Peter Green (musician)

Peter Green (musician)
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Name	Peter Green
Background	solo_singer
Birth name	Peter Allen Greenbaum
Birth date	29 October 1946
Birth place	Bethnal Green, London, England
Death date	25 July 2020
Occupation	Musician, singer, songwriter, guitarist
Years active	1965–2020
Associated acts	Fleetwood Mac, John Mayall & the Bluesbreakers, Peter Green Splinter Group, Mick Fleetwood's projects

Peter Green (musician) was an English blues rock guitarist, singer and songwriter who rose to prominence in the 1960s and became a founding member of Fleetwood Mac. Celebrated for his expressive guitar tone and compositions, he shaped British blues alongside contemporaries and later influenced generations of rock and blues artists. Green's career encompassed landmark work with John Mayall & the Bluesbreakers, seminal Fleetwood Mac recordings, intermittent solo output, and a later revival with the Peter Green Splinter Group.

Early life and musical influences

Peter Allen Greenbaum was born in Bethnal Green in the London Borough of Tower Hamlets and grew up in Kidbrooke, Blackheath, and South East London. As a youth he was exposed to American blues and jazz records by collectors and shopkeepers in Kingston upon Thames and Greenwich, discovering artists such as B.B. King, Muddy Waters, Robert Johnson, T-Bone Walker, and John Lee Hooker. Early musical education included lessons influenced by Django Reinhardt via local jazz clubs and exposure to British rhythm and blues scenes centered around venues like the Marquee Club and festivals such as the Newport Jazz Festival (UK). Green's formative bands placed him alongside figures from the British blues circuit, including associates linked to Alexis Korner, Long John Baldry, Chris Barber, and the network around Ronnie Scott.

Fleetwood Mac and rise to prominence

After establishing himself in the London blues scene, Green joined John Mayall's John Mayall & the Bluesbreakers, replacing earlier guitarists who had worked with Eric Clapton and Peter Green's predecessor. In 1967 he left Mayall to form Fleetwood Mac with drummer Mick Fleetwood and bassist John McVie, recruiting vocalists and keyboard players associated with Cecil Sharp House-era sessions. Fleetwood Mac's early lineup recorded albums and singles produced during recording sessions in studios frequented by Shel Talmy and Joe Boyd, yielding hits such as "Albatross" and "Black Magic Woman" that brought Green widespread recognition across Britain, Europe, and markets influenced by BBC Radio 1 airplay. The group's tours put them on bills with acts like The Rolling Stones, The Yardbirds, Cream, and festival appearances alongside Pink Floyd and Jeff Beck Group, consolidating Green's reputation as a leading British blues guitarist.

Solo career and later projects

Following his departure from Fleetwood Mac in 1970, Green pursued a series of solo recordings and collaborations with musicians associated with Chrysalis Records, Reprise Records, and independent labels frequented by artists such as David Bowie, Marc Bolan, and Roxy Music. His solo work included albums and sessions with producers and session players from the London session scene who also worked with Rod Stewart, Elton John, and Cat Stevens. After a period of relative seclusion and sporadic live dates, Green resurfaced in the late 1990s with the Peter Green Splinter Group, featuring musicians tied to the Royal Albert Hall circuit and blues revivalists who had connections to Eric Clapton, Gary Moore, and Robert Plant. The Splinter Group recorded blues standards and original material, touring extensively in venues associated with Wembley Arena, Fillmore, and major European festivals, and collaborating with guest artists linked to BB King tribute events and blues television specials.

Musical style and legacy

Green's playing combined the phrasing of B.B. King, the sustain associated with Robinson Crusoe-era amplification innovators, and the modal sensibilities that paralleled explorations by John Coltrane and Miles Davis in jazz. His tone—often achieved through a 1959 Gibson Les Paul—became as influential as the compositions he penned, such as "Albatross", "Oh Well", and "The Green Manalishi (With the Two Prong Crown)". These songs were later covered or referenced by artists including Santana, David Bowie, Thin Lizzy, Fleetwood Mac (later lineups), and Slash from Guns N' Roses. Green's influence is cited by guitarists from the blues revival waves, including Joe Bonamassa, John Mayer, Derek Trucks, and Gary Clark Jr., and he is frequently discussed in literature tracing the links between British blues and the American blues tradition.

Personal life and health struggles

Green's personal life included marriages and family relationships rooted in the London area, with periods living in suburbs linked to the River Thames and communities around Bromley. From the late 1960s and through the 1970s he experienced mental health crises and erratic behavior that intersected with the culture of psychedelic rock and the social milieu shared with figures like Jimi Hendrix, Brian Jones, and Jim Morrison. Diagnosed later with conditions that contemporaries and biographers associated with bipolar disorder and schizophrenia-like episodes, he underwent psychiatric treatment in hospitals comparable to institutions mentioned in accounts of other musicians from the era. His struggles affected relationships with former bandmates Mick Fleetwood and John McVie, and led to periods of withdrawal from public life before re-emergence in the 1990s with support from peers including Eric Clapton and blues community figures.

Awards and recognitions

Green received posthumous and lifetime acknowledgments from institutions and festivals that celebrate blues and rock heritage, with tributes at events associated with WOMAD, Glastonbury Festival, and dedicated concerts at venues such as Royal Albert Hall and Roundhouse. His recordings appear on curated lists by music publications and halls of fame connected to Rolling Stone (magazine), Guitar Player (magazine), and archival projects by BBC and NME, and his influence is noted in retrospectives by organizations linked to The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and blues preservation societies. Green's works have been reissued by labels collaborating with archives like the British Library sound collections and specialty catalogs that preserve British rock and blues rock legacies.

Category:1946 births Category:2020 deaths Category:English rock guitarists Category:British blues musicians