Music Goddesses

It's "Oprahpalooza!" Oprah honors trailblazing female musicians who've contributed to the soundtracks of our lives. First up is legendary singer/songwriter Stevie Nicks, a woman who has dominated the music scene for almost four decades as the front woman of Fleetwood Mac and a chart-topping solo artist.

At 16, Stevie wrote her first ballad, and one year later, she met guitarist Lindsey Buckingham in high school. In 1975, Stevie and Lindsey joined Fleetwood Mac and catapulted to superstardom. Stevie's influence was great—young women everywhere imitated her Bohemian style and gypsy mystique.

In 1981, Stevie took a break from Fleetwood Mac and released Bella Donna, her first solo album, but it wasn't the end of Fleetwood Mac. Fans were thrilled when the group reunited in 1997 and performed at sold-out stadiums across the country.

Although Stevie's been recording hits for almost 40 years, she says she wasn't always confident about her career. "You're always scared. It doesn't matter how famous or how big you are: You are always terrified that your next record is not going to be as good as the last one," Stevie says. "It's not just the fact that you become rich and you become famous. You have to work harder. Your trade has to get better."