As a solo artist and member of the record-breaking band Fleetwood Mac, Stevie Nicks is one of the most iconic and recognizable voices in music history. At 75 years old, Nicks is a cross-generational, cultural fixture–she’s still performing and touring even in 2023. The singer and songwriter has always been known for speaking candidly about her previous relationships at the height of Fleetwood Mac’s success in the 1970s and 1980s. But in recent years, she’s also been outspoken about her struggles with and recovery from substance abuse. 

Joining Fleetwood Mac

Until she and Lindsey Buckingham joined Fleetwood Mac in 1975, Stevie Nicks was not a regular or recreational drug user. Nicks quickly became engulfed in the fast-paced lifestyle of being a rockstar and turned to drugs, like the rest of her bandmates, to keep up. 

Nicks’s substance of choice was cocaine, while she took Quaaludes for sleep and smoked cigarettes. At one point, both Nicks and bandmate Christine McVie had turquoise, gold, and diamond-encrusted vial necklaces that they would keep cocaine in and wear so they always had access to it. 

Over time, however, Nicks’s drug habits began to affect her health and performance onstage. She began to experience blackouts, nosebleeds, and falls onstage. She’s admitted in the past that she most likely had the worst addiction of all the members of Fleetwood Mac.

Recovering from Cocaine

In the early 1980s, doctors warned her that if she continued her cocaine use, she’d sustain permanent brain damage and put herself at risk for a hemorrhage. She persisted After spending upwards of $1 million on cocaine and using an aspirin solution spray to deal with her migraine headaches, Nicks had burned a hole in her nose the size of a dime. 

After an intervention staged by her bandmates, Nicks entered rehabilitation in 1986. Though she was able to overcome her addiction to cocaine, Nicks began drinking and developed an addiction to Klonopin, which was prescribed to her during her initial rehab program. 

Struggles with Prescription Drugs

After finishing treatment, Stevie Nicks continued making music and touring with Fleetwood Mac through the late 1980s and early 1990s. However, she’s admitted to not being able to remember much from these years due to her Klonopin addiction. At the time, Nicks bought a home in southern California, became reclusive, and stopped writing music.

During this period, her psychiatrist continued to increase her Klonopin dosage, until a 1993 incident when Nicks tripped over a box, cut her head, and passed out in her home. She attributed this injury to being given such a high dose of the tranquilizer. Nicks then decided to enter a detox program for Klonopin, later describing the experience as far more difficult than recovering from cocaine. 

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A Life Without Addiction

Since overcoming her battle with Klonopin, Stevie Nicks has been incredibly honest about the dangers of prescription drug addiction. Now, her main priority is to continue performing and making music for as long as she’s able to. She’s even spoken about writing a series of memoirs about her life, which would undoubtedly be both illuminating and inspiring. Ultimately, Stevie Nicks is a cross-generational icon whose struggles and triumphs over substance abuse are a testament to what life can look like free from addiction. 

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