Fleetwood Mac and their drug intake
 

This is something I've always wondered about because I've read some rediculous stories about Fleetwood Mac and their (alledged) drug problems, and read in another thread of mine that Lindsay hated cocaine when I thought that he was on it most of the time.

I've read that by 1983 that all the members were in the throes of serious substance addiction problems, and that during Rumors they spent a fortune on Coke. I've also read that Mick spent 8 million on the stuff, which seems a little outragious to me. I also read somewhere that Lindsay was disgusted with the Tango sessions because of the rampant drug abuse.

I know it's true for Stevie and Mick, but to be honest I think Christine seems too "proper" to be a heavy drug user. I've read older interviews with her and her polite manner and shy, humble demeanor certainly doesn't indicate cocaine abuse to me. Plus, if she was a big druggie how could she still consistantly write great songs up until 1987?

To be honest how could anybody go as long as they had and put out albums and tours doing all that stuff? I was just really curious, some of the stories I've read were rediculous and I'm just curious as to which ones are true or not.

Don't let Christine's elegant air fool you... she did her fair share of drugs just as EVERYONE did in the band. You really only hear about Mick and Stevie's drug problems, because they made them public, and were up front about them. Christine however, has always preferred to stay somewhat in the background, and is a more private person than the latter two. I'm sure she didn't think it was "proper" as it were, to make her substance abuse public. You can watch alot of the old documentaries and footage from the mid/late 70s... and Chris is absolutely smashed in every one of them :laugh: . I think everyone in the band just went about their own ways of dealing with their drug problems, and Mick and Stevie just felt it necessary to purge their problems to the public. -Louie

From what I remember reading in Mick's autobiography and other FM books:

Lindsey, Stevie and Mick were coke-heads. Stevie and Mick were the worst, I think, because it fueled everything that they did for awhile. I think this played a major part in Mick's bankruptcy and, of course, led to Stevie's hole in her nose. Lindsey used to get really mean (especially to Stevie) when he used the stuff.

I think both Christine and John were drinkers. I know that John has readily admitted to being an alcoholic and that he isn't "a very nice person" when he is drunk. I believe that was a major part of the reason that Christine left him. I think I remember reading that Christine needed a least a bottle (or more) of champagne every day just to function.

If you watch the Rumours tour video from 1977 - they are all smashed all of the time. Stevie especially is wasted. Stevie and Mick both looked pretty coked up during the Mirage tour video, as well.

It wasn't so much drugs as it was booze with Chris. I read an interview with her from back in 1995 from some British newspaper and she said that she used them a bit in the seventies but not to the extent of everyone else. Then, she saw what was happening to everyone and stopped using. She said that's when she started drinking more heavily and it became an issue. I think it was by 1985 that she stopped the drinking.

Yeah, Mick blew $8 million on coke and went bankrupt because of it, only to go bankrupt again after buying bad land. He always was a bad businessman! :laugh: He looked really bad back in the eighties, REALLY bad. His eyes were all sunken in and everything.

I think Lindsey did his fare share but, unlike the others, I think he experimented with everything. ;)

I think they all had their particular vice..I can totally see 8 million in coke though..i mean even if you don't do the stuff,it is pretty obvious it is not cheap,and it is not like they were doing some cheap stuff that was cut or something.It totally kills me that they(and alot of other people in that time) were SO f-ed up all the time..it must have been a freakin blast til they hit rock bottom...and they totally didn't know how bad it was,for real..whereas nowadays there isn't anything fun that doesn't come without a morbid warning:(

Elegant or not, Chris was always one of the boys & could no doubt drink with the best (or worst) of them.

I love the stories of the Buckingham Nicks days when Stevie would come home from cleaning & find Lindsey & company passed out on the floor, so she'd clean the ashtrays. Lindsey seems to have liked the weed.

- Jake

FM and drugs
 

From what I can gather by reading, Mick and Stevie were into the cocaine big time-and Mick admits to having dealers meet him at the plane-I am sure 8 million and probably more went up his nose. Stevie was into the coke bad until the doctor told her she was playing around with brain damage if she didn't quit. Something about blowing a hole through her nose into her brain..

Lindsey smoked pot I know. Look at the Mirage video if you have it-you'll see him with a joint. I heard from somewhere Lindsey experimented with the coke but gave it up b/c it was "too expensive".

Chris I don't really know about.

John had an alcohol problem and eventually had an alcoholic seizure which I think probably made him think twice about his problem..

It's to their credit that thay have kicked their respective habits-I think John still drinks but not like he used to.

I had to be amused though looking at the pic that came with the album SYW-all those bottles of Perrier!! My but we have changed!

Do you all know the hash brownies story?

Come home from cleaning? What, did Stevie work at a Best Inn's on the side? I could see how being a full-time member of Fleetwood Mac just doesn't quite cover the water and electric bills.

But yeah my birthday bash was the other day so I got stupid and blew a couple grams and stayed up all night with a bunch of friends. I still had some left at 9 in the morning and I stayed up by myself long after everybody passed out and did it! How rediculous is that! You're like, real pissed when it's gone too.

HOwever, for me the next day it's like "OK...for my birthday this was cool, but not again for a long time!" I just don't understand why you'd want to make it a habit. I like to work out and eat healthy plus I have a job to go to every day. I don't understand how normal people can live like that or afford it.

HOwever, if I had 8 million spare bucks to blow on cocaine and my full time job was playing music in an arena for 2 hours a night for part of the year I probably wouldn't mind feeling that good every day. :laugh:

Stevie was a "cleaning lady" during the Buckingham Nicks days, when she worked and let Lindsey stay at home and write music because he was "so brilliant". (isn't that right everyone? ). Of course, that changed when they joined Fleetwood Mac.

So, that IS a joint Lindsey's smoking on the Mirage video...thought so. Does anyone else notice that at one point it looks like he is trying to give it to John, but its not working :laugh: Stevie is SO coked out on that show....but how she KICKED ASS!!! I love the end of SOTM....when her mumblings sounded awesome as opposed to EO17 on Red Rocks where she is just crazy in a bad way. :p

:wavey: adam :wavey:

Re: Fleetwood Mac and their drug intake
 

Christine had an ongoing love affair with Dennis Wilson, drummer for the Beach Boys and notorious party animal. Stevie and Chris have flat out said in interviews that they used to do huge "rails" among other things. Some of FM's best work (Tusk and Rumors) was done throughout their heavy drug use period. It was the thing to do at the time.

First of all you don't make a habit out of it. It makes a habit out of you. It all starts off very insidiously. Dont' fool yourself with being able to function "normally and healthy". There are plenty of functioning alcoholics and addicts. Please don't think I'm attacking you, I'm not. You're either clean or you're not.:)

Lindsey has admitted that using coke impaired his creativity and that he preferred smoking weed. I think around Go Insane is when Linsdey cleaned up his act as far as the cocaine goes. I know he was quite disgusted with Mick and Stevie's cocaine use around the making of Tango.
Mick went bankrupt in 1984 due to all the unwise choices he made in investments, bought too much dope and I am sure he was drunk or stoned when he pissed all his cash away.
Christine and John did the drugs as well in the 70's but I agree they seemed more interested in their liquid intake. Christine looks pretty sloshed in the Tusk documentary when she is on the boat.

Then my drug addiction has been "Starting insiduously" for the last 9 years! :laugh:

Actually every time I've gotten on the path to serious drug addiction I've held my horses and taken a break. When me and all my friends were big into coke 6 years ago, I was smart enough to quit before I OD'ed like my friend did. I saw it coming and got scared. My b-day was the 2nd or 3rd occasion since 6 years ago. She's alive and kickin' and drug free now, BTW. :)

Then I was big into ecstacy for a couple years. That was something that started as an occasional thing that gradually built up to once a month, to every few weeks, to every weekend and sometimes twice a week. I spent a fortune on that junk. I was also doing a LOT of crystal meth at the time (and K too) and actually spent a little time in jail on a drug charge. During the time I was in court was the worst. When I was found not guilty of the charges it lessened a little bit.

Then I got my own place. LOL That turned into a mess. During that time I was the worst ever. I did a LOT of K and still took E regularly as well. For the first time ever I was f**ked up on something for 4 months straight. It didn't hit me how bad it was until I was sitting at home, all alone, snorting K by myself. There was no party.

That was over 2 years ago and I'm still in debt to a certain creditor because of it. I moved back home and cleaned up my act and drug use has been sporadic if ever. I've even quit smoking cigarettes as of late. The last 2 years I've exercised at least 4-5 days out of the week. I always wondered if it would get as bad as it did before, but since me and every single one of my friends has grown up a lot, we realize that it's just not a realistic or acceptable way to live your life. But we do, from time to time like to "Reminice" if you will. LOL

After all these experiences with it I absolutely do not ever want to be back there again. I'm very happy where I am now. When the supply I buy is out, I stop there, go to bed and forget about it until the next very distant special occasion. :laugh:

The minute I'm famous though I'm afraid it's all over.

okay, i can admit to that same sin myself. i must say cocaine is not my preferred drug, it has a great 'feel' to it, but it makes you a total ass. i don't like other people on coke, and despite the fact that when you're on it you feel like the king of the world, at least I was able to look at it from the side and figure out i'm not at my nicest behaviour and attitude.
when you go to a rave or a cool club for example, you see the ones on trips who are cool, those on E who are totally nice and fun, and those on coke who just hangs around thinking they simply OWN the whole ****en party. i just can't see the point in making a habbit of a drug which makes everything around you look pathetic.

That's so funny you said that!

On my birthday I wrote a note on my left hand in pen that said "WATCH YOUR F**KING MOUTH!!!!"

It didn't work. :(

My goodness, what an education I'm getting. A week ago I'd never even heard of Ambien.:)

- Jake

Oh I think they all definately dabbled in cocaine...even if not all of them got hooked.

You can see Christine snorting some off of her hand in one of the Tusk photo shoot videos (the really dark video, but you can clearly see what she's doing). So she did do it sometimes.

My question is though, for the long time fans (since I didn't become a fan until 1998). Did the fans know about their drug use in the 70s and 80s? Was it just common knowledge that since they were in the music business they must have done drugs (and I know that not everyone did). Or did no one really find out until later on?

Now, when a celebrity checks into rehab, it's all over the entertainment news shows. But when Stevie had her rehab stint was it ever front page Hollywood news?

Susie

I love your Avatar LilyRose.

Somebody please tell me what kind of gum Christine's chewing in your picture. When I saw your avatar yesterday she was chewing it with the same delighted intensity as this morning. The flavor must never run out! Either that or she's so coked out that she didn't notice she had exhausted the flavor hours ago. That's probably it, the world is too cruel to have gum that never loses its flavor. :(

There were plenty of rumors about Stevie's allegedly creative drug uses long before she went into rehab.

- Jake

Thank you EricBliss12345. Christine is seemingly always delightfully joyful darling.

Of course it doesn't hurt that in practically every picture I've ever seen of her (professional or non), she has either a glass of wine or a cigarette, or both. :laugh:

And yes, the world is far too cruel of a place to make a long lasting flavor gum. Why must we be forced to live such wretched lives!!! :laugh:

Okay, time for me to go to bed...as I am getting a little crazy.

Susie

Have you read this article?
 

http://burnish.net/articles/blender_may03.php

Tracy got the blender article up that covers a couple of the recently mentioned posts.

I keep reading that Stevie is now very Anti-Drugs and she threatens to call the cops on anyone around her on tour that does them, which is fine I guess, given that she's a recovering addict, and I guess like any kind of addict, you stay an addict, even if you dont' touch the stuff for 20 years, that's still who you are and who you can be.

But I'd just like to remind her that there are plenty of people who do things like party drugs like that responsibly, and infrequently, and never allow themselves to become addicted, I mean speaking for myself, it's not that hard. On the other hand Stevie has a shot of tequila every night before going on stage, whereas I never drunk, ever. To each his own I reckon!

There is also a big difference between tequila and drugs: one's illegal, one isn't. Stevie wouldn't necessarily know if someone was an addict and if she called the cops, which she should along with firing them, it would do that person good. No one should have to put up with someone around them doing drugs, even "party drugs."

I think it shows a lot about someones sense of responsibility and self-control if they allow themselves to take drugs, even once, ESPECIALLY nowadays with all the info out there on why you shouldn't take drugs.

I think this thread has taken an ugly turn and maybe we should get back on topic and at least talk about the Mac and their drug use, not the drug use of the members of this forum. :)

I tell ya, if someone around me even smoked a joint, I'd call the police. ;)

I think it shows a lot about someones sense of responsibility and self-control if they allow themselves to take drugs, even once, ESPECIALLY nowadays with all the info out there on why you shouldn't take drugs

I agree with you here Dessention.
I have seen what drugs have done to my two oldest sons.
They are school drop outs. One is an addict at the age of 17.
I have done everything I know to help him, and no go. His dad even smokes it with him, so my hands are tied. He has stolen my money, jellery and trashed my things and put me and my other children through hell. Nothing good comes from drugs.
But he sees him self as just an pot user and nothing is wrong.
Now Canada has softened thier pot laws, there is nothing I can do.

blaming drugs on everything that's bad is just making excuses.
abusing drugs is not a cause, it's an effect.
everyone knows drugs are dangerous and risky the same way we all know cars are dangerous and risky. it's simple. if you wanna drive- use your senses and wisdom to do it safely.

this is a very naive thing to say, people don't 'allow' themselves anything. people CHOOSE to do stuff, don't just throw propaganda cliche's into the open air.
legalization is just around the corner.

No, what's naive is you saying that someone can take drugs safely by using their "senses" and "wisdom." If you take drugs, you obviously don't have enough wisdom. The first time someone takes drugs, it could be their last and THAT is a fact. What's sensible about that? And if you think legalization is just around the corner, you're very sadly misinformed. That went over like a lead balloon, buddy.

Alison-- I'm very sorry to hear about your troubles. My only advice is to use toughlove on your family. Also, try to find some support groups or counseling groups like "ToughLove" or "ALANON." I don't know if you have any of those programs in Canada, but look around; there is always someone willing to help. Don't give up though, there is ALWAYS something that can be done. Get to the root of the issue and find out exactly why the people in your family need to do drugs to feel better. I've been in your position, sweetie, and it will get better. It may get worse beforehand, but it will get better. Hang in there! :wavey:

Going back to the TISL tour, didn't somebody post that they saw Sharon and Mindy backstage after the show, and Sharon was doing coke? Stevie had already left. Anybody remember that post?

susieq :wavey:

As long as I can remember, I can remember hearing stories about FM and their drug usage.

OMG really? That's hillarious, but didn't Stevie go straight from the show to the "midnight plane" after each show? I would assume they'd be allowed to go on the plane too, or would they have to ride with the crew on the buses? Though I guess it wouldn't matter if it was the first of two shows in the same city of something.

Besides, Sharon was one of Stevie's friends back in the "coke & brandy" days, if she was still part of that lifestyle at her age and 20 years later, wouldn't she be dead?

Maybe I'll ask her if I see her at a show.:laugh:

Well - Sharon is very thin . . . . :laugh:

I always assumed that Sharon was part of Stevie's intervention in the '80s. That combined with the fact she used to live with Stevie make me think that Stevie would try to help her if she were doing any drugs these days, and Stevie would probab;ly know if she really were.

- Jake

Actually, she took a bus for the TISL tour. :laugh:

No way, if you read Stevie's diary for the days around 9/11, she definitely had a private jet, but maybe she only got that when she got sick half way through the tour?

Maybe she took a jet out of New york, but she had a tour bus. She started using them back in the Street Angel days. I have an interview with her from '01 where she talks about being more economical and using a bus. :)

Respectfully, BULL****. That statement is a way for you to make it okay for YOU. It's not the same thing and you know it. You can't get addicted to a frigging CAR. Come on Tommer.:distress:

The point that this thread seems to be missing is the reason WHY they did all these drugs. PURE DYSFUNCTION!!!!

As Stevie has said numerous times, it is like having the greatest love affair of your life break apart and have to see that person every day, all day. Personally, I don't think I could have done what they did, even with all the drugs to numb the pain. At the source of all this addiction is the desire NOT TO FEEL. And some people are certainly more predisposed than others to becoming an addict. People deal with their feelings in different ways, and it is usually determined by the environment in which your were raised as a child.

I think there is a difference between being a social drinker/smoker and being addicted to the stuff (either psychologically or physically). The choice to drink or smoke comes down to how much you do it and to what excess. I might have a glass of red wine with dinner because I like red wine - but I don't need to have the whole bottle. Sure, there have been times when I have been trashed, but those times are few and far between because I just don't enjoy that feeling of being out of control.

Just my opinions . . . .

I just want to add my two cents here,about drugs and making excuses,etc. I agree that if abused,drugs are bad.However,it is the person's choice to decide how they use the drug.Prime example,my brother and I.He is almost 18,high school drop-out,never keeps a job,just moved out again cause he wants to party all the time...he does everything short of heroin as far as i know.I am almost 23,graduated HS,I am in college,i have at least one job at all times..have i tried drugs? Hell yes...do i like them? Totally.Do i do them all the time? No. My brother and i were raised the same way..we were exposed to the same things..we each made a choice on how we decided to deal with these things.So,really..i mean...i have to say that i think,from the get-go a person has control over their drug use...if they let it become a habit it consumes them,and it is then that they lose control.

some drugs (such as marijuana, lsd, E...) are not more addicting than coca cola or coffee, and some (heroin, crack, pain killers...) are very addicting. the most important thing is to be informed about what you use or don't use.
apparently i DO have that wisdom, i've been doing drugs wisely for years and i don't have any dependency. when i wanna take times off (during exams times, when i go abroad ect...) i've absolutly no problem doing so.
about legalization, i'm afraid YOU are the one who's terribly misinformed, almost all western countries are now in the process of flexing their drugs laws. for example there are now only four EU nations - Finland, France, Greece and Sweden - that maintains criminal penalties for marijuana consumption. if you'd bother doing some reading on the subject, you'll easily find out that the most strict drug laws are the american ones, and in parallel so is the problem the country's facing with drugs abuse and addictions.
drugs addicts are not criminals, they are sick people, emotionally and physically, and should get help thru hospitals and not thru jails.

Sorry for signing up here and causing a bunch of problems. :laugh: Shoulda never asked....

Just to add a couple things in defense of both of you. Doing drugs is NOT a smart thing to do. There is no smart way to do drugs, you are always taking a serious risk when you do them. You never know if you have an addictive personality or not until you start.

I smoked my first cigarette at age 13 and it was instantly a pack a day habit. I quit once at 17 for a month, and I've been doing so-so with it for almost a month now at 23, I smoked on my birthday and at a concert but have been OK not smoking in everyday situations like being at home or at work. 10 years (although nothing compared to some long time smokers) is a long time to be a drug addict if you ask me.

On the other hand, I have casually taken the synthetic-heroin painkiller oxicontin on a handful of occasions and although it's entertaining enough I don't like it enough to want to be on it every day. I never think about it and never crave it. I still do it occasionally but it's never a big event. Was it worth the risk even trying? Nope. A lot of people in my town are in rehab due to them. Then again, I've had issues with other things. Some of the things I've had issues with in the past, like ecstacy, I can now take on a VERY infrequent basis (once a year tops) and be totally cool with it.

It IS possible to use restraint with drug use. It doesn't make it any smarter to do so, but it is possible to be somewhat responsible with it. It's the same thing as alcohol (which is NO better because it's legal) and that isn't against the law. You take a gamble when you try any substance, sure, but would you never take a drink of alcohol because you were scared of becoming a serious alcoholic? No, that's rediculous. Millions of Americans drink casually, and millions of Americans use drugs casually with no problems too. If you end up having a problem, then you were unlucky. But it is very possible to use drugs to party and JUST to party.

What difference does that make? Legal, illegal, it doesn't matter, they're both drugs. And I might add that there are WAY more alcoholics in the world than cocaine addicts. As far as I'm concerned alcohol is more insidious than any "illegal" drugs and contributes to more deaths each year such as drunk driving, domestic violence, and health related illness like heart disease and liver problems. The ironic thing is that alcohol, being a more dangerous drug, is legal wherease pot, a milder drug with milder effects is illegal. Go figure...