Born on 26 May: Stevie Nicks, Fleetwood Mac’s bohemian diva

Born in Phoenix, Arizona in 1948, Stevie Nicks celebrates her 77th birthday today. But let's keep that between us, as she’s not too keen on getting another year older!

Indelibly linked to the history of Fleetwood Mac, especially alongside Christine McVie and her former partner Lindsey Buckingham, she has also enjoyed a successful solo career since her album "Belladonna" (1981).

For the American band, she wrote some of their biggest hits, including "Rhiannon" (a tale of a Welsh witch) on the self-titled 1975 album; "Gold Dust Woman" and "Dreams" (by far the band’s most popular song, "written in 10 minutes" as she likes to recall) on "Rumours" in 1977; as well as "Sara" and "Sister Of The Moon" on the double album "Tusk" (1979). And, naturally, there’s "Gypsy", which perfectly encapsulates her, on "Mirage" (1982).

In Fleetwood Mac, three different but complementary songwriters vied to have their choruses become the group’s signature. Like Buckingham and McVie, Stevie Nicks had a wealth of songs she believed in, but which couldn’t all find a home on Fleetwood Mac records. This prompted her to launch a solo career in 1981 with "Bella Donna," a true reflection of her artistic personality. She was supported by the likes of Tom Petty and Don Henley from the Eagles. "I needed to know if I existed outside Fleetwood Mac. I had to prove to myself that I was an artist in my own right," she told American magazine "Interview" at the time.

Although she recorded only four major studio albums between 1981 and 1989, she still amassed at least 40 million in sales. After that, she became more discreet, with just three albums between 1994 and 2011, including "In Your Dreams" alongside Dave Stewart (Eurythmics).

The singer, who claims to have seen ghosts, also isn’t a fan of flying. Whenever possible, during her rare tours outside the United States, she prefers to take a (luxurious) bus between each stopover city. Last year, due officially to losing her voice, she decided to remain in the UK during her first visit to the Old Continent since "The Other Side Of The Mirror" in 1989.

In 2019, she became the first woman to be inducted twice into the legendary Rock and Roll Hall of Fame: once as a member of Fleetwood Mac and again as a solo artist. It’s a distinction she is rightly proud of! "I've weathered storms, both literally and metaphorically. And I’m still here, singing," she said recently on CBS television.

On tour in the United States and Canada:

13 August: TG Garden - Boston (USA)

16 August: Scotiabank Arena - Toronto (Canada)

20 August: Excel Center - St Paul (USA)

Photo: Stevie Nicks during her "The Other Side Of The Mirror" tour in Ghent (Belgium) in November 1989