Is Daisy Jones and The Six based on a true story? Fans of vintage rock and ’70s culture should be rejoicing, because Daisy Jones and The Six has just become available to stream on Amazon Prime. Groovy, baby.
The streaming service‘s drama series, which is based on the hit novel of the same name, follows the story of the fictional rock group Daisy Jones and The Six and their rocky journey to becoming one of the most famous bands in the world.
Littered with ’70s musical references, envy-inducing costumes, and an atmosphere that’s practically slick with style and the ‘flower power’ feeling, the series has rom-com elements that also run heavily alongside the more dramatic story arcs. But with such specific detail and characters that feel so real, we can’t help but wonder: Is Daisy Jones and The Six based on a true story?
Is Daisy Jones and The Six based on a true story?
Whilst the author was originally inspired by some real-life rock legends, no, Daisy Jones and The Six isn’t based on a true story.
The original novel, penned by Taylor Jenkins Reid, is made up of fictitious characters and scenarios. It’s almost hard to believe, since the interview-style narrative of the original book lends itself to reality. Plus, the in-depth understanding of what made the ’70s music scene so undeniably cool made readers feel as if they were really there. (And we can’t help but love TV series or movies based on a true story.)
Similarly, in both the TV series and the book, the dynamics of the group are so solidified that we almost find it hard to believe that there wasn’t a real-life Daisy Jones and The Six that paved the way for a historical retelling.
Still, the Amazon Prime series didn’t come completely out of the blue. Taylor Jenkins Reid was originally drawn to the music of Fleetwood Mac as a child, a love which would come into play down the line when writing the novel.
Specifically, she refers to one particular performance in which Fleetwood Mac performed their hits in a reunion show titled The Dance. Hooked by a performance of Landslide, in which she as a child noted the deep connection between Stevie Nicks and Lindsey Buckingham (who were previously married, then divorced before this set), Reid then began to understand the deep emotional roots of the music and the band themselves.
“Years later, once I understood the full story of Fleetwood Mac, I came across The Dance again, this time on YouTube,” says Reid [via Hello Sunshine]. “I watched it in its entirety. I saw that later on in the show, Stevie sung Silver Springs, like a woman scorned, holding that microphone like a weapon, drilling holes into Lindsey’s head with her eyes as she sang that her voice would haunt him.”
Later, when working on research for what would become Daisy Jones and The Six, Reid would revisit that reunion show for inspiration.
“And yet, two years ago, when I decided I wanted to write a book about rock ‘n’ roll, I kept coming back to that moment when Lindsey watched Stevie sing Landslide. How it looked so much like two people in love. And yet, we’ll never truly know what lived between them. I wanted to write a story about that, about how the lines between real life and performance can get blurred, about how singing about old wounds might keep them fresh.”
It could be argued that Stevie Nicks actually had more of an influence than is being said, given how the aesthetic of the show and depiction of Daisy in particular mimic the style of the Landslide singer. However, Nicks was a musical genius and heavy influence on the genre, as well as the aesthetic of the decade as a whole. It’s not that the series is inspire by Stevie Nicks — the series is inspired by the ’70s that Stevie Nicks created.
So while Daisy Jones and The Six might not have been directly based on a particular group of people or recorded events, it appears the music and emotional sincerity of Fleetwood Mac definitely had something to do with the author’s way of thinking. And aren’t we glad they did.
Already hooked on The Six? Here’s how to watch Daisy Jones and The Six now. Or if you’re after more era-based stories, then check out our guide on whether the upcoming Tetris movie is based on a true story, or revisit some of the best ’90s TV shows. Don’t forget to check out the best musicals of all time, too.