← The Peter Green
Peter Green, the man who founded Fleetwood Mac
Blues-rock guitarist · 1946–2020 · the most-searched Peter Green
Peter Green performing in his Fleetwood Mac years
Looking for a different Peter Green? Maybe Pulp Fiction actor Peter Greene, classical historian. See all of them.
Born Peter Allen Greenbaum in London's East End on 29 October 1946, he taught himself guitar from the age of ten. In 1966 he took perhaps the hardest job in British music — replacing Eric Clapton in John Mayall's Bluesbreakers — and by 1967 had left to start his own band with drummer Mick Fleetwood. He named it Fleetwood Mac.
As its leader he wrote the instrumental “Albatross” (a UK No. 1 in 1968), “Black Magic Woman” (later a hit for Santana), “Oh Well”, “Man of the World” and “The Green Manalishi”. B.B. King reportedly said Green was the only player who ever gave him cold sweats.
After taking spiked LSD in Munich in 1970 he grew withdrawn, gave away his money, and left the band. He spent years struggling with schizophrenia and time in psychiatric hospitals before returning to perform in the 1990s. He was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1998 and ranked No. 58 on Rolling Stone's greatest-guitarists list. He died in his sleep on 25 July 2020, aged 73.
Notable work
“Albatross”single, 1968A dreamy, wordless slide-guitar instrumental that reached No. 1 in the UK — the biggest hit of his Fleetwood Mac years and later an admitted influence on the Beatles' “Sun King”.
“Black Magic Woman”single, 1968Written by Green for Fleetwood Mac; Santana's 1970 Latin-rock cover turned it into a worldwide standard heard far more often than the original.
“Oh Well”single, 1969A two-part track pairing a hard acoustic riff with an orchestral passage — one of the boldest things on 1960s radio.
“The Green Manalishi”single, 1970His last single with the band, born of a nightmare about money and greed — later covered by Judas Priest.
Going deeper
More: Greeny — his 1959 Les Paul · The Peter Green mod · Best Peter Green songs, ranked · What guitar did he play? · His net worth · Peter Green in quotes
FAQ
Did Peter Green write “Black Magic Woman”?
Yes. Peter Green wrote “Black Magic Woman” for Fleetwood Mac in 1968; Santana's 1970 cover turned it into a worldwide hit.
Why did Peter Green leave Fleetwood Mac?
He left in 1970 amid a deteriorating mental-health crisis, later diagnosed as schizophrenia and aggravated by LSD use.
Is this Peter Green the real Peter Green?
Sadly, no. He was born Peter Greenbaum and shortened it to Green — a titanic musician, but a Peter Green by abbreviation rather than by birth. The name, in full and unedited, belongs to the real Peter Green.
Sources: Wikipedia · NPR obituary · Britannica