STEVIE NICKS INFO

Category: Soliders

  • Stevie Nicks asks famous friends, fans to give iPods to troops

    StarPulse
    Saturday, November 11, 2006

    Stevie Nicks launched her charity drive to provide iPods to wounded and maimed U.S. troops last night with a little help from her famous friends. The Fleetwood Mac star has founded The Stevie Nicks Soldier Angel Foundation and used famed rock photographer pal Neal Preston’s new exhibition at Los Angeles’ Morrison Hotel Gallery to spread the word.

    Neil Diamond, Heart siblings Ann and Nancy Wilson, movie maker Cameron Crowe, Red Hot Chili Peppers frontman Anthony Kiedis and rocker Keith Emerson were among the famous faces who attended Nicks’ charity party, which coincided with the preview of Preston’s latest show.

    Nicks explained she came up with the idea for her new foundation after visiting rehabilitating soldiers in Washington, D.C.’s military hospitals two years ago.

    She said, “You’re in a room with about 25 to 40 soldiers who have all been left without limbs and you’re told that this young guy has lost both his legs and all his friends were killed by a bomb. It changed me forever. They have prosthetic limbs and many of them need two years of rehab. You can’t imagine how expensive this is. I left thinking, `What can I do?’ I can’t exactly take my guitar, which I play very badly, and play for them.

    “So I’m asking people to give me money for iPods and I’m going to fill them with my favorite songs and I’ll take the iPods with me every time I go back and the music will help them with their rehabilitation. It makes them happy.”

    Nicks admits her first visits to the hospitals were “heart wrenching” and she spent a lot of time crying, but now she just wants to offer the wounded soldiers as much hope as possible. She adds, “I’m very attached and I will follow their progress to the end of my life.”

    Generous Preston donated the night’s proceeds from all sales of his photographs, which featured famous shots of Nicks, to the cause. He said, “Stevie spends a lot of time with these soldiers and what she’s doing is really angelic.”

    (This news article provided by World Entertainment News Network)

  • Rock n' Rollers lunch with soldiers at Fort Myer

    By Dennis Ryan
    Pentagram
    Friday, December 2, 2005

    Lunch time diners at the Fort Myer dining facility yesterday may have been surprised to see two Rock legends meeting and greeting people in a back room. A line of Soldiers waited patiently for a chance to greet two visitors to the post.

    Stevie Nicks and Mick Fleetwood, who first rose to prominence with the band, Fleetwood Mac, in the 1970s, were in town to visit wounded personnel at local military hospitals. The two musicians dined with a group of wounded Soldiers from Walter Reed before repairing to the community center to greet and sign autographs for more Soldiers and some family members.

    Nicks and Fleetwood visited Bethesda yesterday and were as excited to greet the Soldiers from Walter Reed as they were to see them.

    “It was incredible,” Nicks said of her fourth visit to the wounded in Washington. “It’s always an eye-opener. They are amazing men.”

    “First visit,” Fleetwood said of his trip to Bethesda. “It’s awe inspiring in terms of the people, not just the patients. We were with Marines yesterday. You get an incredible story line going on out on the floor. It’s quite astonishing. They have a truly extended family.”

    Nicks also praised the hospitals’ staff for keeping up the patients’ morale after their families return home.

    Fleetwood was impressed with the wounded warriors’ feeling for their deployed comrades.

    “They’ve stayed in touch with their friends,” he said. “A lot of the chaps were terribly concerned with those left behind.”

    Sgt. Steve Cobb was the envy of many when Nicks reached over and greeted him with a kiss. He was meeting the singer for the third time.

    “I love Stevie,” Cobb said. “I’ve followed Fleetwood Mac since I was growing up.”

    Staff Sgt. Lisa Kirk brought her own marker and guitar to be signed.

    “I’ve followed them all my life growing up,” she said. “I saw them in Concert in Philadelphia with Crosby, Stills and Nash. I’ve been playing guitar off and on since 1992.”