Fleetwood Mac Replacement Singer Knew it Was Her ‘Job’ to Get Stevie Nicks Back: ‘I Wasn’t a Moron’
Classic rock aficionados likely know all too well what their favorite bands have gone through to make such chart-topping music. Yet, even among its peers, Fleetwood Mac has had an extraordinary amount of behind-the-scenes drama. In fact, one singer recently revealed she knew she was only serving as a replacement until Stevie Nicks finally returned to the fold.
Singer Bekka Bramlett joined Fleetwood Mac from 1993 to 1995
During the early 1990s, Nicks, Lindsey Buckingham, and Christine McVie had all left Fleetwood Mac for one reason or another. And founders Mick Fleetwood and John McVie turned to some replacement talent to fill out the line-up. The new additions? Dave Mason of Traffic, rockabilly singer Billy Burnette, and Bekka Bramlett, daughter of Delaney and Bonnie Bramlett of music duo Delaney & Bonnie. Bramlett recently recalled the moment she got the call from Fleetwood.
“I got a phone call from [Mick],” Bramlett told Rolling Stone in 2023. “He said, ‘Young Bekka. It has come time where one of our family members is going to be away for a moment to embrace her health and well-being. You are the first of my choice to keep this beautiful band that we have nurtured for decades alive. If you are interested. There is no pressure. But would you be able to?’ This is what it sounds like in my memory. ‘Yes’ was the only word that came out of my mouth.”
Was Bekka Bramlett trying to replace Stevie Nicks?
Stepping into Fleetwood Mac as one of the lead singers following Nicks’ iconic run with the band proved challenging. Nicks joined the band in 1975 and stayed on until 1991. During this period, Fleetwood Mac experienced some of its greatest successes, including 1977’s Rumours. But Bramlett makes no secret how she feels about fans who considered her a Nicks replacement.
“They can suck it. There is no replacing Stevie Nicks,” Bramlett told Rolling Stones. “Everybody knows that. You can be a fan or an anti-fan. … Point is, I wasn’t replacing anybody. Definitely not Stevie Nicks. Stevie didn’t just want the band to go back into a cocoon again, a web of nothingness. I guess I can’t speak for her. But I did choose not to do her signature songs because that would be weird. I was like, ‘I’m not doing ‘Rhiannon.’ I’m not doing ‘Dreams.””
Stevie Nicks affected Bekka Bramlett’s time with Fleetwood Mac
Bramlett may refute the notion that she was simply added to the Fleetwood Mac roster as a Nicks stand-in. But she does recognize how Nicks’ absence affected her job description.”I knew my job was to get Stevie back,” Bramlett told Rolling Stone. “I wasn’t a moron.”
She continued, “I also knew this was a dangerous job when I took it. I knew I was facing tomatoes. But… I wanted to be me.” The singer even found a way to differentiate herself from the blonde Nicks. “I even dyed my hair brown just so people in the cheap seats would know that Stevie wasn’t going to be here. I didn’t want anyone to be discouraged or let down.”
