Fleetwood Mac’s Danny Kirwan Dies at 68
S E E D E D C O N T E N T
Danny Kirwan, who joined Fleetwood Mac as a guitarist at age 18 in 1968, died on Friday, June 8. His death was reported by the band’s co-founder, Mick Fleetwood, on his Facebook page .
Kirwan played, sang and wrote songs for four of the band’s albums between 1969-1972, including Bare Trees , for which he was the principal songwriter. The location and cause of death was not known as of early Saturday morning.
On his Facebook page, Fleetwood wrote.
“Today was greeted by the sad news of the passing of Danny Kirwan in London, England. Danny was a huge force in our early years. His love for the Blues led him to being asked to join Fleetwood Mac in 1968, where he made his musical home for many years.
“Danny’s true legacy, in my mind, will forever live on in the music he wrote and played so beautifully as a part of the foundation of Fleetwood Mac, that has now endured for over fifty years.
“Thank you, Danny Kirwan. You will forever be missed!
~Mick Fleetwood and Fleetwood Mac”
Kirwan was born in the South London neighborhood of Brixton on May 13, 1950. At just 17, he convinced Fleetwood Mac’s producer, Mike Vernon, to watch his band Boilerhouse rehearse. Mac co-founder Peter Green offered Boilerhouse the opportunity to open for the band and ultimately Mick Fleetwood persuaded Green and bandmates John McVie and Jeremy Spencer to add Kirwan to the blues band’s lineup in August 1968.
Kirwan made his recording debut on the band’s #1 U.K. instrumental hit, “Albatross,” released in Nov. 1968.
He then played on their third album, Then Play On , released in Sept. 1969, which reached #6 on the U.K. charts. The original U.K. release included seven Kirwan compositions; however, two of the songs were dropped for the album’s U.S. release on Reprise, the band’s first for the label.
By 1972, the group’s evolving lineup had changed significantly. For their sixth album, 1972’s Bare Trees , Green and Spencer were long gone, replaced by Bob Welch and Christine McVie. Though the album failed to chart in the U.K., it reached #70 in the U.S. Five of the album’s 10 songs–including the title track–were written by Kirwan. Bare Trees also included the Welch composition, “Sentimental Lady.”
Later that year, Kirwan was fired from the band, amid bad behavior and alcoholism.
In a 1999 interview with a Fleetwood Mac fan website , Welch, who died in 2012, said: “Danny… was a talented, gifted musician, almost equal to Pete Green in his beautiful guitar playing and faultless string bends. When he left, FM lost a certain ‘lyricism’ that they wouldn’t get back till Stevie Nicks. Danny was almost ‘womanly,’ and I mean that in the BEST sense, in his musical emotions. There was nothing ‘macho’ or ‘rough’ about him.'”
Although he didn’t attend, Kirwan was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame with Fleetwood Mac in 1998.
Watch a video tribute to Kirwan set to the song “Dust,” from Bare Trees
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Oh dear.
I first ran across Fleetwood Mac in the early 70’s with “Future Games” & “Bare Trees”. Became such a shameless fan boy that I once owned every album that any member of FM ever played on. From John Mayall & the Bluesbreakers to “Chicken Shack” with Christine Perfect (McVie), etc.
There was a time that I was so obsessive about all things Mac that it became a running joke with friends and family. Often, at times we were enjoying the peace of a back country road under a starry Texas night in my smoke filled van, someone would pop in a cassette, play about 3 notes, stop the tape and dare me to name the song.
Not only would I be able to name the song but I would also know the album it was from, the year it came out, the bands make up at the time, who wrote the song and who had the leads on guitar and vocals.
Hey I admitted I had it bad for the band, though that kind of knowledge did help me win the only radio contest I ever entered.
Being able to call in and answer some obscure question about Fleetwood Mac got me a free 6 foot long Sub, which was the hit of that years 4th of July backyard gathering out at Ronnie’s place in Waxahachie.
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First Bob Welch and now Danny Kirwan. Another touchstone of my youth has passed on.
Rest well Danny and thanks for the memories.
Fleetwood Mac Woman Of A Thousand Years
Fleetwood Mac - Coming Your Way
Fleetwood Mac - Sands Of Time
Fleetwood Mac - Sunny Side Of Heaven
Fleetwood Mac - Bare Trees
Fleetwood Mac - Dragonfly
FM has always been one of my favorite groups. I found this article, but there's still no factual report explaining why Kirwan died ...
Sad. So young.
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Yea, early on FM ran through lead guitarist in ways almost as weird as Spinal Tap went through drummers.
First Peter Green, then Spencer, then Kirwan and even these days. I mean, what's up with Lindsey Buckingham? (smile)
Peter Green ;
Illness and first re-emergence
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I'm always saddened to hear when someone is a prisoner to a disease or addiction. May he RIP.