Stevie gets fiesty and lets off steam in latest article
 

Stevie Nicks blasts Lindsay, Britney

The Fleetwood Mac icon has harsh words for certain younger ‘messy’ and ‘dippy’ singers

Mcleans Magazine

If anyone has the right to give advice to the Britney Spearses and Lindsay Lohans of the world, it’s Stevie Nicks. In her more-than-30-year career as a solo singer and as one of the lead vocalists of the rock group Fleetwood Mac, the 61-year-old icon has paved the way for women in the music industry. And she has the war wounds to prove it. From battles with drug addiction to notorious love affairs, her life is tailor-made for a Hollywood film. Which is probably why Lindsay Lohan keeps telling reporters about her burning desire to play Nicks in a yet-to-be-made Fleetwood Mac biopic. This has Nicks a little concerned. Via phone from a presidential suite in New York City, she repeats the words “over my dead body” when the mention of a Lindsay-as-Stevie movie comes up. “That girl is the antithesis of everything that I don’t want for younger girls to be. I don’t want anyone as messy as her messing with my history.”

The legacy Nicks is so protective of is still going strong. This spring she has been busy promoting her latest two projects—a DVD called Live In Chicago and a live CD titled The Soundstage Sessions—as well as reconnecting on stage with Fleetwood Mac on its current greatest-hits North American tour. Packed with five remaining Canadian concert dates, the tour has Nicks performing more than 50 shows, many of which are sold out. Which explains why Hollywood execs have been banging on her door. “Most of them,” she says, “want to focus on when I first joined the band and the three fun, crazy years after that. Quite frankly, I don’t blame them—they were a roller-coaster ride!”

To clarify, Nicks is talking about when she and her then-lover, guitarist-vocalist Lindsey Buckingham, became members of Fleetwood Mac in 1975 (joining drummer Mick Fleetwood, vocalist Christine McVie and bassist John McVie). Shortly after the group’s first album together, Nicks experienced the side effects of being in a band with three Top 20 singles. “I was a waitress and Lindsey was a telemarketer back then,” Nicks recalls. “By the end of the summer, we were millionaires. It transformed our lives completely. Then Rumours happened and everything went berserk.”

Nicks is referring to Fleetwood Mac’s hit 1977 disc, which sold more than 30 million copies. According to Nicks, the title of the disc was prophetic on many levels. “I fell in love with Mick [Fleetwood] at the end of the Rumours tour in 1978 while I was still on rocky ground with Lindsey. Fortunately Mick and I ended it for the sake of the band. Around that time, people began saying that I was performing witchcraft—which I never did—and that the band had orgies—which we never had.”

On top of the widely reported false accusations, Nicks had to deal with a growing substance abuse problem. The miracle of it all was that she was still able to write songs (chart toppers Edge of Seventeen, Stand Back and Landslide) while maintaining a sense of mystery about herself. That secrecy is something Nicks feels is missing in the pop stars of today. She points to Britney Spears as a prime example of a singer who has overexposed herself beyond repair. “For her, it’s all about TMI: too much information. She needs to stop sharing. Period. After that toxic reality series she did, I decided I will never buy another one of her CDs because now I know how dippy she is.” When Nicks hears that Spears cursed about wardrobe malfunctions while performing on stage during her recent tour, her voice begins to thunder. “You do not tell the audience about your stupid-ass problems,” she says. “You will never, ever see a sweat drop start to fly off of my face—even if my heel is broken. I’ll do the song heel-less. People paid good money for you to take away their problems and inspire them.”

Other than her beef with Britney, Nicks has a record of embracing the newer divas on the block. “The fact that Etta James got so angry about Beyoncé singing At Last at President Obama’s first dance is tragic. C’mon Etta, just let Beyoncé sing it—she’s the new thing. [James] is still selling concert tickets so she should move over for a moment.” And with that, Nicks pipes down, takes a breath and begins to reflect. “In music history, Jerry Lee Lewis, Little Richard and Elvis were all called the kings of rock and managed to be quite amicable to each other. They even did shows together! There is no reason why us women can’t do the same. Besides, I don’t want to be known as a queen of rock. When you start having to tell people that you are the queen, you’re done.”

http://nickslive.blogspot.com/2009/0...vie-nicks.html

You said it! Calling you the queen of rock is for stoopid-asses!!!

WOW what an interview...Anger issues Stevie?!?! lol

My fav lines are:
"—and that the band had orgies—which we never had"

You do not tell the audience about your stupid-ass problems,” she says. “You will never, ever see a sweat drop start to fly off of my face—even if my heel is broken. I’ll do the song heel-less. People paid good money for you to take away their problems and inspire them.”

Now that's one telemarketer I'd talk to!

So... Stevie doesn't sweat? :lol:

Haha, I love Stevie but sometimes she's got the rose-colored glasses about her early rock years. Is she saying it's okay to do drugs, drink and have a lot of affairs just so long as it's not public? Stevie! So you didn't run about half-naked on stage, but you did the rest. You're sounding like a granny.

These days she really doesn't. I don't know why, but she doesn't -- well, at least not in any of the places that I can see onstage.

Michele

Well botox can prevent sweating. We all know she experimented with botox in 2003/2004. Maybe it still has it effects. I know some people get botox in their arm pits so they dont sweat same with hands.

Plus, she goes off to the side of the stage sometimes so maybe she has her make up artist blotting her face with a blot powder. Just to get the shine/sweat away

Yeah and I guess she has to be blotted after Lindsey drips all over her too.

Is Stevie suggesting that we shouldn't buy an artist's records if we think that the artist is dippy?? Because . . .

Nice little piece. Thanks Peter and thanks RockaLittle.

Michele

What's most interesting is that the comments are out of character for Stevie.

Aside from the big stuff, I don't even think she would say that Lindsey was a telemarketer. She'd tell you he made a couple of phone calls and quit as soon as someone hung up on him. The quotes almost sound like someone else's summary of what Stevie would say.

Michele

Hey.. I don't see any problem with Stevie speaking her mind. To me.. she is a wonderful role model. For me she is anyway. Stevie just hits me as the kind of woman who is just looking out for these young girls. They DO show and reveal too much in my opinion. Makes me think of the movie "Somewhere in Time" where Elise McKenna's (played by Jane Seymour) manager says to her, "keep the mystery". A very good thing in my opinion. Ok.. so maybe some of you are going, what the heck is she talking about? It's a movie that came out a long time ago. Aside from that, Stevie is quite a talented woman, and beautiful.. under layers of chiffon. True elegance and beauty. Women of mystery are much more intriguing. As far as Britney goes, and her comments about that and the Etta James one, I think she is just a passionate woman, and I love that. Aren't poets full of passion anyway? I would guess she meant the sweat part figuratively, lol. It seems like it is more of a matter of being professional, and not airing all your problems to your audience. I'm guessing anyway.

Thanks for the article, I would have to back Stevie up in regard to the younger singers that were mentioned.Most of the singers she was talking about do say way too much in general, and too much goes further than most people care to know. At least in my opinion. Stevie and her shawls create a mystery that is unmatched. Even when she is telling a story, I see her onstage in all her rock and roll royalty, I think she's the Queen most definitely!:angel:

I have to say that I agree with Stevie. First of all, as far as Lindsey Lohan is concerned...I don't blame Stevie for not wanting Lindsey to portray her...I certainly wouldn't want her anywhere near any movie portraying me...and I wouldn't want to see any movie where she played the part of Stevie. Lindsey Lo just hasn't got what it takes...I'm not sure anyone does. I also agree with her about the performers of today like Britney Spears. Yes, Stevie did have serious drug problems and such back then...but she was also writing the most amazing, beautiful, heartfelt songs...songs that have and will stand the test of time. As far as a lot todays performers are concerned, its all about sex appeal, money, and marketing...not about the artistry. Britney is a good example of that. Even at Stevie's lowest, she always had the heart of an artist. She touches people deeply on an emotional level...myself most definitely included. I can't say I have ever been so affected by any of today's generation of performers. When their looks fade and they lose their ability to walk around in hardly any clothing, people will forget about them and they wont have a whole lot of talent to fall back on. You can't say that about Stevie Nicks! She's still here and she's still got it!

You are so right on! And when Stevie started with the cocaine, they didn't know as much about it then as they know now- if you are taking drugs nowadays, that's just crazy with everything we know about them, not that I'm excusing Stevie in any way. I also agree with the Lohan comment- she could not do her justice in any movie about Stevie.

she doesn't sweat because she doesn't move around enough to break a sweat!:lol:

Agreed..so what's with all the uninspired lifeless performances she is now giving for 142 bucks + a pop?:shrug:

Stevie's fans never talk about an intellectual connection or even a musical connection--only an emotional connection.

What's with all these florid emotions flying around? Stop emoting so much, Stevie-ites. Take a cool, detached, studied point of view. Analyze. Infer. Posit reasonable premises & draw logical conclusions.

And then squeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!!!!!!!!!!! when Stevie hits the stage!

As for Spears or Lohan, you have to admit that they do an excellent job of doing what they are supposed to do: sexually excite the audience. As the TV admen used to say in the '70s: Titillate ... & dominate!

i'm not sure how i feel about stevie saying anything about anyone...she was a complete mess for about 10 years...she looked aweful because of HER addictions and it showed physically and artistically...and she was NOT 20 something ...she was like late 30's into her 40's and she was that screwed up??? perhaps a late bloomer..she is throwng these two "kids" under the bus when she was so strung out from HER 20's into her 30's?? gimme a break stevie nicks...i love everything about you..but now you sound like one of those reformed smokers who smoked for 40 years and now tells everybody how stupid people who smoke are..britney and lindsey are young enough that i am sure they will straighten it all out..and perhaps before they are 50 stevie...cut the some slack..i truely feel they do not have the talent that stevie has but come on....they are not dead yet..nor are they senior citizens..too bad she doesn't offer some words of hope rather than acting like a self rightous know it all...very dissappointed in this coming from someone i have so much respect for...anyone who is living a difficult situation HAS to hit rock bottom before they begin to change..if ANYONE should know this is someone who was strung out on coke..klonopin and god knows what else and was also about 80lbs. overweight..this was her rock bottom and none of her piers spoke like this of her...at least not that i reall and i have been a stevie worshipper for 30 plus years.

By contrast, she did say something supportive about Mariah and told her she wasn't crazy and such.

Michele

Remember when the IRS questioned some of her wardrobe "business" expenses and her lawyer gave some little blurb saying that she perspired so much that her stage clothes could only be used once.

Michele

I love this article! Nobody mess with Stevie! She is right Lindsey Lohan is messy and Brittney Spears is Dippy!

AhHa, Stevie said "stupid-ass!" :D

Funny ..these are similar words that were used to describe La Nicks back in the day when she was cutting up..she is so lucky there were not cell phones with cams .internet and 24/7 gossip TV back then.Hypocritical much?

I don't know what Stevie is trying to achieve by bashing twenty-something stars. As many have said Stevie was pretty 'messy' for a good number of years of her own life (and really everyone has a 'messy' period), she doesn't need to kick these girls while they're down. Lindsay and Britney were both much younger than Stevie when they entered the industry, or rather thrown into it by notoriously pushy mothers, it's no surprise these girls have the problems they do.

She's just looking at it from her perspective - as a 60 year old woman who's "been there, done that". That's the impression I get.

Couldn't agree with you more!

One difference is these girls seem to court the media while Stevie wouldn't have. They are addicted to the attention. I agree that Stevie is too hard on them given they are just doing the same things she did. Maybe Stevie is able to deny this to herself because she always showed up for work. A lot of people use that to minimize their addictions.

yes, I'd forgotten all about that. That story hit in the mid 90's as I recall. What a bunch of horse doo doo!

I agree with Stevie.

Of course she did the heavy drugs back in the day, but it really wasn't exposed all that much. It was low key. And she admits to her own mistakes. We are always constantly hearing about current singers and their problems and drug addictions. Nobody keeps anything private in today's music industry.

It's ok for Stevie to talk about her past problems now. All that stuff happened 20+ years ago.

What's your definition of "courting the media"?

It wasn't exposed all that much because every rock star was doing the same thing. If Fleetwood Mac stood out as being druggies in the public's view, it wasn't by much more than a smidge, or snort.

Ever since publicly admitting to Betty Ford for cocaine & another rehab facility somewhere for Klonopin treatment, Stevie has been anything but low key about it. She brings it up constantly. If you ask her about her favorite flavor of ice cream, she'll pad her answer with descriptions of her Klonopin rehab or the big hole in her septum. She's talked about her drugs millions of times since 1988 or so -- to the extent that no one probably even cares any more.

Stevie didn't have a reality show, because they weren't available at the time. Even if they had been, she might not have gone in for that sort of thing.

Still, she sure gabbed it up in the media. Courting? Maybe she didn't ask for their hand in marriage, but she wined and dined.

Michele

Oh really? "High ****ing tech" ring any bells? :cool:

Uh, no....when did she say "high ****ing tech"???

Sounds like a funny story, but no bells are ringing though....

At a show in Florida, I believe it was the hardrock in 07, she was using a new ear monitor on stage and she was having trouble with it all night. She came out late for Enchanted and at the end of the song she said something along the lines of "we were trying to figure this thing out backstage and we were yelling and cursing."

Then, after Rhiannon, she continued to have more problems and said "High-****ing-tech."

LOVE this line.......and how true (Are you listening, Michael Jackson???)!!!!

Yes. It was obviously meant this way to me. That she wouldn't dream of being unprofessional in that way. That you wouldn't even see her "sweat" if something was going wrong onstage.

It's too bad I already purchased soundstage. This woman is clearly too messy and dippy in her speech for me to buy her albums.

Me too! And RIGHT ON Stevie! Yes, she may have made those same mistakes back in her day, but doing that, to me, is what is giving her the strength to warn these others about the same things happening to them! I'm with you on this one! :wavey:

Seriously. Pot, meet kettle.
Stevie has been sounding pretty crotchety lately. It's like, "Hey you kids, get off my lawn" kind of old.
Whatever though. She is who she is. I still loved to see her and the guys in Houston.

I'm getting so sick of her talking about Brittney and Lindsay in her interviews. No one gives a sht about your opinion of these guys. Talk about your future plans more and less about this. I'd actually take complaining over the tour over this, at least that's relevant to something current in Stevie's life.

Ok, so I know its obvious, but I just wanted to say that I am new to the forum, so I realize I probably don't have any right to say anything at all...

but I was just thinking...is it possible that we are taking this a bit too seriously? It's just an interview. She was specifically asked about Lindsey and she gave her opinion. It also seems that in the interview, the subject of her maintaining a sense of mystery about herself came up and she mentioned Britney as an example of someone who she feels has made a mistake by allowing themselves to become overexposed. It just seems like there is a lot of time spent picking apart every single thing she says, when really, its just an interview...for entertainment value...though she is saying something that a lot of people agree with.

Anyway...sorry if I've annoyed anyone...it wasn't my intention. It just seems that there is a lot of negativity where Stevie is concerned and since I've joined I've been trying to figure out if people love or hate her :confused: