Born Peter Greenbaum in London, Green took up guitar at the age of 11. By the age of 15, Green had started to play professionally in myriad of bands mostly playing blues covers. At the age of 19, Green got his first big break when he had the unenviable task of replacing Eric Clapton in John Mayall's Bluesbreakers.
During the Summer of Love in 1967, Green and Mick Fleetwood would leave John Mayall's Bluesbreakers to form a new band along with Jeremy Spencer and Bob Brunning (who would soon be replaced by John McVie). Initially called Peter Green's Fleetwood Mac featuring Jeremy Spencer, the name would be shortened to Fleetwood Mac with the release of their eponymous debut album in 1968.
Green was the with Fleetwood Mac during their first three albums. During this time, Christine Perfect (who would marry John McVie and become Chrstine McVie) and Danny Kirwan would join the group.
While most people associate Fleetwood Mac with Lindsay Buckingham and Stevie Nicks and a pop oriented sound, when Green fronted the band they played blues and hard rock as exemplified by the instrumental "Albatross", "Oh Well" and "Black Magic Woman" which would become a massive hit for Santana.
By 1970, however, Green had left the group following excessive use of LSD which would take a severe toll on his mental health. Green would perform and record sporadically during the late 1970's and early 1980's, but it wasn't until the late 1990's after being inducted into the Rock 'n Roll Hall of Fame with Fleetwood Mac that Green experienced a career resurgence. Green would front two bands - The Peter Green Splinter Group and later Peter Green & Friends. Green retired from performing and recording music in 2010.
Green's guitar prowess earned him high praise from none other than B.B. King who said of him, "He has the sweetest tone I ever heard; he was the only one who gave me the cold sweats."
Peter Green's sweetness was never more evident than on Fleetwood Mac's 1969 single "Man of the World". R.I.P.
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