Stevie Nicks celebrated the 40th anniversary of her solo debut Bella Donna with a note to fans.
As with most of Nicks’ online posts, the words derive from her journal. “Bella Donna was a dream,” she wrote. “I chose Lori Perry, Nicks, and Sharon Celani as my army to go on that journey with me. I wanted us to sound like the girl version of Crosby, Stills, and Nash. I did not want the record to sound anything like Fleetwood Mac — that would have defeated the dream.”
Nicks then described the genesis of the title track, explaining that it was written about her boyfriend’s mother who was involved with a man in Chile during the coup in 1973. “I was so touched by this story of lost love that I wrote ‘Bella Donna,’” she said. “The moment the poem and then the song was finished, l knew I had the basis for my first solo record. I believed in it deeply from the bottom of my heart…I never doubted for a moment that this song would be the title of the record and that it would change my fife in so many ways — on so many levels.”
“It did not break up Fleetwood Mac,” she continued. “If anything, it kept us together. And then — as all never-ending dreams always do — it opened the doors of the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, took my hand, and invited me in for my own work, for the women of the world. The thing I am most proud of. Thank you, Maria Teresa Rojas, for being my inspiration.”
Nicks will hit the road in September, making stops at Austin City Limits, Jazz Fest, and more.
From my journal… pic.twitter.com/GTFfuJWxLg
— Stevie Nicks (@StevieNicks) July 27, 2021
From Rolling Stone US
