Forgotten guitar great Peter Green of Fleetwood Mac

Posted on October 25, 2008 
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Peter Green and Fleetwood Mac

Peter Green (born Peter Allen Greenbaum, 29 October 1946, in Bethnal Green, London) was the founder of the band Fleetwood Mac.

Green inspired B. B. King to say, “He has the sweetest tone I ever heard; he was the only one who gave me the cold sweats.”

In 1967, Green decided to leave Mayall’s Bluesbreakers after appearing on just one album (just as Clapton had done) and form his own blues band.

He was a heavy blues player, adored by his fans, who saw Fleetwood Mac as more edgy and faithful to the blues than The Rolling Stones.

Their self-titled debut album was a huge success in the UK and reached #4 in the charts. It also featured hit single “Black Magic Woman”, written by Green. The song was later covered by Santana and became a worldwide smash.

He could offer more than the blues: “Albatross” (Fleetwood Mac’s first number one hit), “The Green Manalishi” (almost heavy metal), “Man of the World” (although when Green sings “I wish I never was born” you believe him) and “Oh Well” (a riff to die for).

Peter Green was very uncomfortable with all the acclaim and as his mental stability deteriorated. He quit Fleetwood Mac in 1970 and faded into obscurity, taking on a succession of menial jobs and selling his trademark 1959 Sunburst Gibson Les Paul Standard to Irish guitarist Gary Moore.

Green was diagnosed with schizophrenia in the mid 70s and he spent time in psychiatric hospitals undergoing electroconvulsive therapy.

There was a resurgence in the late 70s and early 80s but then suffered a relapse in 1984 a lived a tramp like existence for a further 6 years until being rescued by his brother.

Green has appeared on stage as recently as 2003 but now lives in Sweden where he has said that the medication he takes to treat his psychological problems makes it hard for him to concentrate and saps his desire to pick up a guitar.

Blues guitar hero. Not forgotten.

Comments

15 Responses to “Forgotten guitar great Peter Green of Fleetwood Mac”

  1. Lia Buch on October 27th, 2008 10:27 am

    What a sad story. I have always been a Fleetwood Mac fan, but didn’t know his full story. It’s good to hear where he is now too. It is a loss to the music world that his condition prevents him from playing! Thanks for the post!

  2. gilagratisan on October 29th, 2008 11:41 pm

    yeah, i agree with lia im fan of fleetwood mac too. can you write his full story

  3. Riester on November 9th, 2008 5:56 am

    Hey, very interesting post.

    My written English is not so good so I write in German:

    “Lieber den Spatz in der Hand, als die Taube auf dem Dach.”

    Yours sincerely
    Riester

  4. Marshall Small on November 12th, 2008 10:27 pm

    4k2hwj4j3vn7np76

  5. Rick on November 14th, 2008 5:22 pm

    I had known there were other members at times in the band but I didn’t realize that he was the founder of the band. I thought Mic Fleetwood was the original founder. Good post and thanks for the info.

  6. Vancouver Bed and Breakfast on November 19th, 2008 11:18 am

    Wow…there was so much in that post that I wasn’t aware of, like I wasn’t aware he was the founder of Fleetwood Mac…great post :D

  7. Future wealth on November 29th, 2008 1:21 am

    I love musics and very eager to know about singers and musicians related articles. Thanks so much. Touching a lot

  8. Igre on December 1st, 2008 1:20 pm

    I love he’s music, but I didn’t know that sad story :( .

  9. Carrie on December 2nd, 2008 4:30 pm

    I did not know his story. Thanks for sharing it.

  10. Jazzband on December 4th, 2008 1:28 pm

    I really love the early Fleetwood Mac and also his stuff with John Mayall. I did not know about the diagnosis. Thanks for the post!

    Jens

  11. Business Minder on December 5th, 2008 1:36 am

    I am a fan of Fleetwood Mac and sadly I didn’t know about him as the founder of Fleetwood Mac… Thanks for bringing up this amazing story. Great post!

  12. Gitarre on December 6th, 2008 2:47 pm

    Early Fleetwood Mac was the best, I wasn`t into their other Stuff at all.

  13. Coral Snake on December 9th, 2008 11:56 pm

    I hadn’t heard of the great Guitarist Peter Green until a friend of mine told me the other day, and ever since I can’t get enough of him!

  14. Bratwurst Recipes on December 28th, 2008 5:37 am

    Peter Green was simply phenomenal!

  15. Scott Roberts on January 1st, 2009 9:16 pm

    It’s too bad that Fleetwood Mac has been pigeonholed as a pop band. Many more rock fans wouldn’t have been turned off by that label and dig back into their earlier stuff and discover what Peter Green was all about.

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