Peter Green, the skilled blues guitarist who directed Fleetwood Mac’s first incarnation in a career shortened by psychedelic drugs and mental illness, passed away at the age of 73.
A law firm representing his family, Swan Turton, announced the death in a statement. He said he died “peacefully in his sleep.”
Green, to some fans, was the best British blues guitarist of the 1960s. BB King once said that Green “has the sweetest tone I’ve ever heard. He was the only one who gave me the cold sweat. ”
Green also made a mark as a songwriter with Albatros and as a songwriter with Oh Well and Black Magic Woman.
He left the band in 1971. Still, Mick Fleetwood said in an interview with The Associated Press in 2017 that Green deserves most of the credit for the band’s success.
“Peter was asked why he called the band Fleetwood Mac. He said, ‘Well, you know I thought maybe I would go ahead sometime and I wanted Mick and John (McVie) to have a band.’ End of story, explaining how generous he was, ”said Fleetwood, who described Green as a standout in an era of great guitar work.
In 1998, Peter Green and Carlos Santana covered the classic “Black Magic Woman” together at the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame induction party. Fleetwood Mac and Santana were inducted the same year into the famous Rock & Roll Hall of Fame.
Mick Fleetwood, drummer and co-founder of Fleetwood Mac, explained that evening: “Before giving too long a speech, I would like to thank Mr. Peter Green for having formed Fleetwood Mac in 1967. Thank you Peter. He left us, then a huge place to continue to where we are today “.
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