Storms: My Life with Lindsey Buckingham and Fleetwood Mac

I first heard the name Carol Ann Harris back in 1997, in a Fleetwood Mac newsgroup online. Fans were discussing Mick's book, specifically Lindsey's abusive behavior towards Stevie. I'll never forget a Mac fan specifically naming Carol Ann Harris being on the Geraldo Rivera show. This Mac fan described Carol Ann discussing Lindsey Buckingham dragging her by the hair from a moving car. I purchased Carol's book in 2007, and Carol describes the same abusive incident in dramatic detail. Carol states she only gave one interview on Lindsey Buckingham over the years, to Rolling Stone magazine. Obviously she had to be on the Geraldo show, how else would a Mac fan in 1997 be able to describe what Carol recounts in her 2007 book? I believe Carol, for the most part, but I do believe she puts a spin on certain things to make herself seem as innocent as possible during a time when nobody was innocent. That said, this is one of the best, most entertaining books I've ever read, a real page-turner. In fact, I'm re-reading the book for a 3rd time. What makes the book so good is, it felt like I was right there with Fleetwood Mac, right along with Carol Ann for the roller-coaster ride that it was! Carol's ride starts in the early 1970's, when she graduates from high school in Oklahoma and that same day moves to Hollywood, CA. That right there should tell you something about her, how many 17-18 yr old have the guts to do that? I related to Carol as someone who is constantly over-coming shyness, willing herself to pursue her dreams and propel herself forward despite obstacles. She becomes a teenage mother, gives her baby up for adoption at 5 months old, runs a live bootleg business with her live-in boyfriend, then eventually pursues a career as a sound engineer. Ed Cobb (Google him) is her mentor in this male dominated field, which she takes seriously....until she meets Lindsey Buckingham. From then on it's like she's Alice down the rabbit hole, getting further away from an independent young woman with her own dreams....and turns herself into the kind of woman Lindsey Buckingham wants. Someone who lives for Lindsey, period. That includes doing the same drugs as him (cocaine) and living his lifestyle (traveling with him almost constantly on tour). The only dream of Carol's Lindsey supported 100% benefited himself: Carol was basically Lindsey's stylist starting on the Tusk tour. Lindsey was a Jekyll and Hyde character for sure, but it was Carol's choice to give up her dreams and stay with him for 8 years. Carol finally has an epiphany when a Doctor at the hospital tells her the abuse will not get better, it will get worse. That was her wake-up call. Carol begins her journey back to her "old self", pursuing her dreams and slowly becoming an independent woman again. I do believe Carol loved Lindsey Buckingham, but he drove her away probably the same way he drove Stevie away. This book reads like a Rock n' Roll version of something V.C. Andrews would write. I'm a huge fan of V.C. Andrews, so that's a good thing! The narrative can be overly dramatic at times, but is never boring. It was obvious to me Carol admired and wanted to be friends with Stevie. BUT given the circumstances, that wasn't possible. I think Carol felt as much jealousy towards Stevie as she felt admiration and respect! Prime example is the 1978 Grammys: Carol strongly implies Stevie was jealous of her, after Carol had spent 3 hrs getting her hair and make-up done. I looked up the Grammy footage on YouTube and LOL when I saw Carol's hair! Only Suzanne Sommers (as Krissy on Three's Company) could get away with that hairstyle, Carol spent 3 hrs making herself look silly, and was delusional to imply she stole Stevie's thunder! I felt Carol was being overly defensive and insecure at times, but was 95% honest overall. Like when she realizes "It's not over" between LB and SN. Other times Carol seemed to be willfully sticking her head in the sand. It was obvious to me *something* happened between Stevie and Lindsey during the early Tusk tour....I find it hard to believe this wasn't obvious to Carol, given her description of events. If I was Carol I would have felt LB and SN were still intimate on occasion, and they most likely were! At the end of the day Stevie Nicks is only human, this was a very human portrait of her, some of the stories were downright funny (Stevie comparing her poodle with heatstroke to Lindsey's epilepsy) and it's obvious to me Stevie is good person. This wasn't a hatchet job because it's too even-handed. Carol finds mostly good things to say about everyone, most usually Lindsey (who had many good points) despite his abuse. As for the 5%........I find it very hard to believe Carol Ann disappeared with Dennis Wilson for 2 hours in his hotel room, and absolutely NOTHING romantic happened. Not even a kiss? Not even 2nd or 3rd base? Christine seemed to suspect otherwise, and this is BEFORE Dennis told Chris he fooled around with Carol Ann. My gut was telling me Carol Ann made her own confession to Christine, Chris told Lindsey, and that explains Lindsey's "out of the blue" meltdown towards Carol at Christine's house. Whatever Carol did, that doesn't excuse Lindsey's abuse. I just don't think we're getting the full story. Carol's portrayal of herself and LB being 100% faithful to each other is where the most grains of salt come in! I think we're getting a highly entertaining 95% of the story, and I liked it enough to read 3 times so far.

Glosses over the Mirage and Tango in the Night years, as if they almost were afterthoughts. But sheds important light on domestic violence before domestic violence was really in the public engagement, If the allegations are true, the doctors who treated Ms. Harris should have called the police on her then-BF. As for the rest of the band, their drug use seemed pretty tame compared to other big groups of the time. Funny anecdote regarding Mick Jagger holding court. Found it a little too Stevie-centric and did no-one in the FM band/entourage think to warn Ms. Harris about Lindsey's temper? (Cf. Ken Caillat's notes about Mr. Buckingham.) Did Ms, McVie hold the author at arm's length, and hence less talk about Christine than about Stevie. (However, we do get the sense that Christine was not one to the f'd with by Lindsey.) Unfortunate gossip about Ms. McVie's choice of day to day undies - what was the purpose of this? Police story could have been told without it; it even led a chapter. Gee, Ms. Harris must really hate Ms. McVie. While I do realize Sharon Celani did not start out singing with the band, when Stevie met her, Sharon was performing in a Hawaii club, and already a precocious young singer and musician in her own right, yet Sharon gets wardrobe credit, not vocalist credit. Ms. Celani was singing backup for FM by the time of the Tango in the Night album, and this wasn't mentioned. Neither was the term "domestic abuse," which, if allegations were true, that's what it was. Ms. Harris may not have had the language for it 30 years ago, but by 2007 we all knew what to call it. And as for language, a little too heavy on the "very, very" and "really, really" phrasing. The author was past 50 when Storms was published, and could have been a but more sophisticated in her writing. Still, one must feel for her, she was almost killed a few times according to her testimony, and domestic abuse survivors and their supporters will empathize, as, hopefully, will others. Read this good read in one sitting, finishing it just as the papers announced Scott Weiland's death and that cocaine was found on his tour bus. "There but for the Grace of God go I," and all drug-culture survivors. Testament to her strong character that Ms. Harris lived to tell the tales, and found a creative outlet and career of her own. I wish her well. Side-notes: No mention of Lori Nicks; could have compared the band's decision to live in an insular way to its decision to maintain a mysterious aura. Fans could be crazed, but were less so when a musician decides to teach in a college (Al Kooper); give online lessons (Nils Lofgren); do her own errands (the women in Twenty Feet from Stardom) -- FM made its own bed in this aspect, but the writer seemed to write in a vacuum. Also, no mention of Christine McVie being the only college graduate; the only member of the band who could read and write music; the only member of the bad with perfect pitch. It was all Stevie Stevie Stevie. If you're a Stevie fan, you'll enjoy.

This is a fascinating, no-holds-barred glimpse into a chaotic period of my favorite band's life and times - the great Fleetwood Mac, and more specifically, it gives an insight into what it was like to be the arm-candy of one of Rock's biggest and most talented stars - Mr Lindsay Buckingham. Is it true, or not - who cares? You won't be able to put down this book once started. Carol Ann Harris writes an interesting, if at times a little bizarre account of her time with Lindsay. As rock bio's go, Carol Ann's book seems to be relatively unbiased, however she does seem to suffer from a distinct lack of self-esteem whenever Stevie Nicks is around (who wouldn't!). There's a sense of competitiveness between the two, obviously Stevie (nor Lindsay) had quite gotten over each other, and once you get a look at Carol Ann (and Lindsay's subsequent girlfriends) you're struck by how much they all look like Stevie! Creeepyyyy... Mr Buckingham seems to be your typical tortured music genius, and with all that talent comes a "dark side" that he seems to indulge in quite often - with his hands around Miss Harris's neck! What a huge let-down, I so have had a huge crush on the man ever since I discovered FM. What I didn't get was why Carol Ann never forced the issue with him and addressed the incidents after each attack??? Damn straight if any man punched/strangled me, I'd have a few choice words to say and plus he'd have a pair of sore gonads! It's weird how she let him back in her life after each incident and they didn't even get to talk about it? Love really is blind, I guess... There's some real gems in here, including Rod Stewart in his heyday singling Carol Ann out backstage at one of The Mac's concerts in the hope that she'd become one of his chosen one-night-stands, and Lindsay being a right rude bugger to Mick Jagger; the melt-down of Lindsay on stage as he lay down on the floor during a stage show and spun in circles while playing (he never missed a beat, so the story goes!) AND the infighting during the Australia/New Zealand shows (my sister was at the NZ show, and she remembers how The Mac fought and then stormed off stage!). New Zealand is where Christine McVie smacked Lindsay across the face after he'd humiliated Stevie and the band by mocking her and kicking her onstage. Christine McVie is my kinda woman, and the only one with any balls in this story! But what do you expect from one of the biggest talents in rock'n'roll? I chalk it all up to Lindsay's youth and bravado...and the interesting disclosure of his epilepsy made me question whether he had some other issue going on with his brain that changed his personality? Why else would he go from loving and tender to a monster? And I wonder if his current wife has witnessed any of this strange behavior? He's settled down with kids now, so maybe he's chilled out...? The book does seem to gloss over Carol Ann's indiscretions. She was a huge coke-head but there's not much in there about her addiction (which Lindsay refers to in his second album), in fact, she spends an awful lot of time blaming Lindsay for the breakdown of the relationship, and while it's true that he probably had a big part to play, it takes two to make and break a relationship. I enjoyed this book, for what it's worth, and I'm still a huge fan of Mr Buckingham! It's a well-written, rollicking read, I devoured this book in one night, and if you're a huge fan like I am, it's well worth the money! (I got the Kindle version so it's pretty cheap at the mo!).

Let me start out by saying that I love this book. I would certainly recommend it to anyone who is a fan of Fleetwood Mac, especially a fan of Lindsey Buckingham, even if the book portrays him in a bad light. Also, this book is not written like a typical autobiography. Carol Ann Harris, the author, claims to have kept tapes and journals detailing the events in the book allowing her to recreate a lot of scenes and many conversations. I read Mick Fleetwoods autobiography and expected this to be similar, but it's not. It reads like a novel would which allowed me to really get into it. The main focus is obviously Harris and Buckinghams relationship but we also get a glimpse into the other band members lives. I have heard some people say that they think the way Harris describes Stevie Nicks is wrong and unfair but I disagree. I don't really think Nicks came off that bad in the book. Surely it would be hard to see your ex-boyfriends new girlfriend all of the time. It probably was an unpleasant situation for her and if what Harris says is true, I think Nicks acted the way most people would. I have also read a lot of comments (not necessarily on here) that some of what Harris says is untrue. In one part, Harris talks about Buckingham being stoned at the AMAs and making a complete fool of himself trying to make it on stage. Correct me if I am wrong, but I believe there is a video on youtube of the AMAs and it does not happen the way that Harris describes it. Lindsey is a little shakey making his way up the stairs and Nicks helps him and thats basically it. Harris describes it as the whole audience going silent (which they did not in the video I mentioned) and Mick and John helping him which is not what is shown in the video. If that's not the time Harris is talking about then I am sorry and disregard what I just said. But if it is I find it odd that she describes it as being something more dramatic than it was, especially something that people can go back and check to see if she is getting the details right. That being said, there is not a doubt in my mind that Buckingham repeatedly abused Harris. No one can prove or disprove the private moments that happened between them that were not seen by anyone else, but as much as I love Buckingham as an artist, I think that sometimes he comes off as immature and very controlling. I have also heard that other former girlfriends of his have claimed he abused them and even Fleetwood mentions him hitting Nicks in his book. Although that could be debated as being a one time, heat of the moment sort of thing. Regardless I don't see any reason for Harris to lie, especially after all this time. Certainly she isn't doing it for the money if when her and Buckingham split she could have had about half of his fortune but chose not to. I think that says a lot. This book is exciting. It's funny at some points and scary at others. It took me about a month to read because I didn't want it to end! I wanted to hear more and more stories about the band and about that time period and I was sad once it ended. However, I have just begun to read it again! I could go on and on about this but I think I will stop here. So go buy it and decide for yourself who is telling the truth!

I really wasn't sure how to rate this book. It was a fun read, and it really kept me interested. It is well paced, and there were no places that I thought is dragged. That's the good. The writing isn't as bad as some reviewers have made it out to be. I think the biggest sin the writing commits are the repetitive phrases used through out. How many times do we need to hear that Lindsey is a creative genius? Also, by the time I was about 50% through the book, if I read the phrase "The man I loved" one more time, I was afraid my kindle might go flying into a wall. The writing was the mediocre. Here is the bad: The story its self reads like a dramatized version of actual events. Her relationship with Lindsey is written like a Nicholas Sparks novel through out. From his declaration of love from almost the moment they met, to his controlling behavior painted as over protective jealousy, it is just laughably melodramatic. Her babe in the woods persona gets old quick as well. This woman never had an angry or nasty thought towards anyone. She is Pollyanna through the whole thing, not understanding why anyone around her is acting the way they are. She is also so desirable, and never misses an opportunity to tell you about how men just fell all over her, but she was just too naive to realize how she was affecting them because she just doesn't know how sexy she is. There is a story about her, Rod Stewart, and Lindsey that had my eyes rolled so far into the back of my head, I was afraid they'd get stuck there. It isn't until the last quarter of the book that Lindsey Buckingham loses his fairy tale prince spin. That is when the story starts feeling like a true reflection of what this guy was actually like all along: An abusive, controlling, strung out egomaniac. *very mild spoiler* Here is the ugly: Carol Ann Harris herself comes off as truly unlikable with "The blob" story. Apparently Mick Fleetwood became infatuated with a woman whose voice he hears over the phone. A private investigator turns up a woman who is over weight and a little "kooky." Carol Ann describes her as "hideously overweight" and she and Mick's girlfriend then refer to her from then on as "The blob." At one point Mick buys Sara a dress that is a size 12 when she is a size 4. She was so offended, and she and Carol Ann had a good laugh at how the dress would probably fit "The blob." Size 12 is a blob? Nice. The not so subtle fat shaming took me from being annoyed with this woman to thinking she is an unlikable twit. This is coming from someone who isn't even plus sized. *end spoiler* So, the members of Fleetwood Mac come off as coked out @#$holes who believe their own hype. That is probably the truth, but honestly, Carol Ann Harris was right there with them and just as bad. I really wanted to give this book 1 star, but that wouldn't be fair. It is a good read. You come away from it disliking everyone in it though. If it was written with less melodrama and from a more genuine POV, it could have been a 5 star read.

As soon as this book came out, it started to get around the Fleetwood Mac fan base as a book that "backed up" the stories we had heard over the years as "rumours" (pun intended!). So as soon as this book hit my doorstep, I tore into it and devoured it like the huge treat it was. Carol Ann Harris is the ex-girlfriend of Fleetwood Mac guitarist Lindsey Buckingham and was the one he dated right after Stevie Nicks. Carol Ann is someone the fans didn't think about that much - but her book soon put her into the group of people the fans respected. The book is well-written and gives lots of details on some of the stories we had heard over the years. In my opinion, there was no way she could have made this stuff up. The stories were detailed, interesting and she pulled no punches. She paints Lindsey as the jerk we had always heard he was - he hit her, he was mean to her and he was selfish. It's important to note that Carol Ann doesn't really get into too much Stevie bashing. This was wise. Fleetwood Mac and Stevie Nicks fans don't like anyone to bash their Queen. This book impressed me so much that I read it in just a few days - and I have a short attention span. Carol Ann put up with a lot of crap from Lindsey and I, for one, appreciate her putting out this book and filling us in. This book was super popular among the fans and is one that I can't part with and will always keep on my bookshelf. My only beef with this book is that Carol Ann sort of painted herself as an innocent victim and there were a lot of "breathless" moments of "Oh, Lindsey!" that were irritating. But that's OK, because getting the scoop on some of the long-rumored stories made it worth being a bit irritated by the innocent victim routine. This book is probably not for the casual Fleetwood Mac fan - this is for the die-hards! (Or classic rock buffs - there are several stars and famous people (Eric Clapton, Dennis Wilson, Charles Manson....yes, that Charles Manson...he crossed paths with Fleetwood Mac) mentioned in the book.

I'm in a biography phase it seems. I've recently read Rod Stewart, Andre Agassi, Carl Reiner and Rob Lowe. This book was very well written, Ms Harris has a lovely writing style that is easy to read. However, I felt really deflated at the end of this book. You didn't feel like you had got to know any of the Fleetwood Mac band members. They came across as narcissistic people whose personalities weren't allowed to come through in this book at all. At the end, I wondered if so little was said about them because the author didn't have a whole lot to say that was nice. Who knows. The endless reiteration of Carol Ann's "vows" to love Lindsay more, make him feel safer, make his life easier blah blah blah grated with me after a while. To call that creep a musical genius was a real stretch for me, my taste runs to Stevie Nicks music and I think her songs are Fleetwood Mac's best. To my way of thinking, anyone who can write the words and music of a song is a musical genius. Like beauty, it's in the eye of the beholder. The fact that the band toured for a year and then were told it made no money was covered in about 5 lines. THAT was a story I'd like to have heard, where the money went. It was simply stated in the book that the money was never found! The endless, mindless reiteration of Lindsay Buckingham's musical genius as an explanation of his bad behaviour didn't wash with me either. He was simply a self absorbed narcissist and therefore, not very interesting to me. Mick Fleetwood came across as an immature numbskull who seemed to lurch from disaster to disaster (love, money) but you didn't know enough about him to understand why. Christine and John McVie you didn't get to know at all, nor Stevie Nicks. It was stated that Stevie had a band of girlfriends around her all the time, but no explanation of them, what they did and where they came from. Quirky details of the above things would have made the book more interesting.

This was a great book. If you are into inside peeks into the personal lives of rock stars and one of the musicians of one of the greatest rock groups in the world this is a good one from one of Lindsey's longterm lifetime partners. Ironically, the triumph isn't a musical one, it is the triumph of a woman-the rock star's woman-who does soemthgin incredibly difficult-she escapes the cycle of violence, finally rejecting the siren call of wealth, luxury, good times and a supposed Prince Charming because her life, dignity and literally physical well being were more important. Ultimately Carol w strong enough to walk away from the abuse. As was Stevie Nicks before her... In that sense this book is a triumphal tome. At the same time it is disheartening digging into the man behind the myth...so be prepared of a rollercoaster. And if you're a FM fan interested in their personal lives, this is a must not miss. Carol takes you on all the ups and downs of being in the inner circle from the start of her relationship to the end where she decides to walk and leave everything behind (which LB is happy about) uncovering the dark truths about LB's nature. While he is obviously a creative intense and talented individual, his pride, anger, immaturity, selfishness, violence, rage, physical abuse and neediness overshadow any good that he does display reaching a crescendo where the protagonist needs to ask herself if she wants to risk her life for "love" ....And sadly, we realize we've heard all of this before during his relationship with Stevie Nicks. It also begs the question how LB has gotten away with his documented sustained abuse of women, and high profile women at that, for a lifetime. The elderly doctor in the hospital that advised Carol to get away from Lindsay after she had been punched in the face and choked by him, in public, captures exactly what we now know. That this pattern is a pattern; it repeats and escalates. Although Carol doesn't make any mention of it here we know that Lindsay choked out Stevie on a car in front of the other members of Fleetwood Mac. And this flashback begs the question of How he has gotten away with beating on these tiny frail women and is still revered. It is astounding. The elderly doctor warns that abusers don't change; they just get worse. And of course today we know that the cycle is abuse, contrition and more abuse that just escalates till someone is killed or the victim leaves. In LBs case he's had two long term relationships leave him, Stevie and Carol Ann. Though it is excused by his victims as artistic temperament, split personality, or his sensitivity (?) it would appear unsurprising that the recent (2021) split initiated by his current wife who filed (and then withdrew) divorce papers stems from a similar root... It is likely Lindsey Buckingham's rock star status, the times (which weren't as conscious) as well as these women themselves protecting him and making excuses of his behavior might have saved him. Nevertheless it is shocking. Carol's book likely understates, the abuse that is also chronicled and captured in Stevie's biography Gold Dust Woman as well as in countless articles, books, interviews and other news sources...Knowing this it was hard to read the book without agonizing over the situation from the first time Carol was hit to the last time..but in the end, this woman was strong enough to leave. And that is the reward. Like others have noted it is hard to believe with the amounts of drugs and alcohol this crew ingested and the unbridled rage, passion and high emotion that characterized all in the FM circle that these two were completely faithful to each other, especially given this backdrop of incestous relationships, constant cheating, switching partners and endless money and partying. These are people that won't be denied. But again, it seems to be part and parcel of that indulgent no holds barred era of excess... This is a book that will take you up and down and give a peek into these rarified lives of some of the greatest rock stars of the 70s but like Carol says you wonder why these people that have been given so much aren't happier and seem to keep having miserable lives and perhaps in the process makes you realize the best thing in the world might be to have a normal ordinary life...