Stevie Nicks says Fleetwood Mac would have been ‘done’ without 1977 abortion
In a recent interview with Rolling Stone, legendary singer-songwriter Stevie Nicks opened up about her new song, “The Lighthouse,” which draws inspiration from the current fight to reinstate federal abortion rights in the United States. Nicks, who has been an outspoken advocate for access to abortion, shared that her personal experiences motivated her to contribute to this important issue.
“I’ve been there, done that,” Nicks reflected during her CBS News Sunday Morning interview. “I tell a good story, so maybe I should do something about it.” Her remarks come on the heels of her single’s release in September, which was created in response to the recent Supreme Court decisions that overturned the landmark 1973 Roe v. Wade ruling.
In her conversation with Rolling Stone, Nicks recounted how her own abortion in the 1970s influenced her life and career. Nicks revealed that if she hadn’t made that choice, Fleetwood Mac, the band that propelled her to rock stardom, may not have existed. At the time, she was using an intrauterine device for contraception but still became pregnant following her breakup with Fleetwood Mac guitarist Lindsey Buckingham and a relationship with singer Don Henley.
Looking back, Nicks made the decision to terminate the pregnancy around 1977 or 1978 while Fleetwood Mac was enjoying immense success with their album “Rumours.” The album won the Grammy for Album of the Year in 1978 and spawned multiple chart-topping singles. She candidly shared her thoughts during that period, saying, “What the hell am I going to do? I cannot have a child. I wouldn’t hand my baby over to a nanny, not in a million years.”
Nicks emphasized that having a child would have disrupted the band’s momentum, declaring, “I would need a couple of years, and that would break up the band, period.” Now at 76, Nicks expressed that she doesn’t concern herself with any backlash over her decision, insisting, “My life was my life, and my plan was my plan… Fleetwood Mac would have been ‘done’ if I had decided otherwise.”
Her sentiments echo previous comments made to The Guardian in 2020, when she asserted, “There’s just no way that I could have had a child then, working as hard as we worked constantly.”
As the abortion rights conversation heats up again with the upcoming presidential election, Nicks felt compelled to use her platform for advocacy. “I heard everywhere around me that somebody has to do… [and] say something,” she noted, responding to a question about the courage to enter the debate.
“The Lighthouse” is her first new release since 2011, and in the track, she positions herself as a beacon for women, urging them to advocate for their rights as the nation faces a critical moment in the electoral arena. “They’ll take your soul, take your power, unless you stand up, take it back,” Nicks sings, imploring listeners to recognize the urgency of the situation.
