From storming Rockefeller Plaza to officiating a rock star wedding, the members of Fleetwood Mac made big headlines all throughout 2014.
Stevie Nicks was the most ongoing of the five members, making several high profile, A-List appearances, such as the Vanity Fair Oscar Party this past March.
Here’s how Fleetwood Mac’s biggest moments from the past year stacked up:
10. Stevie mentors for Team Adam on The Voice.
In October, Stevie appeared on the hit reality singing competition The Voice to mentor for Team Adam. Mentoring for “The Battle Premiere,” she encouraged the aspiring singers to “walk out there with a big attitude [and] big voice. Work the mic, spend a little eye time with the people who are watching, [and] you gotta break some hearts at the same time.”
Stevie also had a guest stint on American Idol, mentoring season 11 contestants.
9. Fleetwood Mac works on a new album.
Over the summer, Fleetwood Mac began recording tracks for a new album. The band (sans Nicks, who was working on an album of her own in Nashville) worked on new material brought in by returning member Christine McVie. Though no release date has been issued for the album, Lindsey Buckingham was confident that their studio work would come to fruition. “There’s no danger that [the album] will slip between the tracks. It’s too profound to,” he told the Wall Street Journal in October. So Mac fans everywhere lie in wait!
8. Stevie officiates Vanessa Carlton’s wedding.
As if recording a brand new solo album and touring with Fleetwood Mac weren’t enough, Stevie somehow found time to officiate Vanessa Carlton’s marriage to Deer Tick musician John McCauley. Technically, the wedding occurred at the end of 2013 on December 27, but the rock star spectacle managed to set the Internet ablaze well into 2014 and missed every Top 10 list that year, so it’s worth including here. By the power vested in her as an ordained minister, Stevie declared the happy couple husband and wife at an intimate hilltop ceremony in Los Angeles. Carlton shared the exciting news on Twitter, tweeting pictures of Stevie officiating the wedding. The “Thousand Miles” singer-songwriter has formed a close relationship with Stevie and her family over the past few years – even spending the Christmas holidays with the Nickses!
7. Mick Fleetwood releases second autobiography Play On.
In October, Mick Fleetwood released his second autobiography Play On: Now, Then, and Fleetwood Mac. This time around, Mick tread lightly on the band’s most intimate secrets to prevent another band implosion. (His last exposé, 1991′ s Fleetwood: My Life and Adventures in Fleetwood Mac, strained relationships with band members Lindsey Buckingham and Stevie Nicks, whose volatile blowup in 1987 was well documented.) All for the better, Fleetwood’s latest work reflects someone who has matured and grown over time. One regret that Fleetwood revealed was the fact that he never wrote any songs for Fleetwood Mac in the band’s 47-year history, creative expression which he is exploring now in an exhibition of his photography.
6. Stevie performs with Lady Antebellum on ACM Awards.
On April 6, Stevie Nicks teamed up with Lady Antebellum to perform the country trio’s hit single “Golden” on the ACM Awards. Nicks loved the song so much that she added her vocals to a special version of “Golden,” which was released on April 1 – no joke! Stevie and Lady also performed Fleetwood Mac’s classic “Rhiannon” on the show, which, as shown in the video, drove the crowd wild!
5. Stevie joins all-female tribute to 2014 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee Linda Ronstadt.
Some of biggest names in music took to the stage for a tour-de-force tribute to 2014 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee Linda Ronstadt. Joined by Sheryl Crow, Glen Frey (the lone male), Emmylou Harris, Bonnie Raitt, and Carrie Underwood, Stevie took the lead on Ronstadt’s 1977 hit single “It’s So Easy,” a Buddy Holly cover. Stevie made it all look so easy.
4. Stevie Nicks receives BMI Icon Award for Songwriting
On May 13, Stevie received the highest industry honor for songwriting at the BMI Icon Awards. The prestigious event included an all-star musical tribute to her. While giving her acceptance speech, Stevie shared an old poem by Lord Byron titled “When We Two Parted” and brought the Goya guitar that her late parents presented to her for her 16th birthday. Stevie explained how these personal items inspired her to write songs.
3. Fleetwood Mac takes over Rockefeller Plaza.
On October 9, Fleetwood Mac rocked NBC’s Rockefeller Plaza for the Toyota Fall Concert Series on Today. Despite the cold weather, the band was red hot as it played abbreviated versions of “The Chain,” “Gypsy,” “Little Lies,” and “Go Your Own Way.” Fleetwood Mac fans who arrived early were treated to the sound check, where the band practiced the same songs.
2. Stevie Nicks releases 24 Karat Gold – Songs from the Vault.
No one believed it would ever happen, but hell frozen over in October when Stevie finally recorded many of the old demos that she had amassed over the years. Titled 24 Karat Gold, a reference to one of those precious demos dating back to the 1980s, the album features several new recordings of demos that Stevie found circulating on YouTube. Rather than crying foul with litigation, Stevie used the social media tool to her advantage and selected the most popular ones to record. Created in a Nashville recording studio in just three months, the album featured the classic sound and production — recalling producer Jimmy Iovine’s production work on Bella Donna (1981) and The Wild Heart (1983) — that many fans were pining to hear once again. For the most part, their wish was granted as Nicks and producer Dave Stewart stayed to true her original demos and classic solo artist sound that fans had grown to treasure and associate with her all these years.
Nicks also included photos in an oversized booklet that accompanied the deluxe edition of 24 Karat Gold – Songs from the Vault. Long before there were “selfies” on Instagram and Facebook, Stevie perfected the art of taking self-portraits with her trusty old Polaroid camera. She captured herself at home and in hotel rooms while on tour. In October, Stevie unveiled her extensive collection of self-portraits at the Morrison Hotel Gallery in New York.
1. Christine McVie reunites with Fleetwood Mac for first tour in 16 years.
As she had done in 2013, Christine McVie once again topped the list of the year’s biggest Fleetwood Mac moments when she hit the stage for her first full Fleetwood Mac concert performance since 1998 at the Target Center in Minneapolis on September 30.
Christine McVie returned to the megaband whose legacy she helped to create with her cozy pop songs, such as “Say You Love Me,” “Don’t Stop,” and “Little Lies.” Overcoming a fear of flying, McVie returned to the stage with a renewed confidence. Throughout the tour, she has been grateful to the band for granting her a “second chance” to perform with one of the most enduring bands in rock history.
Once McVie started to sing the opening lines of her 1977 Rumours hit single “You Make Loving Fun,” fans rejoiced and showed their appreciation by giving her warm ovations. Though face-value ticket prices swelled in upwards of $300 a pop at some venues, for many, seeing McVie’s unexpected return to the band was a once-in-a-lifetime experience. All was good in the universe once again.
The band was equally as delighted to see McVie return to the stage. “Our songbird has returned,” Mick Fleetwood gushed at each show of the first leg of the tour, which ended on December 20. The outing was a tremendous success, with sold-out arenas throughout the U.S. and Canada, and earned unanimous praise from critics. With fans on board for the nostalgic ride, 2014 easily became the biggest year for Fleetwood Mac since releasing the reunion album The Dance in 1997.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q3OxwEDRS5g
