Former Fleetwood Mac member Bob Welch took his own life yesterday (June 7, 2012) because of a failed spinal operation that was going to leave him an invalid.
The 66-year old guitarist was found by his wife Wendy in their Nashville home with a self-inflicted gunshot wound to the chest. He left a suicide note.
It has been revealed that Welch had a spinal operation three months ago and it had become apparent that he was never going to recover.
Friends of Welch say he had lived through watching his mother care for his invalid father for years and in his note wrote Wendy “I’, not going to do this to you”.
Bob was with Fleetwood Mac for five albums from 1971 to 1974. He joined for the album ‘Future Games’, the same album Christine McVie also became a member of the band. ‘Future Games’ was Fleetwood Mac’s 5th album.
One of Bob’s biggest solo hits ‘Sentimental Lady’ was first recorded when he was in Fleetwood Mac for the 1972 ‘Bare Trees’ album.
After Fleetwood Mac, Bob formed Paris and recorded two albums with that band before going solo. His first solo album ‘French Kiss’ (1977) featured his own version of ‘Sentimental Lady’ and his global hit ‘Ebony Eyes’. The album featured Fleetwood Mac’s Mick Fleetwood, Christine McVie and new FM guitarist Lindsay Buckingham. Buckingham and McVie also produced the solo version of ‘Sentimental Lady’.
