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Born 80 Years Ago Today in London, the British Blues Legend Who Replaced Eric Clapton and Went On to Found Fleetwood Mac
Peter Green, born in London in 1946, co-founded Fleetwood Mac in 1967 after replacing Eric Clapton in John Mayall’s Bluesbreakers. He led the band through its early success, writing songs including “Albatross” and “Oh Well”, before leaving in 1970 amid mental health struggles and disillusionment with fame.
Fleetwood Mac’s debut album spent nearly 40 weeks on the British charts, while “Albatross” reached No. 1 and “Oh Well” and “Man of the World” both peaked at No. 2 in the UK. Green later released solo albums, formed the Peter Green Splinter Group and returned to touring; he died at home in Essex in 2020, aged 73.
In short
- Peter Green replaced Eric Clapton in the Bluesbreakers.
- He co-founded Fleetwood Mac and wrote “Albatross”.
- Green left in 1970 and died aged 73 in 2020.
Explained simply
Peter Green was a British guitarist and songwriter whose music drew on the blues, a style rooted in African American musical traditions. In the mid-1960s he played with John Mayall’s Bluesbreakers, taking over the guitar role from Eric Clapton before setting up a new band with drummer Mick Fleetwood and bassist John McVie.
That band, Fleetwood Mac, began as a blues group and became one of Britain’s most successful acts. Green wrote several of its early hit songs, including “Albatross”; he left in 1970 as he struggled with his mental health and the pressures of fame. Fleetwood Mac continued with different line-ups and later became known internationally for a different sound.
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