Fleetwood Mac has persevered despite the immense drama they have faced throughout the course of their lengthy history, which spans more than five decades. The well-known band rose to prominence over the years as one of the most significant rock bands owing to their hugely popular albums, which gained them enormous praise and recognition on a global scale.
Peter Green Wouldn’t Eventually Last With Fleetwood Mac Given Their Situation At The Time
Given the difficult times and setbacks that Fleetwood Mac has had, it wouldn’t be incorrect to argue that if it were any other band, it most likely wouldn’t have endured to the present day. The band has dealt with a wide range of challenges over the years, including major musical shifts, many lineup changes, internal conflicts among the members, emotional upheavals, and drug struggles. In addition to those, it was difficult for the surviving names to lose a founding member.
When Did Peter Green Pass Away?
Fleetwood Mac was founded in 1967 by the late musician Peter Green, drummer Mick Fleetwood, and guitarist Jeremy Spencer. Early on in the band’s career, Green distinguished himself as a notable songwriter and contributed his name to several original songs. Peter Green had mental health concerns when the band was beginning to receive more attention; he composed numerous Fleetwood Mac classics including “Black Magic Woman,” “Albatross,” “Oh Well,” and “Man of the World.”
The guitarist finally departed the group in 1970 as a result of his increasingly inconsistent performances as his mental health declined over time. Although he briefly regrouped with the band, he never did so again in a formal capacity. At the unfortunate age of 73, Green passed away on July 25, 2020. Despite his brief time in the band, the guitarist was always accorded credit as a founding member by his former comrades. To celebrate Green’s legacy, Mick Fleetwood even planned a special concert, which caused David Gilmour to have some concerns.
Why Was David Gilmour Concerned About Peter Green?
Mick Fleetwood, the group’s founder, planned performance to remember Peter Green and the band’s early years around six months before the latter’s passing. On February 25, 2020, the special event was held at the London Palladium. Numerous well-known musicians, including Kirk Hammett, Billy Gibbons, Pete Townshend, Steven Tyler, Noel Gallagher, David Gilmour, and others, performed at the concert.
In a March 2021 discussion with Rolling Stone, Mick Fleetwood talked about how he put all these names together for the Peter Green memorial event. The drummer said that, while not knowing David Gilmour well, he was aware of Gilmour’s interest in Green’s music. He thus contacted him to ask whether he would want to take part in that unique occasion.
Gilmour, however, was originally hesitant to take the stage because he was unsure how to approach Green’s particular sound. The Pink Floyd guitarist wasn’t sure if he would have done it appropriately considering his eagerness. Fleetwood made an effort to uplift him by claiming that he could. Gilmour wished to take a moment to consider the offer, though. When the drummer phoned him again after some time, David Gilmour responded that he was now prepared to perform. The orchestral “Albatross” by Fleetwood Mac from 1968 was performed by the guitarist.
The following are Mick Fleetwood’s comments about David Gilmour’s worries:
“But he had so much reverence for Peter Green’s playing and who Peter was and the songs. He initially got cold feet. He was like, ‘I don’t know if I can interpret Peter’s work. It’s so amazing. Maybe I can’t do that.’ I said, ‘What are you talking about? Of course, you can.’ He said, ‘At the moment I’m sort of passing on the idea because of what I’m discussing with you here. But later on, if this happens, I may gather enough courage.’ And at least a year and a half later, I called him back and he said, ‘I’m ready and I really want to do this.’ Which was huge.”