eter Green, co-founder and blues guitarist of the popular British-American rock band Fleetwood Mac, was announced dead on Saturday, July 25 at age 73. Swan Turton, the law firm representing Peter’s family stated Peter died peacefully in his sleep, and that additional statements would be released in coming days. Who would have guessed that the guitar Green was gifted at the young age of 10 would set him on a musical path for the rest of his life, leaving him known as one of the best British blues guitarists of the 1960s.
Fleetwood Mac is globally recognized and appreciated by many. Since its founding in 1967, the band has sold more than 120 million records and has been recognized as one of the world’s best selling bands. Just over 10 years after their debut, the band was honoured with a star on the world-renowned Hollywood Walk of Fame; it wasn’t long after until they were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
The early days of Fleetwood Mac
Peter’s career took off just shortly before Fleetwood Mac was founded. Replacing Eric Clapton in John Mayall’s Bluesbreakers for what was supposed to be a week, Clapton quit for good and Peter took place. It was in the Bluesbreakers that Peter reunited with Mick Fleetwood, and bass player John McVie was added soon after. The three formed the core of the band the following year, which went by “Peter Green’s Fleetwood Mac featuring (guitarist) Jeremy Spencer”.
It’s often been questioned why Peter named the band Fleetwood Mac. Peter said, ‘Well, you know I thought maybe I’d move on at some point and I wanted Mick and John (McVie) to have a band.’ In a 2017 interview with The Associated Press, Mick Fleeetwood, drummer, claimed that Peter truly deserves the lion’s share of the credit for the band’s extreme success. Green truly made a mark on an era of great guitar work in the 60’s, even to this day.
