The Ledge - "Music, heart research a family affair for Nickses"

"Music, heart research a family affair for Nickses"

Aug. 2, 2005

Tucked away in a gated community in Paradise Valley is a household of
rock-and-rollers. But the five-bedroom house isn't a party place.
It's the home Stevie Nicks shares with her brother, Christopher; his
wife, Lori; and their 14-year-old daughter, Jessie.

The rock goddess who also has a home in Los Angeles, has her own
suite in the Paradise Valley abode. It's the sanctuary where she can
have her privacy without coming home to an empty house after being on
the road.

On Thursday Jessie will again watch Aunt Stevie as she takes the
stage at the Dodge Theatre with Don Henley and Vanessa Carlton.

Jessie also will get the rare treat of seeing her mother perform.
Lori, an accomplished singer, stopped performing live when Jessica
was born. But Lori's voice is part of rock-and-roll history.

She's the backup singer for all of Stevie's solo albums.

"I met Stevie in Dallas through my ex-husband," says soft-spoken
Lori, who never had been interviewed by a reporter. Lori does,
however, correspond with fans through Stevie's Web site
(nicksfix.com) and enjoys candidly answering their questions, from
those who refer to Stevie's struggle with addictions to questions
about why she treasures Stevie's Beauty and the Beast song.

It's the song Stevie asked her to sing background on when they met in
Dallas in 1981. It was the audition that changed Lori's life.

"I was a bit reluctant to do so because I really didn't feel that I
had the talent to sing on a Stevie Nicks song," Lori recalled. Not
only will you see Lori's name on every solo record of Stevie's since
1981, but she performed with Stevie for her first four solo tours.

She also met Christopher through Stevie, and these days the family
has its heart in more than just music.

The funds raised from Stevie's past four Valley concerts are
earmarked to build the Arizona Heart Foundation Cardiovascular
Research and Education Building, and proceeds from Thursday's event
also will benefit the new building. Two weeks ago officials of the
Arizona Heart Institute broke ground for the 30,000-square-foot
project at 20th Street and Thomas Road.

The Nickses know how heart disease research and medical advancement
saves lives. Stevie's dad, Jess Nicks, (whom Jessie is named after)
and mother, Barbara, both had life-saving heart surgery at the
institute. And Lori's dad had heart surgery in California.

Jess is traveling and spending time with his daughter. He and Barbara
live near Stevie in Paradise Valley, the place they have called home
for 34 years. And by the way, you could say that Stevie's beginnings
started at The Arizona Republic.

Her parents met when Jess was a student at Arizona State University
and he worked part time in the circulation department with Barbara.

"I used to take Eugene Pulliam (former owner of the newspaper) his
paper each morning," Barbara recalled.

"When I met Jess, I wrote in my diary that this was the man I was
going to marry," said Barbara, describing it as "love at first
sight." They were married one month later. That was about 58 years
ago.