Christopher Aaron Nicks spent much of his life close to one of rock music’s most recognizable stars without trying to become one himself. His daughter says he approached his final illness with much the same instinct for privacy.
Christopher, the younger brother and only sibling of Stevie Nicks, died Sept. 4 at age 72 after living with a cancer diagnosis for approximately two and a half years. His daughter, Nixi Parkinson Nicks, announced his death on social media and said he was surrounded by family, according to USA TODAY’s report carried by AOL.
Nixi said many people did not know her father was sick because he deliberately kept the diagnosis to himself instead of making others worry.
Mick Fleetwood had, sharing an old photograph of the siblings and remembering a man whose life repeatedly intersected with the Fleetwood Mac world even though Christopher generally remained outside the spotlight.
His Daughter Says He Kept His Cancer Diagnosis Private
Nixi first marked her father’s death with a photograph of herself holding his hand and a brief message telling him she loved him and to rest easy. She later explained that Christopher had been dealing with cancer for about two and a half years.
In the longer tribute, Nixi acknowledged that the news could come as a shock to some of the people who knew him. She said his circle of close friends, whom he called his “lost boys,” had meant enormously much to him.
PEOPLE reported that Christopher died surrounded by family. Nixi closed her message by calling him “Coach” and writing that they would see him again in Neverland.
Christopher Had His Own Place Inside Stevie’s Career
Christopher worked behind the scenes on merchandise operations for several of her solo tours and became familiar to longtime fans who encountered him while she was on the road.
He also inherited a family concert tradition. Christopher introduced Stevie before performances during the Rock a Little tour in 1986, The Other Side of the Mirror in 1989, Street Angel in 1994 and Enchanted in 1998. Their father, Jess Nicks, had previously handled similar introductions.
Christopher also earned a place in Stevie’s recorded catalog. He shares a songwriting credit with his sister on “The Nightmare,” released on her 1985 album Rock a Little. The original album credit lists the song to Stevie Nicks and Christopher Nicks.
His occasional appearances in front of the camera came during the same period. Christopher can be seen in promotional videos including “Talk to Me” and “I Can’t Wait,” small cameos that put him briefly inside the visual world surrounding his sister’s solo career.
Mick Fleetwood Remembered His ‘Zest for Life’
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Mick Fleetwood responded to Christopher’s death by sharing a photograph of Stevie with her brother. Fleetwood wrote that Christopher’s death brought back memories from an “amazing life,” much of it connected in some way to Fleetwood Mac. He singled out Christopher’s “zest for life” as something that would remain a source of inspiration.
Christopher’s former wife, Lori Perry-Nicks, also had longstanding ties to Stevie’s music. Lori worked as one of Stevie’s backing vocalists and shares Nixi with Christopher.
In her own tribute, Lori remembered him as someone who loved life and lived it according to his own rules, describing him as one of a kind and saying there would never be another person quite like him.
Stevie Once Dedicated ‘Landslide’ to the Brother Who Had Her Back
Christopher and Stevie were five years apart in age, but the clearest public evidence of their adult bond came during a Fleetwood Mac concert in Phoenix in November 2018.
Before performing “Landslide,” Stevie told the audience that she wanted to dedicate the song to someone who remained on her side regardless of disagreements between them. “He always has my back,” she said before naming her brother Christopher.
Entertainment Weekly revisited the dedication following his death. She spoke openly about siblings having problems, arguments and things that could come between them before identifying Christopher as the person she could still rely on.