Laurinburg professor and his daughter share a passion for the singer.
VH1’s “Fan Club” profiles music fans to give viewers a better understanding of rabid devotion.
The latest episode (10p.m. Sunday) examines Stevie Nicks’ fans, including Jim Lankford, 68, of Laurinburg, about 90miles southeast of Charlotte.
Lankford loves Nicks as a solo act, but he also likes her older work with Fleetwood Mac. His Nicks fandom grew out of his love for his daughter Jackie, 37.
Lankford, a chemistry professor at St. Andrews Presbyterian College, began studying Nicks last year to try to connect with his estranged daughter, a longtime Nicks fan, who was slipping into depression. In an interview, he talked about his newfound passion and how it improved his relationship with Jackie.
How did you get on VH-1?
He and Jackie responded to a notice on a Nicks Web site.
What is the smoke-pop experiment you mentioned on VH-1?
An oxidizing agent mixed with an organic compound produces a cloud of smoke. “I think of the song `Rhiannon’ when I do that. Stevie’s talking about Rhiannon rising to the sky and being swept away.”
What is your favorite Nicks videotape that Jackie sent you?
Her “Bella Donna Tour” on HBO. It was the first one Jackie told him to watch.
Your favorite outfit?
“I liked her back in the early days when she had the black outfits, the black shawls and was being witchy and mysterious.”
When and where did you see your first Nicks concert?
The “Trouble in Shangri-La Tour” in Camden, N.J., this summer with Jackie. “It was such an enormous thrill after I had been studying her so much to finally see her performing live.”
What does your wife think about this?
They attended the Charlotte show together. “She understood me better. I don’t hear as many complaints.”
How many custom CDs have you and Jackie burned?
“43, and we’re not done.”
What was your first one?
A double disc, “Our Stevie CD: Music that Made a Difference.” It’s songs that helped him and Jackie understand each other. It includes “Landslide,” one of Jackie’s favorites, and “Sara,” one of Lankford’s favorites.
How many Nicks pictures do you have?
Jackie sent him most of her stuff so they could have one giant collection. “I’m running out of space. My den is completely full, the family room has got several and our master bedroom has one.”
What’s in the master bedroom?
The “Enchanted Tour” program opened to a page with Nicks reclining on a bed.
What other Nicks projects are you working on?
He and his daughter are thinking about writing a book about what her music means to them and how it could help others.
What other female singers do you like?
Enya.
Tonya Jameson / Charlotte Observer /Saturday, November 10, 2001
