Fleetwood Mac co-founder Peter Green’s cause of death has not been officially confirmed yet, but his family will be making an announcement soon. In a public statement published by Express, Green’s family wrote: “It is with great sadness that the family of Peter Green announce his death this weekend, peacefully in his sleep. A further statement will be provided in the coming days.”
Green passed away on Saturday at the age of 73, leaving Fleetwood Mac fans around the world devastated. At the time of this writing, his family is not prepared to reveal his cause of death, although die-hard fans know that Green has struggled with his mental health and other issues for years. Green left his band behind in 1970, as his mental health struggles made it difficult to perform and travel. Shortly after that, he was officially diagnosed with schizophrenia and spent the next several years seeking treatments.
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Green’s mental illness was debilitating to him at times throughout the early and mid-1970s, and the treatment options at the time were intense. Green reportedly underwent electro-convulsive therapy and other intense treatments, while frequently staying in the hospital and mental health facilities for long periods of time.
Green also stayed with his older brother, Len during this time, as detailed in Martin Celmins’ book Peter Green: Founder of Fleetwood Mac. Len and his wife, Gloria had a home in Great Yarmouth — a popular beach getaway on the eastern coast of England, where Green was able to pursue his recovery in peace. Still, many fans view it is a tragedy that Green struggled through this time while his band went on to greater and greater heights.
This period was when Green met his wife, Jain Samuels, and they were briefly married from 1978 to 1979. They had a daughter, Rosebud during this time. Green later attributed some of his issues during these years to drug use, which can trigger dormant mental health complications in some. In Bob Brunning’s book Fleetwood Mac: The First 30 Years, he said: “I’m at present recuperating from treatment for taking drugs. It was drugs that influenced me a lot. I took more than I intended to. I took LSD eight or nine times. The effect of that stuff lasts so long.”
As he became more independent, Green moved to Canvey Island, a small community on the Thames River in England. Here, he was a part of a small but tight-knit community of musicians and artists, and his presence was welcomed. Green’s reputation as a musical genius grew, and he was able to pursue his solo work.
To many fans, he will always be best-remembered for Fleetwood Mac. Green co-founded the band with guitarist Jeremy Spencer and drummer Mick Fleetwood, with the original name “Peter Green’s Fleetwood Mac featuring Jeremy Spencer.”
