Fans are sending their thoughts and prayers to Stevie Nicks after news that the Fleetwood Mac singer suffered a devastating personal loss.
On Friday, September 4, Nicks lost someone very close to her, which her niece revealed via social media.
Christopher Nicks Has Passed Away
Nicks’ niece, Jessica “Nixi” Nicks, took to Instagram to reveal that her father Christopher Nicks — younger brother of the rock icon — had passed away at age 72 after a long battle with cancer.
In a touching Instagram post, she shared a photo of her hand laying atop that of her father.
In the caption, she wrote, “second star to the right, and straight on till morning. i love you, daddy rest easy.”
‘A Broken Heart’
She shared a more expansive tribute to her late father via Instagram Story.
“It is with a broken heart that I announce the passing of my father, Christopher Aaron Nicks, early this morning, surrounded by family,” she wrote, as reported by AOL.
In her post, she revealed that her father had been engaged in a private battle with cancer.
“Some of you may know that he has spent the last 2.5 years battling a cancer diagnosis, and to some this may come as a shock,” she continued. “If this is news to you, please know it was because he never wanted people to worry about him that he kept this to himself.”
She concluded her post by recalling the impact that her late father had on the people who knew him.
“I know that he has left his mark on so many people, and this will leave many more than his immediate family with a piece of them missing,” she wrote. “I know I speak for my dad when I say that his friends, his lost boys, meant the world to him.”
A Close Relationship
The singer’s brother was married to Lori Petty, Nicks’ longtime background singer. Before their divorce, they welcomed daugther Jessica, Stevie Nicks’ niece.
Even after Nicks skyrocketed to fame with Fleetwood Mac, she and Christopher remained close.
In a 2003 interview with You Magazine, Stevie admitted that their relationship was far more turbulent when they were children. “By the time I was five, I was a little diva. I was out of control, so my parents decided to have another child,” she recalled.
“I hated Chris, my brother. I would pull his hair and kick him, until one day my father gave him permission to fight back. I’ll be apologizing to him for the rest of my life,” she joked.
As she explained, when she wasn’t on tour or recording, she retreated to stay with Christopher, Lori and Jessica in a house they shared in Phoenix, Arizona.
“My parents live five minutes away. At Christmas I’ll be home for six weeks. That’s when I bond with my family. My mom collects my cuttings; Chris does my merchandizing and Lori is one of my backing singers,” she said at the time.
“Chris sat with me when three girls were killed in a car crash after going to my show. I needed someone to tell me it was not my fault. Nobody but Chris could get that over to me,” she added.
