“Daisy Jones and the Six” is a limited television drama series developed by Scott Neustadter and Michael H. Weber based on the novel of the same name by Taylor Jenkins Reid. It is set in the late 1970s Los Angeles music scene and follows the rise and fall of a fictional rock band named Daisy Jones & The Six.
Taylor Jenkins Reid was inspired to write “Daisy Jones and the Six” after reading about Fleetwood Mac‘s history and the band’s romantic entanglements during their heyday (around the time they released their pivotal albums “Rumours” and “Tusk”).
In an interview with Entertainment Weekly, Taylor Jenkins Reid explained that she wrote “Daisy Jones & The Six” as an oral history of a band that never existed. She wanted to create a story that felt like it was real and that people could connect with. She also mentioned that she listened to a lot of music from the 1970s while writing the book.
Also, in an interview with The Guardian in 2019, Taylor Jenkins Reid said that she was a fan of Fleetwood Mac but didn’t become obsessed with them while writing “Daisy Jones & The Six”. She also mentioned that she didn’t want to write a book about Fleetwood Mac because she didn’t want to be limited by their story.
However, it is clear that the TV show “Daisy Jones and The Six” draws heavily from the real-life experiences of the band. Fleetwood Mac’s tumultuous history, marked by numerous breakups, makeups, and interpersonal conflicts, serves as the foundation for the fictional story told in “Daisy Jones and The Six.”
One of the most significant similarities between the two is the central romantic relationship between members of the band. In Fleetwood Mac, this famously played out between guitarist Lindsey Buckingham and singer Stevie Nicks, as well as between drummer Mick Fleetwood and his former sister-in-law, keyboardist Christine McVie. These relationships were often fraught with tension and jealousy, and they ultimately contributed to the band’s lineup changes and internal turmoil.
In “Daisy Jones and The Six,” the romantic relationships between the titular character and band members Billy Dunne and Graham Dunne mirror the dynamics seen in Fleetwood Mac. The show also explores the complexities of creative collaboration and artistic differences, which were central to Fleetwood Mac’s success and struggles (warning: spoilers ahead).
For example, the Fleetwood Mac song “Go Your Own Way” was written by Lindsey Buckingham about his tumultuous relationship with Stevie Nicks, who was also a member of the band. Similarly, “Daisy Jones and The Six” features a love triangle between the two lead singers, Daisy Jones and Billy Dunne, who are both in relationships with other people.
These are a few more examples of similarities between the fictional show “Daisy Jones and The Six” and the real life story of Fleetwood Mac:
- Both Daisy Jones and Stevie Nicks had distinctive voices and styles that made them stand out as female rock stars in a male-dominated industry.
- Both Daisy Jones and The Six and Fleetwood Mac had multiple romantic relationships and breakups within the band, which fueled their creative output and their drama.
- Both Daisy Jones and The Six and Fleetwood Mac released their most successful albums in 1977: “Aurora” for Daisy Jones and The Six, and “Rumours” for Fleetwood Mac.
- Both “Aurora” and “Rumours” contained songs that were written as responses to each other’s affairs or breakups, such as “Honeycomb” by Daisy Jones and “Dreams” by Stevie Nicks.
- Both Daisy Jones and The Six and Fleetwood Mac struggled with drug addiction, especially cocaine, which affected their personal and professional lives.
- Both Daisy Jones and The Six and Fleetwood Mac had a charismatic and talented guitarist who was also the main songwriter and producer of the band: Billy Dunne for Daisy Jones and The Six, and Lindsey Buckingham for Fleetwood Mac.
- Both Daisy Jones and The Six and Fleetwood Mac had a female singer who joined the band later and became the focal point of the group: Daisy Jones for Daisy Jones and The Six, and Stevie Nicks for Fleetwood Mac.
On the other hand, there are also differences between the story of both bands, the fictional and the real one. For instance, Daisy Jones & The Six were formed in Pittsburgh and then move to Los Angeles, where as Fleetwood Mac were originally formed in London in 1967, and then moved to the Los Angeles music scene.
Also, the time of their breakup as bands are also different. Daisy Jones and The Six broke up in 1977 after the promotional tour for their most successful album, while Fleetwood Mac continued to make music and tour until 2019, with several lineup changes and hiatuses.