Former Fleetwood Mac member, Bob Welch found dead

[Topkat]

This is a sad article I just found about Bob Welch former member of Fleetwood mac.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/06/07/bob-welch-dead-fleetwood-mac-gunshot_n_1579166.html?&icid=maing-grid7%7Cmain5%7Cdl1%7Csec1_lnk2%26pLid%3D168059

[EagleLady]

RIP :(

[TimothyBFan]

I'm a bit devastated right now. I just heard this on Sirius. :weep:

[WalshFan88]

Very sad. RIP!

[Tiffanny Twisted]

REST IN PEACE...SO VERY SAD

[zeldabjr]

Wow soo sad...I remember him and loved that song "Sentimental Lady"...prayers to his family, RIP Bob...

[sodascouts]

I landed in Houston a few hours ago, spent some time with family, then got on the Internet and saw this.

I am shocked and so very sad. Of all the past and present members of Fleetwood Mac, Welch was the most approachable, the most open to fans. The first insight I got into his character was a q&a on fleetwoodmac.met, a fan site. He was so intelligent and witty, so humble despite his talents... He seemed like the kind of guy you would want to hang out with. He even joined the message board and while he rarely posted, just the fact that he did so shows his ability to relate to fans. He also displayed his quirky brilliance on his Facebook. I always knew I was in for something interesting when I saw a post by Bob in the feed. Even more significant, if you sent him a private message on Facebook or posted on his wall, there was a very good chance he'd reply. He made so many people happy, encouraged so many people... and so many people will be devastated by his loss.

This is so awful, so awful. As I'm writing this, I'm crying.

RIP, Bob. We will never forget you or the music you gave us. It will live on forever.

you are here and warm, but I could look away and you'd be gone...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rn4Kuv9LyDE

[Koala]

RIP, so sad!

[whitcap]

RIP. This is very sad. Ebony Eyes and Sentimental Lady are two of my favorite songs. He will be missed :(

[Topkat]

Here is another article on Bob Welch's death

http://ultimateclassicrock.com/former-fleetwood-mac-guitarist-bob-welch-dead-at-65/

[TimothyBFan]

I had heard that he was having health issues and that a few months ago, had back surgery and was told he wasn't going to get any better and that would eventually be wheelchair bound and he said then that he was afraid he'd become a burden to his wife.

Soda-- what you wrote about him being so kind and approachable makes it even sadder that he got to the point that he was afraid he was becoming a burden.

I admit, I definitely shed a few tears yesterday when I heard this news.

[sodascouts]

While I understand how he could go into a fit of despair when he was told he had a grim prognosis, what he didn't realize was that his wife would want to cherish every last moment with him, not come into the room and find her husband's blood soaking into the carpet from his lifeless, broken body. She'll have to live with that sight for the rest of her life. He must not have been thinking straight, depressed over his condition, or he never would have done such a thing. It's just so sad!

[Victim of Love]

I was heartbroken when I heard the news. Sentimental Lady has always been a favorite along with Ebony Eyes. The industry and a legion of fans have suffered a tremendous loss. May he rest in peace. Thoughts and prayers go out to his wife and other family.

[TimothyBFan]

This is starting to freak me out a bit. If you saw the Gene Simmons thread, this happened when I went into it a few minutes ago.

Just as I went to open this thread, this came on the radio....

http://i38.photobucket.com/albums/e136/williehoo/Welch-1.jpg

[Brooke]

Very sad news. May he RIP.

[Topkat]

Stevie Nicks reacts to the death of Bob Welch

http://ultimateclassicrock.com/stevie-nicks-devastated-by-death-of-fleetwood-mac-alumni-bob-welch/

[sodascouts]

Mick Fleetwood made a statement as well:

http://ultimateclassicrock.com/fleetwood-macs-mick-fleetwood-remembers-late-guitarist-bob-welch/

[BramwenR]

Here is another article on Bob Welch's death

http://ultimateclassicrock.com/former-fleetwood-mac-guitarist-bob-welch-dead-at-65/

This is the comment I made directly to that article:

"I am so sorry he considered himself such a burden to his wife that the only way out was suicide. I loved Ebony Eyes, always remember that film clip when it first aired here in Australia. I will say that I do not respect the motives of Fleetwood Mac. How dare they ignore Bob from such an accolade. He deserved it and they know he deserved it. So the comment from Ms Nicks (whom I have no time for anyway, especially her supreme arrogance), smacks of insincerity to me, however well meaning it was. The music business is so dirty. I hope Bob has found peace wherever he is."

AMEN

[BramwenR]

Mick Fleetwood made a statement as well:

http://ultimateclassicrock.com/fleetwood-macs-mick-fleetwood-remembers-late-guitarist-bob-welch/

I read it and I just can't reconcile the fact that he was completely ignored from being inducted into the Music Hall of Fame by the band. So this makes Mick Fleetwood such a hypocrite. Bob needed to be officially honoured there for his role in the band and he wasn't. I find that incredibly negligent. But then we all know what a dirty, relentless, remorseless and unforgiving industry this is. I really hope the existing members of Fleetwood Mac can live with that because they have just publicly branded themselves hypocrites. Way to go.

[Freypower]

For what it's worth these are the members of Fleetwood Mac who were inducted into the Hall of Fame:

http://rockhall.com/inductees/fleetwood-mac/

[BramwenR]

For what it's worth these are the members of Fleetwood Mac who were inducted into the Hall of Fame:

http://rockhall.com/inductees/fleetwood-mac/

Worth being the operative word.

They are not well liked by the press in Australia because of their overblown egos. I have never seen them live and quite frankly, would not part with one brass razoo anyway after this.

Such very talented people, it's such a shame the spotlight got in the way.

[EagleLady]

I think you're being a little harsh on them but you're certainly entitled to your opinion.

[Topkat]

Further information has been reported on Bob Welch's suicide. After a failed surgery, he felt he would be a burden to his family. Very sad. RIP

http://ultimateclassicrock.com/bob-welch-suicide-surgery/

[Brooke]

That's very sad news and I can't imagine how I would react to this kind of diagnosis. It's something that you just never know about until you reach that place. I can, in a way, understand his decision.

Bram, as far as FM and Stevie, I love them and their music and have never thought of Stevie, especially, as being arrogant. Sorry you don't like them.

[TimothyBFan]

I'm going to stick up for Stevie here. I also would never think of her as being arrogant or anything of the sorts. I know she's nothing but kind to her fans and have never seen evidence of "bad behavior", etc.... And let's face it, if she had, we all here would know it because of our resident Stevie expert. We surely would of heard of it.

I love FM and it's rather upsetting to see that not everyone feels the same I guess.

As for Bob not being put into the HOF, I don't remember (there was another little band inducted the same year that I was a bit more concentrated on) but was there anything back then in regards to how Bob felt about it? I guess I will go google that because now I'm curious.

[TimothyBFan]

According to Wiki:

Hall of Fame controversy

When Fleetwood Mac was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rock_and_Roll_Hall_of_Fame) in 1998, original band members Peter Green (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peter_Green_%28musician%29), Jeremy Spencer (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jeremy_Spencer), Danny Kirwan (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Danny_Kirwan), Mick Fleetwood (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mick_Fleetwood) and John McVie (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_McVie) were named to the Hall, as were Christine McVie (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christine_McVie), Lindsey Buckingham (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lindsey_Buckingham) and Stevie Nicks (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stevie_Nicks). Welch, who anchored the band for several years and three albums, was not. "My era was the bridge era," Welch told the Cleveland (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cleveland) newspaper the Plain Dealer (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plain_Dealer) in 1998, after he was snubbed by the Hall of Fame. "It was a transition. But it was an important period in the history of the band. Mick Fleetwood dedicated a whole chapter of his biography to my era of the band and credited me with 'saving Fleetwood Mac.' Now they want to write me out of the history of the group. It hurts."
Welch went on to tell the Plain Dealer, "Mick and I co-managed the group for years. I'm the one who brought the band to Los Angeles from England, which put them in the position of hooking up with Lindsey and Stevie. I saw the band through a whole period where they barely survived, literally." At the time, Welch believed that he had been blackballed (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blackballed) by the Hall because of the breach of contract lawsuit against Fleetwood and John and Christine McVie. At the time of his snubbing by the Hall, he believed that the falling out with three band members led them to pressuring the selection committee into excluding him from the Hall.[18] (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bob_Welch_%28musician%29#cite_note-17)
In a 2003 online question and answer session on the Fleetwood Mac fan site The Penguin, Welch revised his opinion of why he was snubbed by the Hall. He had recently attended a Fleetwood Mac show and visited the band members back stage after the show. The visit reconnected him with Mick Fleetwood, his ex-band mate and ex-manager, after being estranged for many years. (He had never been estranged from Lindsey Buckingham and Stevie Nicks, who were not party to the lawsuit.) By 2003, Welch believed that he had been snubbed by the Hall as the directors in New York, music industry insiders, did not like his style of music. However, he did believe that the lawsuit was a factor in his being blackballed, as it prevented him from getting in touch with Mick Fleetwood, whom he was not talking to at the time of the induction, who may have otherwise have used his influence to get Welch included with other members of the band. (Jerry Garcia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jerry_Garcia) had used his influence to get 12 members of the Grateful Dead (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grateful_Dead) inducted into the Hall, including some band mates whose contributions were considered marginal.) Welch said he had also communicated with Christine McVie but was still estranged from John.[/URL]


Well, that sheds a bit of light. To bad.
[URL="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bob_Welch_%28musician%29#cite_note-18"] (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bob_Welch_%28musician%29#cite_note-18)

[Brooke]

Yes it does. All I can say is I'm more of a casual fan and don't normally delve in to the deep dark secrets of the bands I love, except for the Eagles. Now they are more of an obsession! For me, it's mostly,all about the music. :shrug:

[Ive always been a dreamer]

Well - Like everyone, I'm very saddened to hear about Bob's passing. Such a shame that he felt so desperate that he would take his own life. My heart goes out to his family.

R.I.P. Bob.

And I agree that I like band's based on their music - not their dirty laundry. Fleetwood Mac rocks for me.

[Freypower]

Worth being the operative word.

They are not well liked by the press in Australia because of their overblown egos. I have never seen them live and quite frankly, would not part with one brass razoo anyway after this.

Such very talented people, it's such a shame the spotlight got in the way.

I'm Australian too. On the last Mac tour the Sydney Morning Herald ran a very sniffy review by a critic who specliases in writing derogatory reviews of 'classic' bands; he does the same with the Eagles. I don't see this as the band not being liked by the entire press. I don't know where you get that from. I went to see them & I went to see Stevie solo; I had a great time.

As for Mr Welch I only knew him from Ebony Eyes; I never heard his Fleetwood Mac albums & so am in no position to offer an opinion on whether or not he should have been inducted into the HOF. I will be interested to hear Soda's views on this when she returns, but I would venture that none of the albums on which he featured would be considreed the band's best remembered albums.

[BramwenR]

I'm Australian too. On the last Mac tour the Sydney Morning Herald ran a very sniffy review by a critic who specliases in writing derogatory reviews of 'classic' bands; he does the same with the Eagles. I don't see this as the band not being liked by the entire press. I don't know where you get that from. I went to see them & I went to see Stevie solo; I had a great time.

As for Mr Welch I only knew him from Ebony Eyes; I never heard his Fleetwood Mac albums & so am in no position to offer an opinion on whether or not he should have been inducted into the HOF. I will be interested to hear Soda's views on this when she returns, but I would venture that none of the albums on which he featured would be considreed the band's best remembered albums.

I hear you and understand your opinion. I know about the sniffy reviews and whether it is true or not, also I read that their demands when they came here on tour were excessive. I also read some opinions from fans somewhere too I think, I can't remember now. I guess it is just a matter of taste, I liked a few of their old songs, such as Sara and Tell Me Lies but was never what you call a complete fan. I don't doubt their talent, just what has been said previously may have been misconstrued by the press.

Shame about legal battles and personal stuff amongst bands, despite all of that I felt he should have been included. Three former Eagles were and they had been gone for many years. I think the inductees should be admitted on merit, it only seems fair with the contributions to a band's success. But that's just me.

[prayfordaylight]

I would venture that none of the albums on which he featured would be considreed the band's best remembered albums

I'm a long-time FM fanatic (I met Soda years ago through the FM fandom). Many of us who have listened to the Bob Welch era albums consider some of that work to be some of the best FM ever did.

I'm not discounting the Rumours-era classic lineup but "Mystery To Me" especially could go up against the FM White Album, Mirage or Tango (I'd put it behind Rumours and Tusk) anyday. MTM is cover-to-cover probably my favorite FM album.

Bob is also the reason Fleetwood Mac ever came to California. Mick was open to it but the McVies were resistant. If FM never went to CA, they never would've found Stevie and Lindsey and Rumours never would have happened.

Bob is also what helped FM transition from a British blues band to a UK-US hybrid pop group - another crucial element that led to Stevie and Lindsey.

[TimothyBFan]

I'm a long-time FM fanatic (I met Soda years ago through the FM fandom). Many of us who have listened to the Bob Welch era albums consider some of that work to be some of the best FM ever did.

I'm not discounting the Rumours-era classic lineup but "Mystery To Me" especially could go up against the FM White Album, Mirage or Tango (I'd put it behind Rumours and Tusk) anyday. MTM is cover-to-cover probably my favorite FM album.

Bob is also the reason Fleetwood Mac ever came to California. Mick was open to it but the McVies were resistant. If FM never went to CA, they never would've found Stevie and Lindsey and Rumours never would have happened.

Bob is also what helped FM transition from a British blues band to a UK-US hybrid pop group - another crucial element that led to Stevie and Lindsey.

Thanks so much for your insight on this. I was hoping we'd hear from one of our experts on this. In reading stuff yesterday, I saw that about the California thing and also about the FM album. The stuff I read gave him a lot of credit.

This makes it very sad to me that he was not inducted.

[prayfordaylight]

I agree. His exclusion from the Hall was a slap in the face.

[sodascouts]

Worth being the operative word.

They are not well liked by the press in Australia because of their overblown egos. I have never seen them live and quite frankly, would not part with one brass razoo anyway after this.

Such very talented people, it's such a shame the spotlight got in the way.


Bob Welch definitely should have been included in the Hall of Fame induction. That decision was made by Mick Fleetwood alone, and even he now has kind words to say despite the lawsuit Bob initiated that led to the hard feelings which caused Mick to exclude him in a petty and unjustified move. I agree with everything PFD said.

However, the rest of your generalizions are uninformed and unfair. Why is Fleetwood Mac any less worthy than the Eagles, a band you enjoy, according to your criteria? The Eagles are not well liked by the press as a rule. Some members of the Eagles have been accused of overblown egos and unreasonable demands. Many claim the treatment of Don Felder was petty and unjustified. However, you don't complain about them, refuse to see them live, or lump Timothy in with the decision makers Glenn and Don as you lump in Stevie, Lindsey, etc. with Mick.

Nobody says you have to like their music. People have different tastes. Even you, though, admit their talent.... Yet they have no "worth" and should not be inducted into the Hall of Fame because of "their" arrogance and a decision made by one of their members? Ridiculous.

As someone who is a member of the Fleetwood Mac online fandom and hears plenty of fan opinions, I can assure you that these fan reviews proving their unworthiness and arrogance which you vaguely remember are not the majority opinion. Frankly, I don't even know what you're talking about as I've never seen these supposed accounts of horrible behavior by the band. I'm not saying they don't exist because it's always possible some people have had bad experiences with band members - nobody is perfect - but the ones I have seen tell quite a different story. Personally, my experiences with them have been nothing but positive. I am hardly an insider, but I have met the band as well as Stevie and Lindsey individually. They were very kind to me and the other fans with me. Stevie especially has done some wonderful things for her fans. Unworthy? Hardly!

One more thing: if humility were a requirement for inclusion in the Hall of Fame, that hall would be pretty empty.

[TimothyBFan]

THANK YOU, SODA!!!!! You may not be an "insider" but you are as close to one as I can think of to set this record straight and I'm so glad you took the time on your vacation to do so. All the wonderful stories you've told me about the grateful things that Stevie has done for her fans seemed to contradict all the negative things about her, especially when there's no specific things to back them up.

As for Bob being worthy to be in the hall-----sure sounds like he deserved it and was cheated.

[BramwenR]

Bob Welch definitely should have been included in the Hall of Fame induction. That decision was made by Mick Fleetwood alone, and even he now has kind words to say despite the lawsuit Bob initiated that led to the hard feelings which caused Mick to exclude him in a petty and unjustified move. I agree with everything PFD said.

However, the rest of your generalizions are uninformed and unfair. Why is Fleetwood Mac any less worthy than the Eagles, a band you enjoy, according to your criteria? The Eagles are not well liked by the press as a rule. Some members of the Eagles have been accused of overblown egos and unreasonable demands. Many claim the treatment of Don Felder was petty and unjustified. However, you don't complain about them, refuse to see them live, or lump Timothy in with the decision makers Glenn and Don as you lump in Stevie, Lindsey, etc. with Mick.

Nobody says you have to like their music. People have different tastes. Even you, though, admit their talent.... Yet they have no "worth" and should not be inducted into the Hall of Fame because of "their" arrogance and a decision made by one of their members? Ridiculous.

As someone who is a member of the Fleetwood Mac online fandom and hears plenty of fan opinions, I can assure you that these fan reviews proving their unworthiness and arrogance which you vaguely remember are not the majority opinion. Frankly, I don't even know what you're talking about as I've never seen these supposed accounts of horrible behavior by the band. I'm not saying they don't exist because it's always possible some people have had bad experiences with band members - nobody is perfect - but the ones I have seen tell quite a different story. Personally, my experiences with them have been nothing but positive. am hardly an insider, but I have met the band as well as Stevie and Lindsey and they were very kind to me and the fans with me. Stevie especially has done some wonderful things for her fans. Unworthy? Hardly!

One more thing: if humility were a requirement for inclusion in the Hall of Fame, that hall would be pretty empty.

Soda, it seems your experiences with FM are different from what I have heard of in Australia. That is your prerogative, to like this or that as it is mine.

Vive la difference.

[Topkat]

I agree that Bob Welch should have been inducted into the HOF along with the rest of Fleetwood Mac. He was a huge part of the early days of the band. That was a real slap in the face, in my opinion. Sad:depressed: