Gypsy Sorcerer~ How She Hooked Me

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How I Went Crazy for Stevie.

The year was 1981. At that time I was ten years old, growing up in a small town in Mississippi. I had also started listening to the top forty radio stations for the first time only one year prior to this. I had my favorite people that I listened to like The Cars, Blondie,and Pat Benatar. In fact I was such a big Cars fan that I had used Birthday and Christmas money to buy all three of their albums that were available at that time. Little did I know that I was about to hear some music that would change my mind about who my favorites were.

I remember lying in the dark listening to the radio late one night. A song came on the radio with an organ in it and the most different sounding singing voice I had ever heard. The song turned out to be 'Stop Draggin' My Heart Around'. I remember waiting with the tape recorder in front of the stereo speaker on the following day. Man, I thought they were never going to play the song again!!! Then it came on, after recording it I took the tape to my room and listened to it for at least ten more times. I couldn't place my finger on exactly what it was about Stevie's voice that I liked so much. I remember hearing 'Leather and lace' and 'After the Glitter Fades' around this time, I was not into Stevie enough at the time to take an interest in these songs. 'Edge of Seventeen' was a song I did recall hearing but my radio station didn't play it enough for me to get into this one either. It would be two more years before I understood about how much of a fanatic I could be.

Bob Welch & Friends, Gypsy, and the birth of a Fanatic.

1982: I saw Stevie sing Gold Dust Woman on The Bob Welch & Friends Concert. My brother and I had stayed up late watching a program called BlueJean Network that was featuring the concert. I remember commenting to my brother that Mick and Stevie's dancing at the end of the song reminded me of Gypsies. Within the week my brother buys Fleetwood Mac's Mirage (on 8 track of all things) and lo and behold one of the tracks is called Gypsy. For the rest of the time before the release of Wild Heart I hear Stevie songs on the radio that I haven't recalled hearing before. Each time I hear a song, I become more and more interested in Stevie. I would ask my Brother Kirk, This song I keep hearing about turning music into gold, is that Stevie singing back up? (Gold/Jon Stewart/1978/Bombs Away Dreambabies)

MID EIGHTIES FANATICISM

fanaticism; Excessive, enthusiasm or unreasoning zeal on any subject, as religion.

After seeing the video for Stand Back in the fall of 1983 on the premier episode of Friday Night Videos was probably when I became a fanatic. I bought Wild heart, Belladonna, and Tusk in the same month. Soon I had Rumours, Fleetwood Mac (white), and Mirage. I was a major junkie for Stevie in 83 and 84, the only sound that came out from behind my closed door to my room was the sound of Stevie or the Mac. By the time Talk to me was released as a single I was a fifteen year old anxiously awaiting the Rock a Little album. They had released the single early and those two songs on that 45 just weren't keeping me from getting the shakes. Purchasing Rock a Little was the first Stevie release that I opted for the cassette rather than vinyl. within a week the old vinyl still sounded good but I had worn that tape out.

Tango in the Night & The Other Side of the Mirror.

In 1987 I was blown away by the sound of Tango in the night and actually was more impressed with the songs Christine and Lindsey had done. In the time after the release of Tango and before The Other Side of the Mirror, I was probably at the peak of my Stevie fanaticism. I had stumbled onto a Fleetwood Mac fanbase that came in the form of a fanzine called RUMOURS. I sent six drawings of Stevie I had done to a FM fan convention that the fanzine was hosting. For a seventeen year old who had spent the last seven years growing up in Mississippi, this was probably the most exciting thing I had done up to that point. During this pre internet time, I was introduced to many other Stevie fans through the fanzine. I cant tell you how nice it was to write to other people who loved Stevie as much as I did. Unlike my peers, in the small town I lived in, my new pen pals got what I was about and understood all too well about my obsession.

A Book of Legends.

I moved with my parents to Arkansas in the late summer of 1988 and continued to write and receive mail from other fans. Right before moving, I had gotten involved in another project called "A BOOK OF LEGENDS", which was a book of essay's written by fans of Stevie's. I contributed my usual artwork along with my essay and awaited the release of the other side of the mirror. Cover to A Book Of Legends After Mirror was released I found myself becoming interested in other things. The new album just didn't strike a chord with me like her previous ones had. I found myself more and more distant from my pen pals and they also to me. By 1991 I wasn't corresponding with anyone.

The 90's.

During the 90's I found myself actually not listening to Stevie's music as much as I used to. I still loved her but I wasn't too thrilled with the songs (Sometimes its a Bitch & Loves a Hard Game) from Timespace. I didn't even buy Street Angel, other fans seem to gasp in horror when I share this. The truth of the matter is this, I wasn't into music very much in the mid Nineties.

The Dance.

The Dance reunion tour!!! It couldn't have come at a better time. I was at a yard sale at the time and Silver Springs came on the radio. Every hair on my arm stood up when I heard the opening piano riff. I thought someone had remde Silver Springs, yeah, I knew about the reunion special but had not seen it for myself yet. I was blown away!!! Silver Springs had always been a favorite Stevie song. Before I knew it, I was back collecting her music again, Yes, even Street Angel... LOL!!! Her Enchanted box set, 1998 and Trouble in Shangri La, 2000 continued to get me more and more spellbound. I have a renewed respect and admiration for this mystical Lady who influenced my adolescence. I would one day like to meet Stevie, just to say

THANK YOU.

I can honestly say, I am still hooked more than twenty years later!

I think I have seen more websites devoted to Stevie Nicks than to any other celebrity. There was a time that I thought I was alone in my deep admiration of Stevie, I was wrong!! Nice to know that I am not the only one who needs a Nicks Fix!!