Profile of '80s Solo Superstar Stevie Nicks

Stephanie Lynn Nicks on May 26, 1948, in Phoenix, Arizona

As a child, Nicks stumbled upon her lifelong professional nickname, Stevie, through her difficulty in pronouncing her three-syllable given name. It wasn't the only fortuitous twist to drive her early life, as multiple moves around the U.S. ultimately settled her family in the Los Angeles area, which gave Nicks the opportunity to meet fellow teen Lindsey Buckingham at an early performance. Singing with Nicks pleased Buckingham, who eventually asked Nicks to join his band, Fritz, in 1968. The pair honed their performance skills and their personal relationship, setting the stage for a turbulent, successful '70s.

Nicks and Buckingham were in it together from almost the start of their relationship, performing and writing together in Fritz until that Bay Area band dissolved. Then the pair continued working together as a duo, securing a record deal on the strength of demo tapes. Buckingham Nicks released their self-titled debut album in 1973, which went nowhere commercially and has languished in abject obscurity ever since. Songs like "Frozen Love" and "Crying in the Night" foreshadowed their melodic contributions to Fleetwood Mac and ultimately reached the ears of that band's drummer Mick Fleetwood.

A resurgent Fleetwood Mac would release three massive albums before the '70s came to a close, transforming a British blues band into pop/rock royalty. Along the way, the romance between Nicks and Buckingham disintegrated, helping to create some compelling music on both Rumours and Tusk but also plunging the band's personal affairs into turmoil. All of this led to burgeoning solo careers for both of these artists but, amazingly, not a break-up of the band. In fact, Fleetwood Mac as an entity remained as commercially viable and artistically active as ever leading into the '80s and Nicks' looming solo success.

Armed with a number of compositions she had produced over the last decade but had not been able to release either with Buckingam or as a member of Fleetwood Mac, Nicks positioned herself favorably with the summer 1981 release of her debut LP, Bella Donna. Anchored by the hits "Edge of Seventeen" and respective duets with Tom Petty and the Eagles' Don Henley ("Stop Draggin' My Heart Around" and "Leather and Lace"), the record achieved major commercial and critical success. Even after cutting her subsequent tour short to return to the studio with Fleetwood Mac to record 1982's Mirage, Nicks' solo career had launched.

Nicks juggled her solo career and her continued membership in Fleetwood Mac with great skill, as Mirage was still a major force on the charts when her second solo release, The Wild Heart, appeared in 1983. Always eager to collaborate with co-writers, Nicks found a new artistic partner in Sandy Stewart. Stellar tunes like "If Anyone Falls" and the hit "Stand Back" demonstrated a continuing focus that few artists could have mustered under the circumstances Nicks faced at this time: an overflowing work schedule and a growing cocaine problem. During a Fleetwood Mac hiatus, Nicks pressed on with another album and tour.

1985's Rock a Little helped Nicks maintain her momentum, as "Talk to Me" was a song highlight. Still, a chaotic 1986 tour ended with Nicks seeking treatment for cocaine addiction, which delayed her contributions to Fleetwood Mac's final studio album of the era, the very successful Tango in the Night. Even with such challenges as Buckingham's departure from the band in 1987 and a rising dependence on sedatives, Nicks appeared to be in charge of her career and courting a bright future. Despite this hazy personal stretch, Nicks concluded the decade with another successful album, 1989's The Other Side of the Mirror.

Nicks began the '90s in a bit of a spiral, suffering from a persistent addiction to tranquilizers and realizing weight gain that affected her reception as a performer. By 1994 she had completed successful drug rehabilitation, which set the stage for a collaboration with Buckingham and eventual participation in a full-fledged live 1997 reunion album titled The Dance. This resurgence helped Nicks transition into a working legend, a style icon who still commanded respect and large audiences as a solo artist. 2003's Fleetwood Mac studio release, Say You Will, was also popular if not as critically lauded.

Nicks remained active throughout the first decade of the 21st century, especially as an influence and dignitary among newer female artists. Nevertheless, perhaps her most critically acclaimed album of new music was released in 2011, a full three decades after Nicks burst on the scene as a solo artist. In Your Dreams showcases a Stevie Nicks still savvy enough to rely on her rich vocals but also driven enough to continue as a serious songwriter and respected collaborator. At 63, Nicks has shown no signs of slowing down, and her solid legacy as a rock goddess continues to expand.