Stevie Nicks is arguably the witchy woman. A large part of Nicks’ allure comes from her almost supernatural essence. From her long flowing gowns to her cryptic, spell-like lyricism, Nicks earned her witch comparison a long time ago and has done nothing but double-down on it in recent years.
Videos by American Songwriter
Have you ever wondered how Nicks came to be thought of as a witch? If so, uncover the lore of Nicks’ reputation, below.
[RELATED: Behind the Band Name: How a Twist of Fate Led to the Name Stevie Nicks]
Stevie Nicks, the White Witch?
Since the onset of her career, Nicks’ fans have been on a witch hunt. Though she has never claimed to be a practitioner of the dark arts, in the minds of most of the world, Nicks is a witch. And it can all be traced back to the 1976 release of “Rhiannon.”
The track appeared on Fleetwood Mac’s self-titled record and has become one of Nicks’ signature songs. “Rhiannon” has been interpreted as an autobiographical track about Nicks’ witchier tendencies. Save maybe “Gold Dust Woman,” few songs in Nicks’ songwriting catalog feel as innate to her sensibilities.
She is like a cat in the dark
And then she is to darkness
She rules her life like a fine skylark
And when the sky is starless
Nicks has something nearly undefinable about her. Despite being one of the most recognizable faces in rock music, there is something mysterious about her. She has the power to draw an audience in with her enchanting if at times eerie, persona – which is exactly the type of woman Nicks describes in “Rhiannon.”
Nicks was inspired to write the song after reading a book called Triad, which centered around a Welsh witch named, of course, Rhiannon. That inspiration paired with the fact that Nicks would often introduce the song with, “This is a song about a witch” at concerts, prompted fans to start connecting the dots.
Suddenly the sight of her feeling the music while on stage was interpreted as magical trances and spell casting. Her wardrobe was no longer a product of ’70s folk fashion and instead became the garb of a witch.
Though today Nicks wears her white witch badge proudly (having appeared in shows like American Horror Story, in which she fully leans into the occult) in the early days of the rumor, Nicks struggled with the comparison.
“In the beginning of my career, the whole idea that some wacky, creepy people were writing, ‘You’re a witch, you’re a witch!’ was so arresting,” Nicks told the LA Times in 2014. “And there I am like, ‘No, I’m not! I just wear black because it makes me look thinner you idiots.'”
By the late ’70s, Nicks started to distance herself from the witch motif in an effort to stop her more egregious haters from taking their concerns any further. A few years later, Nicks tapped back into her witchy aesthetic for the release of her debut solo album, Bella Donna.
“I do not believe in witchcraft as a natural philosophy at all,” Nicks told ET in the early ’80s (per Showbiz Cheatsheet). “I just think it’s fun. And I love black clothes and I love moons and stars and Merlin hats and Mickey Mouse. But no, I do not believe in that side of it at all.”‘
For better or for worse, Nicks will always have the witch rumor hanging above her head. As far as we’re concerned, we wouldn’t have Nicks any other way besides dressed in black, dealing out bewitching lyrics, and twirling with her shawl to help close out one of her stellar live shows.
Get ready for an evening of iconic hits! Stevie Nicks’ tour is not to be missed. Buy your tickets now and enjoy the magic!
(Photo by Paul Natkin/Getty Images)
