Fleetwood Mac co-founder Peter Green dead at 73

Fleetwood Mac co-founder Peter Green has died aged 73.

According to the music legend’s family, Green passed away peacefully in his sleep, according to a statement issued through his lawyers.

Green co-founded Fleetwood Mac in 1967 along with two other band members, namely Jeremy Spencer on guitar and Mick Fleetwood on the drums.

While the band hand a number of early hits, Green shot to fame for penning the band’s biggest hit, ‘Albatross’.

Green, to some listeners, was the best of the British blues guitarists of the 1960s. B.B. King once said Green “has the sweetest tone I ever heard. He was the only one who gave me the cold sweats.”

Green also made a mark as a songwriter, with ‘Oh Well’ and ‘Black Magic Woman’.

The legend’s career was cut short with the group following his struggle with mental health issues. Following a performance with Fleetwood Mac in 1970, the co-founder left the group. He was later diagnosed with schizophrenia.

He was often credited for spearheading the blues movement in the UK, with Rolling Stone magazine ranking Green at number 58 in its list of the ‘100 Greatest Guitarists of All Time’.

Born in Bethnal Green, London, Green’s love for music began with the help of his brother Michael who taught him his first guitar chords. However, the talented artist was soon teaching himself and others a few tricks of the trade by the time he was 11 years old.

It was in 1965, when Green met drummer Mick Fleetwood and changed the course of their lives.

When Fleetwood Mac first came to form, it was largely known for its blues covers. But Green’s talent as a songwriter shined through in those early years and saw him pen many of the band’s successful hits before leaving in 1971.

“Peter was asked why did he call the band Fleetwood Mac. He said, ‘Well, you know I thought maybe I’d move on at some point and I wanted Mick and John (McVie) to have a band.’ End of story, explaining how generous he was,” said Fleetwood in an interview with AP earlier, who described Green as a standout in an era of great guitar work.

Green returned to performing in the 1990s with the Peter Green Splinter Group.

In 1998, he was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame along with other past and present members of Fleetwood Mac. (With additional inputs from AP)