Peter Green Passed Away!

Peter Green, the founder of Fleetwood Mac passed away.

Sad day in the world of rock & roll and soul.

Peter Green, the former frontman for Fleetwood Mac has passed away.

According to a family statement released on Saturday, the English born singer-guitarist died of natural causes. The founding member of the British-American rock group who recorded numerous hits throughout the 1960s, 70s and 80s has passed away.

"It is with great sadness that the family of Peter Green announced his death this weekend, peacefully in his sleep," said in the statement.

The blues rock guitarist formed Fleetwood Mac with drummer Mick Fleetwood in 1967.

Green was known as a legend in the game. Even the late B.B. King had said that Green, "has the sweetest tone I ever heard. He was the only one who gave me the cold sweats."

Green is also known as a very gifted songwriter and composer. He wrote and produced the singles, Albatross, Oh Well and Black Magic Woman.

Born Peter Allan Greenbaum in 1946 in London, England, he learned the guitar at an early age and got his big break when he performed as a stand in for Eric Clapton.

He was barely out of his teens he got his break in 1966, replacing Clapton in the John Mayall's Bluesbreakers -- initially for just a week in 1965 after Clapton abruptly took off for a Greek holiday.

Clapton would eventually leave the group and pursue a solo career. Green would soon be a part of the Bluesbreakers.



In the Bluesbreakers, he was reunited with Fleetwood, a former colleague in Peter B's Looners. Mayall added bass player John McVie soon after. The three departed the group and formed Fleetwood Mac (aka Peter Green's Fleetwood Mac featuring Jeremy Spencer).

Fleetwood Mac made its debut at the British Blues and Jazz Festival in the summer of 1967, which lead to a record deal and their first album in February 1968, The album included the single Long Grey Mare and three other songs by Green, stayed on the British charts for 13 months.

The band's early albums wee heavy blues-rock affairs marked by the touch of Green's influence.

The group had its mishaps during the 1970s. Green who lived the rock style life had a mental breakdown and was addicted to LSD, mushrooms, heroin and cocaine. He would become mentally ill and was sent to mental ward in 1977.

Fleetwood Mac before they fired Lindsey Buckingham.

The group would soon kick Green out and hire on Christine McVie (the wife of John McVie at the time), Stevie Nicks and Lindsey Buckingham. The three new additions helped the group become icons in the pop, rock, blues and soul genre.

Green had done solo acts and even formed the Peter Green Splinter Group in the 1990s. He leaves behind one daughter named Rosebud from his brief married to Jane Samuels.

He lived his life in Essex on Canvey Island.

Fleetwood Mac had recently fired Buckingham out the cannon and replaced him with Michael Campbell and Neil Flynn.

To this day, Fleetwood Mac is considered one of the world's best-selling bands. Fleetwood Mac was honored with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame and were the inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

They have won a Brit Award for Outstanding Contribution to Music.