Bob Welch (musician)

Bob Welch arrived at a Fleetwood Mac that was adrift. In 1971, the British blues band had lost its key guitarist and was searching for a new direction. Welch, an American with a taste for melodic rock, provided it. His five albums with the group, including 'Future Games' and 'Bare Trees,' introduced a softer, more introspective sound that paved the way for the blockbuster lineup to follow. After leaving in 1974, he launched a solo career that peaked with the sleek, seductive hit 'Sentimental Lady,' a song he first recorded with Fleetwood Mac. His version, produced by his former bandmate Christine McVie, became a top-ten staple of late-70s soft rock. Though later overshadowed by the monumental success of the band he helped transition, Welch's songwriting and guitar work were the essential connective tissue between two distinct chapters of a legendary story, and his solo work captured the smooth, nocturnal vibe of its era.