No matter how humble an artist may be, there will always be some trace amount of ego in their decision to willingly get in front of hundreds—even thousands—of people and command their attention. C’est la…entertainment industry. But every now and then, a musician will prove that their desire to see the artistic world grow and thrive is greater than their desire to be the most praised, beloved, or discussed. Take, for example, Stevie Nicks.
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The former Fleetwood Mac frontwoman has developed a reputation for gifting kindred creative spirits with a small, golden moon necklace. The small gesture is a symbol of Nicks’ appreciation for the recipient, whether they’re a fellow musician, journalist, or other kind of colleague. In 2022, Nicks called out Lorde in an interview for The New Yorker, saying she had one of those moon charms in a box, ready to send to the New Zealand pop star.
But she has more gifts up her black, lacy sleeves than moon necklaces. During a 2009 appearance on The Tonight Show, Nicks demonstrated a stunning sense of stewardship over the younger generation of entertainers, even ones who weren’t strictly musical. (Although the lucky giftee does have plenty of musical chops, to be fair.)
Is This Witchy Frontwoman the Best Gift Giver Ever?
When Stevie Nicks made a mid-tour appearance on The Tonight Show in 2009, Saturday Night Live alum Jimmy Fallon was serving as a temporary show host. (He wouldn’t receive his permanent position until a few years later.) At the start of their interview, Nicks produced a small gift and a letter to the fresh-faced Fallon. The host read the note out loud: “Dearest Jim. This is just something green to put your dreams in. Congratulations on your new quest. Love, Stevie Nicks.” Fallon then flipped the note around to show the camera Nicks’ sprawling, cursive handwriting.
The “something green” in question was a small jade container. Nicks instructed Fallon to pull out the cork at the top of the receptacle, think of his dreams, and then “blow” the dreams into the jar. “Now it’s gonna happen,” Nicks told Fallon. The entire exchange was as heartwarming as it was witchy, which makes sense coming from the creative mind behind songs like “Rhiannon” and “Gold Dust Woman”. Nicks really is the People’s Witch.
Stevie Nicks Told Jimmy Fallon Their Career Paths Were Similar
Stevie Nicks gifting Jimmy Fallon a small trinket as a gesture of appreciation and congratulations would have been sweet enough on its own. But the “Dreams” singer went on to heap praises on the flabbergasted late-night host. “I’m so proud for you to have this show because you know, the group of amazing, few talk show hosts is so few. And you have this thing that is very similar, in a lot of ways, to Johnny Carson. You’re walking into the land of the great people. I think it’s a destiny move.”
Nicks continued, “It’s like the day that Mick [Fleetwood] called Lindsey [Buckingham] and I and said, ‘Do you want to join Fleetwood Mac?’ And we’re like, ‘Oh, well, I don’t know.’ And, you know, I’m like, to Lindsey, ‘No. We’re joining this band.’ It was a moment of destiny. I think that this show for you is like…your life’s going to completely change, and this is your destiny. That’s why I wanted to give you your little dream holder because your destiny is in there.”
The rock ‘n’ roll icon was right, of course. Fallon would go on to receive a permanent spot on The Tonight Show, a post he still holds as of this writing. But honestly, with a gift like that? From an idol like that? We wouldn’t have blamed him for calling it quits right there. It doesn’t get much better than Stevie Nicks gifting you your own personal vintage dream holder, does it?
Photo by David Brewster/Star Tribune via Getty Images
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