Peter Green is a British blues guitarist, singer and songwriter, born in Bethnal Green, United Kingdom in 1946 and active until his death in 2020. He is known as a former member of Fleetwood Mac and for founding the Peter Green Splinter Group. His work spans blues, blues rock, electric blues, pop rock and rock.

Early career

Green is born Peter Allen Greenbaum. He starts out as a bass player in bands including The Muskrats. He later joins Peter B’s, led by Peter Bardens, where Mick Fleetwood also plays drums. In that group he moves to lead guitar and makes his first recordings. In 1966 he joins John Mayall and the Bluesbreakers after Eric Clapton leaves the band.

Fleetwood Mac

After recording on one Mayall album, Green leaves in 1967 to form Fleetwood Mac with Mick Fleetwood. He is the guiding force of the band from 1967 to 1970, when it plays a hard, gritty electric blues sound before later shifting towards a more pop and rock direction. During his time with the group, he writes songs including Man of the World, Oh Well, Green Manalishi, Albatross and Black Magic Woman. Albatross reaches number 1 in the UK charts, and Black Magic Woman is later recorded by Santana on the album Abraxas. Fleetwood Mac is inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1998.

Solo work and later projects

From 1970 to 1974, Green works with small bands, appears on sessions, releases two solo singles and issues the album The End of the Game for Reprise, which consists of extended jams. He then withdraws from the music scene by the end of 1974. He returns to recording in 1979 for PVK Records and releases In the Skies, Little Dreamer, Blue Guitar, Whatcha Gonna Do, White Sky, Kolors, Katmandu, Legend and One Woman Love across the following years. He later forms Katmandu in 1987.

Peter Green Splinter Group and later years

Green leaves the music world again in 1984, then returns in 1995 with a new group formed with Nigel Watson, the Peter Green Splinter Group. The group records several albums, including Splinter Group, Robert Johnson Songbook and Reaching For The Cold 100. Green leaves the group in 2003. After that he appears sporadically, including a Lord’s Taverners benefit at the Royal Albert Hall and performances with The British Blues All-Stars. In 2009 he begins playing and touring as Peter Green and Friends, and a BBC Four documentary titled Peter Green: Man of the World is made about him.

Recognition

Rolling Stone places Green at number 58 in its list of the 100 Greatest Guitarists of All Time. He is also associated with releases on Rattlesnake Ltd.