Fleetwood Mac Co-Founder Peter Green Has Died at Age 73, Peers React to the News  

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Rock Music legend Peter Green, co-founded Fleetwood Mac and led the band during their early years, has died. He was 73 years old. His family confirmed his death in a statement released by solicitors Swan Turton, who is acting on their behalf. “It is with great sadness that the family of Peter Green announce his death this weekend, peacefully in his sleep,” the statement reads. “A further statement will be provided in the coming days.”

Green co-founded Fleetwood Mac with Mick Fleetwood and Jeremy Spencer in 1967 and wrote one of the band’s biggest hits, “Albatross”. He left Fleetwood Mac in 1970 and was eventually diagnosed with schizophrenia. Green led the songwriting in their early days of the band and wrote their first hit, “Green Manalishi”, later covered by Judas Priest and Corrosion of Conformity among others. He also wrote “Black Magic Woman”, later covered by Santana. He was also a world-class blues-rock guitarist and was considered on the level of Eric Clapton, Jimmy Page, Brian Jones, Jeff Beck, and others of that time. Rolling stone called him one of the 100 Greatest Guitarists of all-time, as well. Green, along with seven other members of Fleetwood Mac — Fleetwood, Spencer, Stevie Nicks, Lindsey Buckingham, John McVie, Christine McVie, and Danny Kirwan — was inducted into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame in 1998. We send out condolences to Peter’s family, friends and fans at this time. 

This past February, a number of artists, including Metallica guitarist Kirk Hammett and Aerosmith singer Steven Tyler, performed at an all-star tribute concert to Green at the London Palladium. The show took place just a few weeks after it was announced that Hammett was collaborating with Green on a book and music project for Rufus Publications. Hammett was at Abbey Road Studios in London in January to record “something very special” for the project, which will feature guest appearances by several other artists. In addition, Hammett posted a couple of photographs with Green, including one image where Peter can be seen holding a vinyl copy of Metallica’s “Master Of Puppets” album and another where they are both holding 

Green’s legendary 1959 Les Paul guitar — known as “Greeny” — which Hammett now owns.

 

The music world reacted to the news: