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When Stevie Nicks first penned the song “Leather and Lace,” it was meant for country music duo Waylon Jennings and Jessi Colter. However, after the couple chose not to record it, Nicks decided to include the track on her 1981 solo album, Bella Donna, featuring a collaboration with her former partner Don Henley.
The soft rock duet showcased gentle acoustic guitar and keyboards paired with heartfelt lyrics, delivered by two iconic voices. Upon its release, “Leather and Lace” became one of Nicks’ most successful solo singles, climbing to No. 6 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart.
More than four decades later, the song continues to hold a special significance for Nicks and Henley, symbolizing their enduring friendship. Reflecting on their past in a 2024 interview with Rolling Stone, Nicks, now 78, said, “We did go out for about a year and have remained such good friends. ‘Leather and Lace’ draws us together forever.”
Nicks has shared that the song was inspired by several relationships. In a past interview with High Times magazine, she explained that while writing about Jennings and Colter, she was also reflecting on her own experiences with Lindsey Buckingham and Don Henley.
“I was writing about the few couples that I knew and what they went through to try and work it out,” she said. “It was the most disciplined song I had ever written.”
In the liner notes for her Crystal Visions compilation, Nicks revealed that the song was originally intended to capture how Jennings and Colter’s relationship managed to survive the pressures of the music industry. She recalled Henley’s involvement in refining the song, stating, “Don would come over to my house and give me advice about it.
Then I found out that Waylon and Jessi were splitting up. Waylon still wanted me to finish the song, and he was going to sing it by himself.
But by then I had fallen in love with the song, and felt that Don and I were the only two people who could possibly sing it.”
Nicks reflected on the lasting bond between herself and Henley: “How strange and how wonderful that Don and I remain such great friends all these years later. We still sing ‘Leather and Lace’ together every chance we get. It became part of the tapestry of both our lives.”
Today, “Leather and Lace” stands not only as a memorable rock duet but also as a testament to a relationship that ended yet left an indelible mark on both artists’ lives.