Stevie Nicks, the lead singer of Fleetwood Mac, was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as a solo act as part of the Class of 2019 at Brooklyn’s Barclays Center.
Then 70-year-old Fleetwood Mac singer became the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee, joining fellow 2019 inductees The Cure, The Zombies, Janet Jackson, and fan favorites Def Leppard.
The pounding 1983 hit “Stand Back” from her second solo album The Wild Heart kicked off the show with rock’s premier bohemian chanteuse. Nicks pointed out to the audience, “This is the original cape from ‘Stand Back, My frugal mother would’ve appreciated that. If she found out how much it cost in 1983 ($3,000), she would’ve grounded me, even though I was too old to ground.”
Then, she performed “Leather and Lace,” a Don Henley duet from her solo debut Bella Donna, and Henley joined her on stage to trade vocals on the classic. Her next song featured a surprise appearance by Harry Styles, whom she described as a friend she’s become “quite close with” recently. Styles sat in for the late Tom Petty on the smash duet “Stop Draggin’ My Heart Around,” staying true to the original without resorting to karaoke-style impersonation. He looked dapper in a sharp blue suit and seemed completely at ease sharing the stage with one of rock’s greatest legends. Finally, she ended with “Edge of Seventeen,” one of the best and most memorable rock songs of all time.
Styles returned to the stage for Stevie’s induction speech, praising her for being the first female artist to be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame for the second time. During her speech, Nicks acknowledged the significance of the occasion, as the first woman to enter the Hall twice. She said, “What I hope what I am doing is opening up the door for other women to go, ‘Hey man, I can do it,'”
The greatest accomplishment isn’t even that Stevie was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as a solo artist; it’s that she is the first woman to be inducted twice into the Hall of Fame, a distinction that is unquestionably notable just months after the passing of Aretha Franklin, the first woman to be inducted.
Stevie was touched by her induction, and later on, shared a statement on her official Facebook account. It stated, “I have a lot to say about this, but I will save those words for later, For now, I will just say, I have been in a band since 1968. To be recognized for my solo work makes me take a deep breath and smile. It’s a glorious feeling.”
