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NASHVILLE (AP) —
Bob Welch, a guitarist and singer who spent about four years with Fleetwood Mac and later had hit records as a solo artist, was found dead at his home here on Thursday. He was in his mid-60s.
The Nashville police said he had died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound. Don Aaron, a spokesman for the police, said that Mr. Welch apparently had health problems and left a suicide note.
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Mr. Welch was with Fleetwood Mac from 1971 to 1974. After leaving, he formed the rock group Paris, but when that group’s two albums had limited success, he went out on his own. His solo version of “Sentimental Lady” — on which Christine McVie and Lindsey Buckingham of Fleetwood Mac provided backing vocals (it had earlier been recorded by the band) — was a Top 10 hit in 1977. His “Ebony Eyes” reached No. 14 on the Billboard singles chart the next year. He had a total of four Top 40 singles between 1977 and 1979.
He later moved to Nashville, where he pursued songwriting.
Mr. Welch was born in Los Angeles — on July 31, 1946, according to some sources; on Aug. 31, 1945, according to others — and was living in Paris when he joined Fleetwood Mac, which at the time was primarily a blues band. During his tenure, largely because of the influence of Mr. Welch and Ms. McVie (who had joined a few months earlier), the band developed more of a pop sound and its following began to grow, especially in the United States.
But Mr. Welch left and was replaced by Mr. Buckingham and Stevie Nicks shortly before Fleetwood Mac had its greatest success in the middle and late 1970s with the albums “Fleetwood Mac” and “Rumours.” The group’s “Dreams” was a No. 1 hit in 1977, and its “Don’t Stop” (whose chorus begins “Don’t stop thinking about tomorrow”) became the anthem for Bill Clinton’s presidential campaign.
Information on survivors was not immediately available.
"Sentimental Lady" from vinyl
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Bob Welch, Ebony Eyes Bob Welch- Hypnotized (Roxy 81 Live) 
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