Mick Fleetwood Miraculously Survived a Near-Death Experience Thanks to a ‘Magician’
In a band rife with turnover, Mick Fleetwood’s presence has always been one of the constants in Fleetwood Mac. The drummer was one of the founding members, and he’s been there every step of the way. It’s impressive Fleetwood is still here considering he said Fleetwood Mac snorted miles of cocaine over the years. Long before that, though, Fleetwood survived a near-death experience with the help of a “magician” in a blue cloak.
Mick Fleetwood had a near-death experience as a child, and a ‘magician’ saved him
Before he traveled the world as a famous musician, Fleetwood lived abroad as a military child.
Fleetwood’s father served in the Royal Air Force. The family moved with him rather than stay in England, which meant young Mick lived in Egypt and Norway as a child. He eventually settled back in England and formed his eponymous band, but not before a mystical figure saved Fleetwood from a near-death experience (per Grunge):
“I’m not sure how or why I got into water too deep for my abilities, but I was pulled out by a man in a flowing blue cloak, and when I looked up at him, I thought he was a magician.”
Mick Fleetwood describes his near-death experience
The drummer doesn’t explain why he believes an elegantly-dressed man was anywhere near the water and ready to rescue him. The why doesn’t really matter, though. A mysterious “magician” saved Fleetwood from his near-death experience, and he later played on some of the most popular songs ever recorded.
Fleetwood has thought about his final sendoff before
Fleetwood’s childhood near-death experience ended with the help of a mysterious figure. In his older age, he’s contemplated his funeral. Fleetwood knows one song he wants to be played, and it’s not one of his.
The drummer has only one songwriting credit with Fleetwood Mac. According to the American Society of Composers, Authors, and Publishers (ASCAP), Fleetwood co-wrote the instrumental “What a Shame” from the 1971 Mac album Future Games. Christine McVie and her husband, John McVie, contributed to the song.
Since he doesn’t have much of a library to choose from, Fleetwood wants Christine McVie’s “Songbird” playing at his funeral. It’s a fitting choice for a final farewell.
The piano-and-voice ballad is delicate and heartfelt. Its lyrics share a message of deep and sincere love that makes everything all right. Fleetwood Mac had a tangled web of intraband relationships and dysfunctional behavior when the band was at its peak. Fleetwood picking that specific McVie song could be sending the message that he never lost his love for his bandmates, no matter how bad things got.
The drummer shared a touching message when Christine McVie died
Fleetwood has played alongside John McVie for years and calls Stevie Nicks a soulmate despite their messy affair, yet he clearly had a strong bond with Christine McVie.
In addition to saying he wants one of her songs playing at his funeral, the drummer shared a heartfelt message on social media when McVie died:
“Today is a day where my dear sweet friend Christine McVie has taken to flight and left us earthbound folks to listen with bated breath to the sounds of that ‘song bird,’ reminding one and all that love is all around us to reach for and touch in this precious life that is gifted to us” he wrote.
“Part of my heart has flown away today. I will miss everything about you, Christine McVie. Memories abound. They fly to me. Mick Fleetwood”
He wrote a touching tribute to McVie when she died. Perhaps Mick Fleetwood’s near-death experience as a child showed him how precious and fragile life can be.
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