Stevie Shares Thoughts On Peter Jennings...

[EnchantedSLN]

August 7, 2005

As I’m sure you must know by now~ Peter Jennings died today. The night he told us on his news show that he had cancer~ I went straight to my desk and wrote him this letter. I thought I would share it with you.



Dear Peter Jennings~

My name is Stevie Nicks. Tonight I listened to you tell the world that you had lung cancer. As a studied singer – I heard your golden voice sound a little hoarse. I also heard in your voice that you were ready to go to war with it. That is good~ because cancer~ waits for no one. And you must win this battle, you see, because in many ways you are the soft reassuring voice that tells us everyday what is going on in our troubled world. We are not ready to give that voice up, and I feel that you are not ready to take it from us.

I don’t like the news very much. I was in New York on 9-11. I flew in from Toronto that Monday night to do a show in Rochester on Wednesday and Radio City on Friday. I went to sleep at 7:30am, and was awakened at 11am. The towers had fallen, no cars on the street, the world was changed, the angels cried. My shows were cancelled due to an act of war. (Not since Pearl Harbor…) Along with all the broken hearted I watched you and listened to you. I thought “this is the worst thing that happened in my whole life~” We were in classic ‘lock-down’ – at the Waldorf=Astoria, and your voice sang on. I marveled at your strength. You walked me through it.

I wanted to go home. I called my friend, Don Henley. He said, “If you can stand it, stay out there, take people’s minds off this tragedy, if just for a moment.” I called my parents. My mother said, “This is what you can do for your country, sing your songs to them, give them a little peace.” So I did- I stayed on the road until October~ The “Trouble in Shangri-La” Tour. The summer of 9-11~ and the voice of Peter Jennings. I would say, Peter is my favorite.

So, having said all that, I know that going through chemotherapy is a lot of time on an I.V.~ so I am sending you some music. The last CD~ Trouble in Shangri-La (oh yes…) being, I think, my little masterpiece. I think some of my songs might help you pass this time (and keep you dancing). Writing my songs is the first great love of my life, giving them to someone I think needs them~ is the second great love of my life.

…And even if at some point, you have to wear that fabulous~ Versace Bandana, you’ll still be the handsomest guy on T.V.

Thanks for all that you do~

Love,
Stevie Nicks



Last night, was the last night of my tour. We have been working since May~nonstop. We started in Las Vegas~ and we ended in Las Vegas. My father has been very ill for weeks. He fell the day after Reno~ and broke his leg. They were able, finally, to go in and fix it yesterday. Thank goodness~ he lived through the surgery. In all honesty, we didn’t think he would. So going on stage for the last 3 shows has been extremely difficult for me, Rise above it~ the show must go on~ or so say the circus people. Be positive. Believe in the angels. Believe he will get well. Believe that all those injured boys at Walter Reed will get well~ and believe that Peter Jennings and his golden voice will fight through his cancer and come back to us~ and make some sense out of this crazy world~ Well, sometimes things just aren’t meant to be. He was one of those special beings~ rare and beautiful~ one of the great ones~

I am so sad about this~
I simply ~
Adored him…

And~
If you smoke~
Please stop

[golden braid]

Stevie is so sweet. Her letters are really touching.

It's probably a good thing Stevie's tour is over so she can spend some more time with her father. I'm sure she was sad that he couldn't be at the Arizona show.

[sodascouts]

It's wonderful that Stevie cares enough to write to people and express sympathy. She has a kind heart and I love her. That said...

I truly hope this isn't what she sent to Peter Jennings because if it is, I'm embarrassed for her. This letter is incredibly self-absorbed. It's like "Let me comfort you by telling you about how I persevered after 911 with the help of my good friend Don Henley. Because you were my favorite newscaster on 911 and so telling you the tale of my heroic decision to continue sharing music with people to help them forget is totally meaningful."

Yikes, Stevie.

[Red]

Originally Posted by sodascouts

It's wonderful that Stevie cares enough to write to people and express sympathy. She has a kind heart and I love her. That said...

I truly hope this isn't what she sent to Peter Jennings because if it is, I'm embarrassed for her. This letter is incredibly self-absorbed. It's like "Let me comfort you by telling you about how I persevered after 911 with the help of my good friend Don Henley. Because you were my favorite newscaster on 911 and so telling you the tale of my heroic decision to continue sharing music with people to help them forget is totally meaningful."

Yikes, Stevie.

You know, I couldn't help but think the same thing. I know her intentions were nothing but pure, but it did come off as a little indulgent, as much about her as it is about him. I'm not trying to slam her here but she could have chosen her words a little differently.

[Johnny Stew]

Originally Posted by sodascouts

I truly hope this isn't what she sent to Peter Jennings because if it is, I'm embarrassed for her. This letter is incredibly self-absorbed.

Admittedly, it does sound more than just a little self-absorbed... however, I think Stevie was trying to convey her mindset and fears during that time period, and how it directly related to the reassuring effect Peter Jennings' newscasts had on her and the rest of the nation.

Instead of the typical, "I think you're an ace newscaster and I hope you pull through," she expressed how he touched her life directly, and how it was a combination of things... which included him... that helped her move forward after 9/11.

Of course, I'm sure she's still going to get slammed for the way she expressed that!

[paleshadow]

Originally Posted by sodascouts

It's wonderful that Stevie cares enough to write to people and express sympathy. She has a kind heart and I love her. That said...

I truly hope this isn't what she sent to Peter Jennings because if it is, I'm embarrassed for her. This letter is incredibly self-absorbed. It's like "Let me comfort you by telling you about how I persevered after 911 with the help of my good friend Don Henley. Because you were my favorite newscaster on 911 and so telling you the tale of my heroic decision to continue sharing music with people to help them forget is totally meaningful."

Yikes, Stevie.

Well, when she wrote that she was sending him some CD's and said trouble in shangri-la was her masterpiece I kind of did cringe, but I guess that's just her, and while I do think the gesture of her sending him that letter was very touching, I don't think showing us all a copy of the letter is. It would be one thing to just make a statement to the public about how saddened she is and what he meant to her, but to basically say "hey, look at what I sent to him" I find a little... unusual.

I think the message about not smoking was good though. I just lost my mom last week and she was a chain smoker her whole life. She had several strokes and a heart attack. She was only 56. People tend to just think of cancer when they think of the risks associated with smoking, but really it can be harmful in so many other ways.

[dissention]

Originally Posted by paleshadow

Well, when she wrote that she was sending him some CD's and said trouble in shangri-la was her masterpiece I kind of did cringe, but I guess that's just her, and while I do think the gesture of her sending him that letter was very touching, I don't think showing us all a copy of the letter is. It would be one thing to just make a statement to the public about how saddened she is and what he meant to her, but to basically say "hey, look at what I sent to him" I find a little... unusual.

That's what I found odd; not her self-involved letter writing (we all know homegirl cannot get over herself), but the fact that she shared the letter. Kind of weird. Like, what point did it serve?

I did find it cool that she made it more personal than "Get well soon," though.

[paleshadow]

Originally Posted by dissention

That's what I found odd; not her self-involved letter writing (we all know homegirl cannot get over herself), but the fact that she shared the letter. Kind of weird. Like, what point did it serve?

I did find it cool that she made it more personal than "Get well soon," though.

Yeah, it's definitely not the letter itself. I think anytime you reach out to try and make someone feel better, it's the intention behind what you are doing that matters. I think that there were probably a lot of celebrities who reached out to Peter in similar ways but I don't think you are going to see many of them publicize it necessarily. I would feel differently if say, Peters wife, or a family member came out and said "I wanted to share this wonderful letter that Peter received from Stevie Nicks" than her doing it. If we pretend that this isn't Stevie we are talking about for a minute, it might seem a little contrived. What I really don't think I will ever understand is how when people are critical about Stevie, even if it is in a rational way, so many people react like you just pushed their kid off a swing at the playground.

[GateandGarden]

Originally Posted by sodascouts

It's wonderful that Stevie cares enough to write to people and express sympathy. She has a kind heart and I love her. That said...

I truly hope this isn't what she sent to Peter Jennings because if it is, I'm embarrassed for her. This letter is incredibly self-absorbed. It's like "Let me comfort you by telling you about how I persevered after 911 with the help of my good friend Don Henley. Because you were my favorite newscaster on 911 and so telling you the tale of my heroic decision to continue sharing music with people to help them forget is totally meaningful."

Yikes, Stevie.

That is exactly how I felt when I read it. So much of what she said just doesn't seem appropriate at all. Also, when she called TISL her "little masterpiece," I couldn't help but laugh. I'm pretty sure I could never call any of my works "my masterpiece." That's great of someone else says it but I think it isn't something you claim yourself. I really do get the impression that Stevie lives in another world as opposed to ours. Kelly pointed out that Stevie has always been self-absorbed and if anyone who has been a fan for any length of time has figured that out. I guess I am finally realizing that. Suze said self-absorption is part of her charm, and I have to say that I don't find that charming. I consider myself relatively self-centered, and whenever I come across people who are more self-centered, I find that disturbing. That being said, I don't think it's some unforgivable personality trait, just not a really charming one.

And I know some of laughed when you got to the "don't smoke" part, but it saddened me. Did she really think that was going to make someone stop? People who have smoked for years have heard that same message worded hundreds of different ways many times, so why would her little phrase make an impact? Maybe I'm wrong and it does for someone merely because she is Stevie Nicks; that would be really nice.

Also, I never realized before why some fans write things like this ~and now I see that, ~for some bizarre reason, ~Stevie must write with that symbol everywhere all the time. ~Why?

[xxxmx]

it may smack of self-absorbtion to some, but i've got tears in my eyes telling me that i don't care how it sounds because it was true. i was in NYC for that too, and i sat with my dearest friends huddled around the television in the dark (the shades were down because we didn't want to see the columns of smoke) watching PJ reading the news. we were waiting for word from downtown friends and trying to get through to family back home. it was horrible.

she shared the letter for the same reasons she shared her journal entries, she puts herself out there for us. i know that some fans will take great comfort in reading it and that's who she's thinking about. and she's called TISL her 'masterpiece' several times before, so i don't know why it's a deal that she told him. i think it was a warm gesture and it meant a great deal to her, telling him what she did and offering support in the only way she knows how - through her music.

Originally Posted by GateandGarden

I consider myself relatively self-centered, and whenever I come across people who are more self-centered, I find that disturbing.

i find it disturbing, but incredibly attractive as well. i also find vanity and superficiality to be attractive qualities... what does that say about me?

[Wild Heart]

Something about parts of that letter made me cringe but I couldn't quite put my finger on it until I opened this thread. I understand what Stevie was trying to accomplish and I think it was thoughtful and very sweet. I think she was not only trying to offer comfort and encouragement to him during his illness but to express what his broadcast had meant to her and the comfort it gave her during 9/11 when she was scared and unsure of what was happening. I did cringe when she said she was sending her "masterpiece" TISL for him to listen to during treatment. It's not that I don't like TISL, I love it. It's one of her best. (Belledonna was her solo masterpiece but the first three FM's have her best work with the inclusion of Gypsy, which was on number four, IMO and if you care ). I just can't see Peter Jennings being a Stevie fan and listening to her while hooked to an IV. I'm sure she's much too "Airy Fairy" for him. He probably listened to his favorite jazz artists, if anything. It was a very nice gesture.

In regards to the self absorbed issue.........in my opinion, the majority of celebrities are self-centered. How could you live with all the money, fame, everyone hanging on your every word, everything being done for you and anything you can imagine at your fingertips at any given time and not be sucked into the vortex of self absorption? It would take a very strong, well grounded person to resist the temptation of being pulled into that whole thing.

I don't mean to sound like such a cynic. I realize alot of celebrities do some really great things for charity and etc. and that's wonderful, as long as it's sincere and not for the wrong reasons.

I love Stevie to death but at the end of the day she's no different than the rest of Hollyweird. They start out doe-eyed and innocent but after a few years they begin to embrace their celebrity and then they're sucked in. They all live in a completely different world than we do!

[STEVEHEDRICK]

PEOPLE here can be over critcal also!

[DrummerDeanna]

God Almighty.

Stevie tries to do something touching and nice and she's lambasted for being self absorbed

I thought it was a lovely letter - didn't seem at all self-absorbed to me. She didn't know Peter Jennings personally - and so some background on her feelings etc. is necessary. She wanted him to know how he touched her life....I liked the letter very much. Made me tear up.

Also - I am saddened to hear that her father had been ill

[gldstwmn]

Originally Posted by Wild Heart

I just can't see Peter Jennings being a Stevie fan and listening to her while hooked to an IV.

I don't think there were any IV's. I could be wrong but I think he decided to forego that route.

[gldstwmn]

Originally Posted by GateandGarden

And I know some of laughed when you got to the "don't smoke" part, but it saddened me. Did she really think that was going to make someone stop?

You never know. Sometimes it just has to be the right time and place to receive the message.