Stevie Nicks twirled her way to fame with Fleetwood Mac and their album Rumours in 1977; it is the tenth highest-selling album of all time. She then tackled a solo career with Bella Donna. After all of these years she just released a seventh solo record entitled In Your Dreams, produced by Dave Stewart from the Eurythmics. She makes a stop in Chicago once again on her current tour.
Nightspots Magazine: Hi, Stevie. I just saw you recently with Rod Stewart and now you are touring solo. Do you get tired of constantly touring?
Stevie Nicks: I really try to look at it as I really appreciate the fact that I get to travel the world. I'm leaving for London tomorrow. I don't know anybody else who is leaving for London tomorrow. I lead a very, very romantic life, as a writer, a singer, and a songwriter. The traveling part of it is really pretty great. We as artists get more rest when we are out on the road than we do when we are home, because when you out on the road you are on a schedule.
NS: When did you notice you have so many gay fans?
SN: I have a lot of gay friends. I don't remember who told me, it was so long ago, but someone told me about Night of 1000 Stevies. I'm thinking that's pretty damn cool. That's, what, 20 years ago? So that really was the beginning of when I really realized that my music was really appealing to all my gay fans. My goodness, this party has become historical.
NS: I heard you went to the set of Glee to see your songs performed there.
SN: I have been watching Glee since it first came on. So when I found out that they were doing "Landslide" and that Gwyneth Paltrow was going to come in and play her Holly Holiday character, I was just like so knocked out. I said, "Well, can I go? I am in LA. People said, "Well, sure you can." So I went. I hung out there for like six or seven hours and really spent the whole day with them. I sat with the writers and watched them film it over and over again from every different angle. I was just thrilled to be there and got to interact with really all the kids whom I can hardly call by their real names, because to me they have so become the characters. I have a real relationship with them now and I really treasure it.
NS: How was it working with Dave Stewart on this album?
SN: The best thing ever, we made the record at my house. We turned my whole big two-story house into a recording studio. We used every part of the house: the backyard, the upstairs, the downstairs, all the rooms. We had dinners every night catered by one of my goddaughters so that we broke at 7:30 at night, to talk about politics, music and the world. Then went back and worked for another two hours. It was like a happening. It was like an acid trip without the acid.
NS: What do you think of new artists like Lady Gaga?
SN: I really like Lady Gaga because I think that she is a girl with a plan. I was a girl with a plan, so I understand that. Sometimes the girls with the plans are the ones that really manage to break through. She is a very good songwriter. I think she is a very much a performance artist like Elton John is.
Get your Nicks fix at rockalittle.com and join her when she comes to Chicago August 23 to the Rosemont Theatre, 5400 N. River Road. Visit www.livenation.com for ticket information.
