Stevie Nicks' brother dies at 72 after prolonged battle with cancer
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: Stevie Nicks’ younger brother, Christopher Aaron Nicks, has died at age 72, with his daughter, Nixi Parkinson Nicks, announcing his death in an Instagram post and story on Friday, September 4.
Nixi revealed that Christopher had battled cancer for two and a half years before dying early Friday morning surrounded by his family. She also shared an emotional tribute to her father, remembering the impact he had on those closest to him.
Christopher Aaron Nicks' daughter announces his death after cancer battle
Nixi, born Jessica Nicks, shared a photo of herself holding her father's hand at his bedside and wrote, “second star to the right, and straight on till morning. i love you, daddy. rest easy.” In her Instagram story, she shared a longer announcement about Christopher's death.
“It is with a broken heart that I announce the passing of my father, Christopher Aaron Nicks, early this morning, surrounded by family,” she wrote. Nixi explained that her father had spent the last 2.5 years battling a cancer diagnosis, adding that his death may come as a shock to some because he never wanted people to worry about him and therefore kept his health struggles to himself.
Nixi also reflected on the impact Christopher had on those around him, writing, “I know that he has left his mark on so many people, and this will leave many more than his immediate family with a piece of them missing.”
She added that his friends, whom he called his “lost boys,” meant the world to him. She concluded, “Rest easy, Coach. We will see you in Neverland,” while Stevie had not publicly commented on her brother's death at the time of writing.
Christopher was five years younger than Stevie. He welcomed Nixi with his ex-wife, Lori Perry-Nicks, who was formerly one of Stevie's backing singers.
Stevie Nicks' close bond with Christopher Aaron Nicks
In a 2003 interview with You Magazine, Stevie recalled that she had disliked her younger brother when they were children. “By the time I was five, I was a little diva. I was out of control, so my parents decided to have another child,” she said.
She continued, “I hated Chris, my brother. I would pull his hair and kick him, until one day my father gave him permission to fight back. I’ll be apologizing to him for the rest of my life.”
Stevie later developed a close relationship with Christopher. She said that when she was not touring, she lived with Christopher, Lori and their daughter Jessie in the Phoenix house she had owned since 1980. She also revealed that her parents lived five minutes away and that she spent six weeks at home during Christmas, when she bonded with her family.
“My mom collects my cuttings; Chris does my merchandizing and Lori is one of my backing singers,” Stevie said. She also recalled how Christopher supported her after three girls were killed in a car crash after attending one of her shows.
“Chris sat with me when three girls were killed in a car crash after going to my show. I needed someone to tell me it was not my fault. Nobody but Chris could get that over to me.”
During a 1986 interview, Stevie spoke about how important her family was to her. “My family is... my family is so important to me that last night in the middle of the night I started to cry because I miss my brother, and I needed to call him,” she said.
