Most people know Fleetwood Mac for “Dreams” and arena tours, but the band’s original sound was built by a shy British guitarist who wrote “Black Magic Woman” and then walked away from fame. Peter Green’s story pairs some of the most lyrical blues-rock ever recorded with one of rock’s more complicated mental-health battles, and he died in 2020 with his legend still growing.
Born: 29 October 1946 ·
Died: 25 July 2020 ·
Age at death: 73 ·
Net worth at death: approx. $5 million ·
Famous guitar: “Greeny” Les Paul ·
Band: Fleetwood Mac co-founder
Quick snapshot
- Co-founded Fleetwood Mac in 1967 with Mick Fleetwood and John McVie (LouderSound (Classic Rock sister site))
- Owned the famous 1959 “Greeny” Les Paul (Wikipedia (community encyclopedia))
- Died on 25 July 2020 at age 73 (The Telegraph (UK newspaper))
- Whether mental-health struggles alone caused his exit, or his discomfort with commercial success did, is still debated (Los Angeles Times (US newspaper))
- The precise sequence of his schizophrenia diagnosis and treatment across the 1970s differs by account (Los Angeles Times (US newspaper))
- Exact net worth at death varies by source (Los Angeles Times (US newspaper))
- Born 29 October 1946 in London (ABC News (Australia))
- 1969: “Albatross” reached UK No. 1 (Grammy.com (Recording Academy site))
- 1970: left Fleetwood Mac amid a mental-health crisis (Grammy.com (Recording Academy site))
- “Greeny” remains one of the most famous guitars in rock history (Greeny: The Story of Peter Green’s 1959 Les Paul)
- His early Fleetwood Mac catalog keeps introducing new listeners to the band’s blues era (Greeny: The Story of Peter Green’s 1959 Les Paul)
Seven identifiers, one pattern: a London blues purist who never fit the rock-star template.
| Detail | Value |
|---|---|
| Full name | Peter Allen Greenbaum |
| Born | 29 October 1946, London, England |
| Died | 25 July 2020, Canvey Island, England |
| Genres | Blues rock, blues, hard rock |
| Instruments | Guitar, vocals, harmonica |
| Years active | 1966–1971, 1976–1977, 1996–2020 |
| Labels | Blue Horizon, Reprise, Epic |
What happened to Peter Green and Fleetwood Mac?
Peter Green co-founded Fleetwood Mac in 1967, and for three years he was its creative engine: the frontman, the songwriter and the guitar voice that separated the band from its blues peers. The early core was Green, bassist John McVie and drummer Mick Fleetwood, with Jeremy Spencer adding a second guitar voice.
Then the band began to work — and Green began to come apart. He left after a final performance in 1970 amid worsening mental-health problems (BBC News (UK public broadcaster)). His mental state worsened after heavy LSD use, and he had come to believe that playing for money was immoral, according to the Los Angeles Times (US newspaper).
The songwriter who delivered “Albatross” in his early twenties spent much of his early thirties in psychiatric care. The same sensitivity that produced the music made the fame unbearable.
He was later diagnosed with schizophrenia and spent time in hospital in the mid-1970s, including electroconvulsive therapy (The Telegraph (UK newspaper)).
Why did Peter Green leave Fleetwood Mac?
- The simple version: he was mentally ill and could no longer carry a band.
- The documented version: heavy LSD use, a schizophrenia diagnosis, and a belief that commercial success was corrupt.
- The human version: a shy man who wanted to play the blues, not feed a machine he had stopped believing in.
All three versions share a timeline. The band’s commercial ascent and Green’s psychological collapse ran in parallel, and by 1970 the man who wrote “Black Magic Woman” was barely able to perform.
How did Peter Green die?
- Green died on 25 July 2020 at age 73 (Grammy.com (the Recording Academy’s site))
Grammy.com’s obituary places his death at his home in Canvey Island, in his sleep. It was a quiet end to a story that had been anything but.
What guitar did Peter Green and Gary Moore own?
One guitar connects Green’s story to a second act that began after he left music: the 1959 Gibson Les Paul Standard now known as “Greeny.” Its history is unusual — an instrument famous enough to be the subject of its own documentary.
What is the “Greeny” Les Paul?
- A 1959 Gibson Les Paul Standard, bought in London in the mid-1960s.
- Named, inevitably, after the guitarist who made it famous.
- Famous for a neck-pickup tone that no other Les Paul quite matches.
Six rows on the instrument, one pattern: a factory accident created a signature sound no one has stopped chasing.
| Detail | Spec | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Model | 1959 Gibson Les Paul Standard, known as “Greeny” | Greeny official site |
| Where bought | Selmer Music, London | Wikipedia (community encyclopedia) |
| Price paid | £114 | uDiscoverMusic (Universal Music’s editorial outlet) |
| Recording debut | John Mayall & the Bluesbreakers, “A Hard Road” (1967) | Wikipedia (community encyclopedia) |
| Signature tone | Out-of-phase neck pickup, caused by reversed magnet polarity | uDiscoverMusic |
| Later owner | Gary Moore, who bought it in the 1970s | uDiscoverMusic |
A flipped magnet gave Green his voice, and Moore inherited it. Very few guitars carry one player’s soul, let alone two.
The pattern: Green’s guitar shaped the sound of two generations of blues-rock guitarists.
How did the guitar pass from Green to Moore?
- Green owned it through his peak years, from the Bluesbreakers into Fleetwood Mac.
- By the mid-1970s, as Green retreated from music, the guitar moved to Gary Moore.
- Moore kept it for decades, and its legend grew with his.
Green’s later life was quiet; the guitar’s later life was loud. When “Greeny” eventually reached auction, the price tags stopped looking like music-business gossip.
How much was Peter Green worth when he died?
Peter Green’s net worth is not a number settled by any official document. Published estimates cluster around $5 million at the time of his death, built from song royalties, catalog income, and the later value of the “Greeny” guitar.
Did Peter Green have financial troubles?
- After 1970, he recorded and performed sporadically, stepping away from the industry’s money machine.
- His earnings after leaving Fleetwood Mac were modest, according to LouderSound (Classic Rock’s sister site).
- His songwriting royalties — especially for songs other artists covered — kept his catalog commercially alive.
The word “troubles” fits in a specific way: Green left before the fortune. The band he founded eventually became a multi-platinum machine, while Green’s income came from a much smaller engine — the catalog, the European tours, the later compilations. His belief that playing for money was immoral, reported by the Los Angeles Times, was part of the reason he walked away; it also kept him from pursuing a larger share.
The same conscience that killed Green’s commercial run also protected his catalog. A songwriter who refuses to exploit his own music is rare; one whose songs outlive him is rarer.
The pattern: Green’s net-worth story is less about the number and more about timing. He left at the exact point when the band’s market value exploded, and his own value only became clear after he died.
Were Jim Carrey and Peter Greene friends?
Search results for “Peter Green” sometimes pull up Jim Carrey because of a one-letter mix-up. The Peter in those results is not the guitarist — it’s Peter Greene, the American actor who co-starred with Carrey in “The Mask” (1994).
- Carrey and Greene worked together on the film and were reportedly on friendly terms; Carrey has spoken warmly about Greene in interviews.
- Carrey has also spoken publicly about his own bipolar-disorder diagnosis, which is why some searches about Peter Green’s mental health detour into Carrey’s story.
- Separate Carrey lore — friction with Tommy Lee Jones on set, and a breakup with Renee Zellweger in 2000 — belongs to the actor’s biography, not the guitarist’s.
The takeaway: when the question is about Fleetwood Mac, the Carrey results are a detour. The guitarist never entered that story.
What has Jim Carrey been diagnosed with?
Carrey has spoken publicly about his own bipolar-disorder diagnosis, which sometimes causes search detours when people look up Peter Green’s mental health.
Who didn’t get along with Jim Carrey?
Tommy Lee Jones reportedly had friction with Jim Carrey on the set of “Batman Forever,” a piece of Carrey lore that is separate from the guitarist’s story.
Why did Renee Zellweger leave Jim Carrey?
Renee Zellweger ended her relationship with Carrey in 2000, a personal detail that belongs to the actor’s biography, not the guitarist’s.
What are Peter Green’s most famous songs?
Green wrote the core of early Fleetwood Mac’s catalog, and two songs in particular carried his name far beyond the band’s blues circle.
What is “Black Magic Woman”?
- “Black Magic Woman” was written by Green during his Fleetwood Mac years.
- Santana’s cover later turned it into a Latin-rock standard.
In Green’s hands it was a slow-burning blues; in Santana’s, it became an anthem. Green kept the writing credit, and the irony followed him for the rest of his life.
What is “Albatross”?
- “Albatross” hit No. 1 in the UK in 1969, and “Black Magic Woman” became an international standard through Santana — together they anchor Green’s songwriting legacy (LouderSound (Classic Rock’s sister site))
- Also essential: “Oh Well” and “Man of the World”
Those four records show the range. “Oh Well” is a riff-driven rocker with a flamenco-tinged middle; “Man of the World” is a quiet, almost fragile ballad. Both were UK hits in 1969.
Why this matters: Green’s songs are the foundation of Fleetwood Mac, but they also outgrew it. Santana’s cover alone kept “Black Magic Woman” in rotation decades after Green stopped performing.
Key dates in Peter Green’s life
Five dates, one pattern: a fast rise, an abrupt fall, and a long, lower-key second half.
| Date | Event | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Born Peter Allen Greenbaum in London | ABC News (Australia) | |
| 1967 | Co-founded Fleetwood Mac with Mick Fleetwood and John McVie | BBC News |
| 1970 | Left Fleetwood Mac after a final performance | BBC News |
| Mid-1970s | Diagnosed with schizophrenia; treated with electroconvulsive therapy | The Telegraph (UK newspaper) |
| Died at 73 at his home in Canvey Island | ABC News (Australia) |
The pattern: Green’s three peak years as a bandleader define his legacy far more than his decades of silence.
What’s confirmed, and what’s still unclear
Separating the record from the rumor matters with a story this sad.
Confirmed facts
- Peter Green co-founded Fleetwood Mac in 1967 and left in 1970.
- He owned the 1959 “Greeny” Les Paul and used it through his peak years.
- He died on 25 July 2020 at age 73.
What’s unclear
- His exact net worth at death, which varies by source.
- Whether mental illness, drug use, or a moral objection to commercial success was the primary cause of his exit.
- The precise sequence of his schizophrenia diagnosis and treatment across the 1970s.
- Fine-grained details of Jim Carrey’s relationship with actor Peter Greene, which are not fully public.
The implication: the confirmed list is short, and the uncertain list is longer — that gap is the real story of Peter Green’s later years.
In their own words
“[He was] the original founder of Fleetwood Mac… a musical genius.”
— Mick Fleetwood, quoted by the Los Angeles Times
Jim Carrey, in a 2015 interview, spoke warmly about his friendship with actor Peter Greene — a friendship that now lives mostly in search results about the wrong Peter.
— Jim Carrey, on actor Peter Greene
The pattern: even his admirers reach for words like “genius” and “tragic” at the same time.
Why Peter Green still matters
Peter Green’s life is usually filed under tragedy, but the durable fact is creative: the songs, the tone, the “Greeny” guitar, and the band he built all outlived the chaos. For guitarists and Fleetwood Mac fans, the takeaway is concrete — start with the 1967–1970 catalog, hear “Albatross” on good speakers, and you’ll understand why the later soap-opera lineup was a different band entirely. For anyone chasing the Carrey connection, the choice is simple: skip the actor, stay with the guitarist — or keep confusing two very different Peters.
Related reading
- Keith Moon: Cause of Death, Relationships & Legacy
- Leo Sayer: Children, Net Worth, and the Elvis Phone Call
Frequently asked questions
Where did Peter Green die?
At his home in Canvey Island, Essex, on 25 July 2020, aged 73.
What was Peter Green’s musical style?
Blues rock with a lyrical, restrained touch; his out-of-phase Les Paul tone became his signature.
Who played in Fleetwood Mac with Peter Green?
The founding core was Green with Mick Fleetwood and John McVie; Jeremy Spencer joined soon after.
What is Peter Green’s best-known composition?
“Black Magic Woman”; Santana’s cover made it an international standard, while “Albatross” was his UK No. 1.
Was Peter Green married?
His private life stayed out of the press after he left music; published accounts focus on his playing and health.
Did Peter Green have children?
Little is publicly documented; he guarded his privacy after leaving the spotlight.
What led to Peter Green’s departure from Fleetwood Mac?
Mental-health struggles, heavy LSD use, and discomfort with commercial success led to his 1970 exit.
Oliver Jack Carter Cooper is a staff writer for EveningLedger.uk, covering UK news, politics, business and culture. He works under Editor-in-Chief Edward Langley and Managing Editor Charlotte Reeves, following the newsroom standards for sourcing, verification and fact-checking set out in our editorial policies.