Source? Legendary Founder of Fleetwood Mac Subject of New Book

Legendary Founder of Fleetwood Mac Subject of New Book

New York, NY (May, 1998) ­ Guitar legend Peter Green, one of the founding members of Fleetwood Mac, left the band thirty years ago and disappeared into obscurity. A new authorized biography, Peter Green ­ Founder of Fleetwood Mac tells the story of the man who gave up fame and fortune to work as a gardener, live on a kibbutz, and eventually be committed to a mental hospital.

Peter Green ­ Founder of Fleetwood Mac (Sanctuary Publishing, distributed in the Western Hemisphere through Music Sales Corp. 800-431-7187 or 914-469-2271, 8:30 a.m. - 5:30 p.m. EST, Monday - Friday), profiles the guitarist who has been ranked among the likes of Eric Clapton and Jimi Hendrix. The founder of one of the most successful groups in rock history is an enigma: a Jewish cockney whose stardom was overshadowed by personal trauma. The book was written by writer/blues guitarist Martin Celmins with an introduction by B.B. King. Exhaustive research helped Celmins bring Green’s legend to light and reveals the man he is today ­ free of drugs, medication, alcohol, and even commercial pressure on his music.

Although LSD may have opened up new creative vistas for Peter Green, he sometimes wishes he had never taken the drug. Green says, "I took one LSD trip too many and never came back." As an acid casualty, he developed mental problems after using acid and mescaline. These mental problems went on to hound him for the next twenty-five years. Although he hears voices in his head less and less often, one wonders what different path Peter Green’s life might have taken if he hadn’t given up his musical career during the peak of his fame.

In his introduction to the book, B.B. King writes, "Peter is the kind of guy who doesn’t say much and lets the guitar do his talking for him…Well it’s great to hear that voice again…You know I can understand his silence all these years."

In January, Fleetwood Mac were inducted into the Rock ‘n Roll Hall of Fame. During the ceremony, Green met his old colleagues and performed his classic hit, "Black Magic Woman", alongside Carlos Santana. Author Martin Celmins is also known as Jet Martin, an up-and-coming name on the British blues festival scene. For the past year, Jet Martin has been The Splinter Group’s regular support act on U.K. gigs, giving Celmins unlimited access to Peter Green and his band. Celmins’ research helped put Green back in touch with old friends, notably Mich Reynolds, who is the Splinter Group’s manager and Nigel Watson, the co-guitarist. For more information or to order Peter Green ­ Founder of Fleetwood Mac (Music Sales Corp., paperback, $19.95), please call 1-800-431-7187.

This book is also available from Amazon.com.

Thanks to Beth Brody for sending us this information.