This was an argument of self-interest. Stevie knew that she was being asked to join Fleetwood Mac for one reason only: she came with Lindsey.
Herbie Worthington was Fleetwood Mac’s photographer and hung out with the band a lot. Mick had talked to him about replacing Bob. As soon as he’d talked with Keith, Mick said, “Oh, Herbie, we found a guitar player to take Bob’s place…. The only thing is he’s got a girl, but if she don’t work out, we’ll dump her.”
Herbie later commented, “That’s who Mick is. If you’re in the way, you’re out…. If she didn’t turn out to be this motherfuckin’ powerful tornado that she is, she would’ve got dumped and Mick wouldn’t have thought about it twice.”
Mick was renting a house in Laurel Canyon, and Lindsey and Stevie stopped by in early January. “He was quite an imposing presence, a bit demonic,” Lindsey later said.
Stevie felt like she was in the presence of royalty. “He was wearing a burgundy silk vest with a watch-chain and a very long jacket that was nipped at the waist, and beautifully made pants. I was awestruck.”
Jenny Boyd, who was married to Mick at the time, has warm memories of their visit. “I remember how fun they were, just a completely different vibe [from the other Fleetwood Mac members, who] were so English, so British, so proper. And then in comes Stevie and Lindsey and they’re just cool and friendly and open.”
Lindsey offered to audition. Mick declined. Instead, he simply asked, “Want to join?”
Lindsey and Stevie looked at each other. Until that moment, Lindsey hadn’t been sure. But now he was. “Yes,” he said.
It wasn’t as if Fleetwood Mac was suddenly a group of five people on a more or less even footing, though. Stevie and Lindsey had joined the band on a trial basis, and, though they didn’t admit as much to the other band members, they envisioned that trial lasting about six weeks. That would net them $2,400, enough rent money for an entire year.
Part Six
In late January 1975, Buckingham Nicks—Lindsey, Stevie, Tom on bass, and Bob and Hoppy commandeering a two-drum attack similar to that of the Allman Brothers—traveled east to play shows in Alabama (one in Tuscaloosa and two in Birmingham) and Jacksonville, Florida. (They adopted fake names for themselves: Lindsey was Marshall Hiwatt, Stevie was Gloria, and Hoppy was A. Hoppy.) And they finally tasted the success they’d been longing for.