Stevie Nicks: The loss of Tom Petty has broken my heart
Musical goddess in human form, Stevie Nicks, was at Friday night’s MusiCares Person of the Year event in NY honoring her band Fleetwood Mac. She gave an emotional speech paying tribute to her colleague and friend, Tom Petty. The two collaborated on many projects, most notably the unforgettable 1981 hit “Stop Dragging My Heart Around.”
Stevie said of her friend, “He was not only a good man to go down the river with, as Johnny Cash said, he was a great father and he was a great friend.” This was particularly relevant as Tom’s daughter Adria was in the audience. She also acknowledged “He was one of my best friends. My heart will never get over this.”
Stevie and Tom often shared personal details of their lives, in fact, she recalled in her January, 2015 Rolling Stone interview, that Tom was concerned about her drug use. He said at the time, “I did all I could to talk her into getting some help and getting right. I was very worried about her. To the point that if the phone did ring and they said, ‘Stevie died,’ I wouldn’t have been surprised.”
This concern went both ways. Stevie recalled a conversation the pair had when Tom was honored with the same award last year. She said Tom was “talking to me about how important [the recognition] was to him. And maybe he was talking about it because [he] was ill. He was not well.” She also pointed out that she knew that the late singer “fought his way through” his band’s 40th anniversary tour, which he wrapped up a week before he passed away, due to what was recently revealed as an accidental overdose of pain medications.
Of that tour, Stevie said, “He should’ve canceled, and he should’ve just gone home and gone to the hospital. But not Tom. He was gonna go down that river. And so, God bless him, he finished his tour at the Hollywood Bowl. Three shows. And one week later he died — but he got down the river.” She wrapped up her statement by saying, “Tom, I know you’re standing next to me cause you always have been for so many years.” No, you’re crying.
The ceremony on Friday night acknowledged Fleetwood Mac’s work and philanthropy. The fully reunited band – Stevie, Christine McVie, Mick Fleetwood, Lindsay Buckingham and John McVie – played a five-song set, including their hits “Tusk” and “Go Your Own Way.” Some special guests performed covers of the band’s hits, including Miley Cyrus who took on “Landslide,” and HAIM, who covered one of my favorite Stevie compositions, “Gypsy.” Former President Bill Clinton along with Hillary were also in attendance, as the song “Don’t Stop” was the theme Bill’s 1992 campaign and, as he noted, it was played for him more than “Hail to the Chief.” Of the Mac, he admitted, “I owe them more than any of you do, and I wouldn’t miss this for the world.”
Stevie, who will be celebrating her 70th birthday in May (which I can’t believe) was amazed that the band’s music has spanned so many generations, pointing out that, “We have 90-year-old fans. They’re still out there. They just can’t make it to our shows.”
After the show, Stevie said everybody should “keep fighting” the battle against sexual misconduct and other types of gender inequality. She told CNN, “Everybody needs to not let this be a kind of big wave and just go away and say, ‘Oh well, you know, it’s over and nobody cares anymore. Everybody has to keep really fighting because otherwise women, we will be swept under the carpet yet again and it will just start over.” She acknowledged that she and Christine were “very lucky” in that regard, noting, “We’ve been a force of nature our entire career, so nobody has dared to step over that line to Christine McVie and Stevie Nicks. I’m such a raging monster when I’m angry that it would have never worked, so I’m really glad I never had to run into that.” And, as for pay, she insisted “Fleetwood Mac has two women and we all get paid the same. And if we didn’t, Christine and I would be walking out the door.” Stevie rocks.
I love that Stevie shared what she did about her relationship with Tom, and I still miss the hell out of Tom Petty too. I just wish there was more of these two together on vinyl, because their voices were so magical together.
Photos: Getty Images, WENN.com
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