The Truth About Stevie Nicks' Vocal Problems

Few rock bands were as successful in the 1970s as Fleetwood Mac. However, the band's popularity led to a lot of touring for the group, and the toll of performing live so much began to have a negative impact on Nicks' vocal cords in the back half of the decade. In 1977, The New York Times' John Rockwell wrote negatively about Nicks' performance at one of Fleetwood Mac's live shows, saying that Nicks' voice "cracked [and] broke continuously," and that unless she underwent medical treatment soon for her voice, her "days as a performer are surely numbered."

Rockwell wrote that Nicks suffered from nodes on her vocal cords — benign growths that are known to cause hoarseness and scratchiness, resulting from a person's constant overuse or misuse of their voice. Nicks addressed her vocal issues during an interview in the same year, according to Stevie Nicks Info. The singer-songwriter stated then that, "The doctor has told me that my speaking voice is destroying my singing voice," revealing that the use of her normal speaking voice would aggravate the nodules on her vocal cords.

Nicks went through her pre-concert routine in the same interview. The musician said she'd typically stay silent for an entire day, spending her time inside on face saunas and gargling to help prepare herself for the strains of live performing. Despite all the precautions she was taking at the time, though, Fleetwood Mac still canceled multiple live shows and took time away from its touring schedule to allow Nicks time to recuperate.