Peter Green, the legendary British blues guitarist and co-founder of Fleetwood Mac, died peacefully in his sleep on July 25, 2020, at the age of 73.

Who Peter Green Was

Peter Green was a founding member of Fleetwood Mac and led the band in its original late-1960s blues-rock era.

He wrote classics like “Albatross,” “Black Magic Woman,” “Oh Well,” “Man of the World,” and “The Green Manalishi (With the Two Prong Crown),” many of which later became standards covered by other artists.

What Happened To Him

  • Peter Green left Fleetwood Mac in 1970 after a period of heavy LSD use and the onset of serious mental health problems, including paranoia and schizophrenia.
  • In the 1970s he spent time in psychiatric hospitals and underwent electroconvulsive therapy, stepping largely away from mainstream music.
  • He later returned to recording and performing sporadically, but never pursued fame at the level of his Fleetwood Mac years.
  • He died in 2020; his family stated it was a peaceful passing, and there has been no widely reported scandal or crime associated with his death.

His Later Reputation and Legacy

BBC Music and other outlets have described Peter Green as one of rock’s most gifted yet “tortured” artists because of the contrast between his musical brilliance and his struggles with mental illness.

Guitarists and fans still praise his touch, tone, and emotional phrasing, often noting that his playing favored simplicity and space over flash.

Recent and Forum Discussion Context

  • Since his death, fans on forums like Reddit’s Fleetwood Mac and guitar communities regularly mark his birthday and anniversary with tribute posts and song recommendations.
  • Around late 2025, articles revisiting his life and calling him “the most tortured rock artist of all time” have renewed interest and discussion, keeping “what happened to Peter Green” a trending search and talking point.

“Don’t ask me what I think of you, I might not give the answer that you want me to.” – a frequently quoted Peter Green lyric that fans now use as a kind of epitaph in online tributes.

TL;DR: Peter Green was a founding genius of Fleetwood Mac whose career was derailed by severe mental health struggles; he lived a quieter, intermittent musical life afterward and died peacefully in 2020, with his legend and influence on modern guitar playing continuing to grow online.

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.