Stevie Nicks's Real Name: Stephanie Lynn Nicks

Quick answer: Stevie Nicks's real name is Stephanie Lynn Nicks. She was born on May 26, 1948, in Phoenix, Arizona. "Stevie" began as a childhood nickname because she could not pronounce Stephanie as a toddler. She is known as a singer-songwriter with Fleetwood Mac and as a solo artist, and she is a two-time Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee (Britannica; Library of Congress).

Real name and early life

Britannica lists "Byname of: Stephanie Lynn Nicks." The Library of Congress name authority files her as "Nicks, Stevie" and records "Nicks, Stephanie Lynn" as a variant, citing "Nicks, Stevie (Stephanie); b. May 26, 1948, Phoenix, Ariz."

According to Britannica, her parents are Barbara and Jess Nicks, and she has a younger brother. The family moved often for her father's work and reached California when she was a teenager. At Menlo-Atherton High School she met future bandmate Lindsey Buckingham. While she was at San Jose State University, he invited her into his band, Fritz. The two later left to form the duo Buckingham Nicks and became a couple. Their 1973 album on Polydor sold poorly, and she worked as a cleaner and waitress to support them.

Career highlights

Mick Fleetwood invited Buckingham into Fleetwood Mac, and Buckingham insisted that Nicks join too. They became members at the start of 1975. On the band's 1975 album she wrote and sang "Rhiannon." Her songs "Dreams," "Landslide," and "Gypsy" became band classics. "Dreams," which she says she wrote in 10 minutes, was the band's only U.S. No. 1 hit. Her breakup with Buckingham shaped Rumours (1977), which was added to the National Recording Registry in 2017.

Her solo debut, Bella Donna (1981), featured "Edge of Seventeen" and duets with Tom Petty ("Stop Draggin' My Heart Around") and Don Henley ("Leather and Lace"). The Wild Heart (1983), Rock a Little, The Other Side of the Mirror, and Street Angel followed. She left Fleetwood Mac in 1990 but rejoined for Bill Clinton's 1993 inaugural performance, The Dance (1997), and Say You Will (2003). Britannica notes her past drug use and rehab stays and says she has spoken publicly about being sober. She was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame with Fleetwood Mac in 1998 and as a solo artist in 2019.

Name notes for searchers

"Stevie" is a nickname that became her professional name. Her legal given name is Stephanie, and Lynn is her middle name. She married Kim Anderson in 1983, and they divorced within months. She did not take a married name professionally.