Bill Clinton’s campaign. “The arc of the story is that initially she wasn’t really wanted in Fleetwood Mac and eventually she went out on her own and became a bigger star than Fleetwood Mac,” said Davis, who began researching “Gold Dust Woman” in 2012 and finished it in 2016. “When I started writing, I thought the book would be a valedictory thing about someone whose career is winding now. Now, I’m just trying to keep up with her and will need to update the book when the paperback comes out in a year.” Best known for his best seller “Hammer of the Gods” about Led Zeppelin, Davis has written books about South Shore rockers Aerosmith, Carly Simon, Michael Jackson, Jim Morrison, The Rolling Stones, Fleetwood Mac, Guns N’ Roses, Levon Helm and Bob Marley. “Gold Dust Woman” will be published by St. Martin’s Press in New York City on Nov. 21. “I found my niche early and I’ve been doing it for almost 40 years,” said Davis who graduated from Boston University and wrote about music for the New York Times before publishing his first book, on Bob Marley. “I’m privileged to plug into this enormous audience for this artistic movement called rock. It has longevity, and these heritage bands keep going on.” While many books, including this one, are unauthorized biographies, others are authorized, which meant he spent hours talking and traveling with the stars, including Aerosmith. Hardly what you’d expect from a Milton family man — recently widowed and the father of children ages 29 and 38. “Back in the old days, I would get visited by these rock stars in stretch limousines,” he said. Davis met Nicks briefly years ago when he accompanied Fleetwood Mac on tour, but he never spoke with her for “Gold Dust Woman,” relying instead on extensive research of published and taped interviews, books by other authors, and Nicks’s own writing. “What I loved as a biographer is all of her tribulations,” he said. “The pages keep turning because every few pages some train wreck happens. Almost everyone she was involved with hurt or betrayed her. The amazing thing to me is she forgave almost all of them.” She also had her own demons — became addicted to and collapsed from the anti-anxiety prescription drug Klonopin, spent 47 days in rehab, had multiple broken love affairs, and struggled with her voice. Tours with Fleetwood Mac have been exhausting and stressful, especially because she and ex-boyfriend Lindsey Buckingham pretended to fans they were friends, walking offstage holding hands after performances of “Landslide.” As the story of her life unfolds, the reader is likely to question why she kept going. “She was so ambitious that she was determined to let nothing stop her,” Davis said. “She was on a mission to get up on a stage and sing and make people feel good. She has been on a mission since her grandfather taught her to sing harmony and her mother kept drumming into her that she needed to be an independent woman.” Nicks’s distinctive voice, poetic lyrics, and costume style are unmistakable. Inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1998, her hits include “Rhiaanon,” “Landslide,” and “Go Your Own Way.” Fans — who cover three generations — identify with Nick’s mystique as much as her music, Davis said. “She represents something beyond what she is singing about,” he said. “There is something spiritual about her.” Knowing such intimate details about rock stars, Davis said he is not surprised anymore by anything about their lives or the music industry. But in recent years, Davis said he has allowed feelings of compassion into his books. “About 10 years ago, I started to get old and think a little more about the passage of time and what people were going through, as opposed to just telling a neutral story,” he said. In fact, in the final paragraph of “Gold Dust,” he makes clear his admiration: “Stevie Nicks, this self-described ‘old woman,’ had shouldered her burdens, met her responsibilities, and valorized her country in a way few other women have. No other rock star of her charmed generation could say as much.” — Jody Feinberg may be reached at jfeinberg@ledger.com or follow on Twitter @JodyF_Ledger |
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The person who reviewed this book must not know much about Fleetwood Mac, as Stevie didn't write some of the songs that are given credits to her.
Last edited by TheWildHeart67; 10-25-2017 at 04:47 PM.. |
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Thanks for posting this. I am curious about the book, because I feel like Fleetwood Mac is a band that there is little we don't already know about them. Same thing with Stevie Nicks. I really can't imagine there will be anything in this book that will surprise us. And the things I'm really interested in, such as more details about Stevie's recording process, successes and frustrations with certain albums, songs, or producers, etc, the author probably won't have any idea about.
I would love to read how the band (and Stevie in her solo work) decides which songs to perform live. Any rituals they perform before they go on stage? We know they like to tour, but why exactly? The money? The applause? How did they feel when they found out Bob Welch died? What was it like filming some of their videos? How did Stevie feel about recording Behind the Mask? Was she happy with the album? She supposedly didn't get along with the producer of Street Angel- why not? Why did she agree to work with him? Was it her decision and then did she come to regret it, or was it out of her hands in the first place? That was something I really loved about Billy Burnette's autobiography- he wrote about little things FM did, like how much they spent on making albums, different parties at Stevie's house and the famous people who were there, and how the band used to jam in the hotel rooms after performing a concert- why do I have a feeling that NEVER happened until Billy and Rick Vito joined?! I would love it if this book had stories like that, but without input from Stevie, I don't see how it could. |
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Stevie stated on her 1989 Rockline interview that she loved the "new" Mac and the recording of Behind The Mask was much more rock n roll compared to how it had been before. They all expressed their condolences with the death of Bob Welch but the bigger question is why the band kept him from the Rock N Roll hall of fame. I know Bob sued but I cant believe royalties from these earlier albums would turn the band against him. If that is true, that is unbelievable. The Mac has more money than they know what to do with. Their relationship with Bob was so good until the last 15 years of his life. Have you read Mick's first book? That book has amazing stories. He really tells lots of incredible stories like the time Stevie and someone else was supposed to pick him up at an airport in Hawaii but Stevie and this person (I forget who it was) took micro dot acid and they could not find their way to the airport and were laughing so hard. How the Australians thought the Mac were international drug dealers and would almost strip search the band at airports. But I really enjoyed him telling the story of his stalker would stalked him for years. One day she found him at some hotel somewhere. It was so funny. Also Lindsey and Mick share a joint and Lindsey tells Mick he knows he has been secretly seeing Stevie. Lots of juicy goodies like that and how out of control Stevie was on the RAL tour with her falling off the stage several times. The time in New Zealand where Lindsey attacked Stevie on stage. They all ran off stage to get to Lindsey and Christine got there first and gave Lindsey a big punch
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My heart will rise up with the morning sun and the hurt I feel will simply melt away Last edited by Macfan4life; 10-26-2017 at 06:00 AM.. |
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As for your other points, I know about some things the various band members said tat the time, but I'm interested in their thoughts after the passage of time. Of course Stevie said positive things about the Rick/Billy incarnation of the Mac in 1989- that was smack in the middle of the recording process. But upon reflection, does she still feel that way? I hope so, because I love that album, but Mick used to rave a out Rick and Billy and the band's return to their roots, then after the Dance he was like "well, it didn't really work, etc." As for the videos, I've also read they didn't like to do them, but I suspect they were lazy and just didn't want to do them. Although in fairness, videos like Gypsy, which was a huge production, Hold Me, which must have been a hot and uncomfortable shoot, and Seven Wonders must have taken 2 days, with the band pretending to perform that song at least a dozen times in it's entirety because Stevie changed her dress that many times! But Little Lies looked fun, as did If Anyone Falls, so some stories about the choreography would have been interesting. Of course, those kinds of things might not be of interest to most people. |
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Thank you for posting. I know I probably won't learn anything new either, but I'm reading Mick's second book now, Play On, and, of course it's stuff we all know, but I have to say, I'm really enjoying it. I guess I'm just in the mood for a good FM story. Even though most of us have nearly memorized their biographies.
Last edited by Steviegirl; 10-26-2017 at 08:48 PM.. |
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If you meant the jamming after shows.... I think that might have happened earlier but agree that would have stopped.
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Last edited by bombaysaffires; 11-12-2017 at 11:56 AM.. |
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There is soooooooooooooo much to know about this band and what went on that we will likely never hear. I think the drugs issue and how messed up people were would yield some pretty gruesome stories. I think the politics and power plays within the band were and still are in some ways brutal. I think Carol's book was the one that came closest to pulling back the curtain on how bad it was, but she also had something of an agenda that clouds some of that. I found her story of the band's reaction to Lindsey's epileptic episode to be very telling as to how they treated each other.....I don't think Stevie got much sympathy during her drug issues either, no matter what they say now. And all the entourage and hangers-on butting in and adding to the politics. A big reason a lot of Stevie's relationships sputtered was due to the huge posse she surrounds herself with. Most of the guy couldn't take having twenty other people around all the time and having these people whispering in her ear about the relationship. Tom couldn't stand it, Jimmy, Lindsey, etc. I think there's a crap ton of stuff we don't know, and like I said, probably never will, because they, and especially Stevie, have that kind of control over their image and the people round them. I think when band members inevitably (as we all will ) pass away, some of the real dirt will come out as it has with all sorts of other celebrities.
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I think a huge part of the reason why people think that FM was relatively less "social" than the other bands of the time is truly Carol Ann's where she said more than once that even when the band members participated in big parties they usually ended up retiring with their own entourage in one of the rooms and have their private little party there. However even if usually people seem to interpret that as a sign of introversion, I've always thought it was probably more an indication of presumptuousness.
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Lots of news headlines today regarding this book. What is being headlined most is Lindsey's alleged abuse of Stevie. Do a quick Google news search on Stevie and a bunch of headlines come up.
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Also, I don't buy the excuse that Rock N Roll prevented Stevie from having lasting relationships and family. There are plenty of other Rock Chicks who've had relationships. Pat Benatar and Neil Geraldo have been together for decades. Even Nancy Wilson and Cameron Crowe were married for many years (although eventually splitting). |
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Grace Slick had a kid back in the day and certainly in more recent years many, many women have managed families and kids...look at Faith Hill, Beyonce, Adele, etc. Stevie always used to say that she could never take time off or her career would suffer "I can't just take a year off" and for those times, sadly, she was right. You could not do a Shania Twain and disappear for a year or more, or take a bunch of time off after a baby like Adele and come back at the same level. Now, probably because there are all these social media platforms for keeping your name and face out there and keeping directly in touch with your fans, you can leave for a time and return. But also, really, Stevie didn't reallllly want kids and all that entails. She always thinks she did, and I think she truly liked the idea of it, but the reality of the work of it was something else. I think living with Kim and the baby for the time she did was a big part of the end of that marriage (though let's face it, and she's said it, it wasn't going to last from the start).. But having a baby in the house was not compatible with her coke habits and entourage and staying up all night writing or partying or whatever. I've always thought that she was in love with the idea of being stepmom to Mick's kids. She got to be nurturing but without having to be responsible for actually raising them. Stevie is the master of her image.....and she loves this image of the lonely, pining woman with all these dramatic loves and losses around her.. I think some of that is really true in her life, but some of it is very created by her. Like she's alway said, she needs drama in her life. I think many of her relationships were ended by her as she moved on and didn't want to make changes you have to make for a long-term relationship and/or kids. And I don't mean giving up her career, which I strongly agree she shouldn't, but certainly getting rid of all the entourage that filled her house and had far too much influence on what she thought/did.
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saved me some money. Stevie should listen to Carly Simon's audio book Boys In The Trees, A Memoir. That's how a book should be written and told to you by the author. I haven't finished it yet. But she makes you feel like she's telling all of her secrets just to you. |
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After reading this earlier today I don't have any desire to read his book: http://www.closerweekly.com/posts/st...regrets-145065
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“Remember, in the grand scheme of things, what we do for a living is not very important. After all, we’re not curing cancer here.” - John McVie http://goldduststevie.tumblr.com/ |
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"It was, because we demanded it from the very beginning. You can't be a wimp, and then one or two years later decide not to be a wimp anymore. Because people will always treat you like a wimp, once they have decided that's what you are. So you can never be that. You have to be strong, tough, smart, and know who you are. So, people will get that. Then, they're always going to be great to you. Then, they listen to you; they listen to your songs. They give you a chance. Otherwise, you get nowhere." |
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FLEETWOOD MAC / STEVIE NICKS 1977 RUMOURS TOUR OAKLAND STADIUM 1st PRINT POSTER
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Vintage 70s Stevie Nicks Fleetwood Mac Live Concert Original T-Shirt In Men’s XL
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FLEETWOOD MAC / LITTLE FEAT 1974 ROBERTSON GYM UCSB CONCERT POSTER / NM 2 MINT
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Fleetwood Mac Tango In The Night Vintage 1987 Vinyl 1-25471 Rock Pop Ex Con
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Rumours LIVE by Fleetwood Mac Double LP NEW 180G
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