Stevie Nicks is known for many things. She’s an incredible songwriter behind many of the greatest songs of the 1970s and beyond. She was a staple member of Fleetwood Mac. Her witchy, otherworldly persona and aesthetics have inspired many a teenage girl’s moodboard. And, unfortunately, she’s also known for her somewhat chaotic personal relationships and drug use back in the day.
According to Nicks herself, the latter part of that comment is what she regrets the most as a performer. Back in 2016, Nicks sat down with The Seattle Times ahead of her performance at KeyArena that year. During the interview, Nicks was asked if she ever gets nostalgic for the 1970s or 1980s.
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“I wouldn’t want to ever go back there,” said Nicks. “Yes, it was a lot of fun between 1975 and 1990 — until it wasn’t.”
Stevie Nicks’ Biggest Regret as a Performer Was Using C*caine To Get Through Performances
Nicks continued to say that as a performer now, without the use of illicit drugs like c*caine, performing has a very different feeling than it did when she was young and using substances.
“I walk onstage every night now and do a three-hour show with Fleetwood Mac, and I have a great time up there,” Nicks continued. “I wish I had known that I actually had the energy to do this entire set totally sober and get just as excited. On one hand, that makes me feel great and on the other it makes me sad that I ever did my first line of c*ke.”
Stevie Nicks’ biggest regret as a performer is perfectly understandable. Back then, it seemed like everyone in a rock or folk band was partaking in at least one (or two… or three) types of illicit substances. It was a wild era, the 70s and 80s.
Nicks was then asked how she never lost the “rawness” associated with the youthful emotions with her music, even without the use of c*caine. Nicks was frank about the fact that loving stories and storytelling make all the difference.
“Great stories inspire me,” said Nicks. “Some people have the ability to be extremely convincing, and other people can sing for 30 years and not convince you that they have lived a story. At 16, I could sing a love song well.”
What an inspiration. It’s a good thing she kicked that habit, too. We can enjoy her presence and talents for years to come.
Photo by Kevin Mazur/Getty Images for Billy Joel & Stevie Nicks
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