When the news broke on July 25, 2020, that Peter Green had died, the music world didn't just lose a guitarist. It lost a ghost that had been haunting the fringes of rock and roll for decades. He was 73. A lot of people expected a dramatic, rock-star ending, but the reality was much quieter. Honestly, it was almost poetic given how much noise he’d spent his life trying to escape.
He died in his sleep.
The official statement from the family’s solicitors at Swan Turton was brief. It basically said he passed away "peacefully" while resting at his home on Canvey Island, Essex. No sirens, no hospital drama. Just a silent exit for a man whose "sweetest tone" once gave B.B. King the cold sweats.
Peter Green Cause of Death: What the Records Actually Say
There’s often a lot of confusion when a legend like this goes. People start digging for "the real story," assuming there's some hidden overdose or a sudden medical emergency. But with Peter Green, the cause of death was attributed to natural causes.
At 73, after years of physical and mental wear and tear, his body simply stopped.
You’ve got to remember that Green wasn't living the high life in his final years. He was living a secluded, relatively modest life on Canvey Island. By the time 2020 rolled around, he wasn't the "Green God" anymore—he was a pensioner who liked fishing and occasionally picking up a guitar. His health had been a fragile thing for a long time, not just because of age, but because of the heavy psychiatric medications he’d been on since the seventies.
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The shadow of the "Munich incident"
To understand why his death felt so heavy, you have to look at what happened in 1970. The guy was at the top of the world. Fleetwood Mac was outselling the Beatles. Then, he went to a party at a commune in Munich, took some high-dosage LSD, and—according to Mick Fleetwood—he "never really came back."
That single night triggered a descent into schizophrenia.
For years, Peter was in and out of mental hospitals. He underwent electroconvulsive therapy (ECT). He was once arrested for threatening his accountant with a shotgun because he didn't want the royalty checks the guy was trying to give him. He literally tried to give his wealth away. That kind of mental strain takes a massive toll on the physical heart and the nervous system over fifty years.
Was it related to his past struggles?
Indirectly? Probably. Directly? No.
While the "acid casualty" narrative is the one everyone knows, it’s a bit of a cliché. By the late nineties, Peter had made a massive comeback with the Splinter Group. He was more present. He was playing again. But he was also on a cocktail of pills to keep the voices at bay. Long-term use of heavy antipsychotics is notoriously hard on the organs.
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However, in the days leading up to his death, there were no reports of him being ill. He hadn't been rushed to the ER. He just went to bed on a Friday night and didn't wake up on Saturday.
A life of simplicity
In his later years, Peter found a weird kind of peace. He cut his long, famous fingernails. He stopped trying to be the greatest guitarist in the world. He just wanted to be Peter Greenbaum again.
I think that's why "peacefully in his sleep" matters so much. For a guy who spent decades with a "Green Manalishi" scratching at his brain, a quiet exit is the ultimate win.
The legacy he left behind
Even though he died quietly, the impact was a sledgehammer. Just five months before he passed, Mick Fleetwood organized a massive tribute concert at the London Palladium. David Gilmour, Pete Townshend, and Steven Tyler were all there playing Peter’s songs.
Peter didn't go.
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He didn't need the applause. He’d written "Black Magic Woman," "Albatross," and "Man of the World"—songs that defined a generation—and then he walked away from the fame. Most musicians spend their lives chasing what he threw away.
If you’re looking for a deeper lesson in the story of Peter Green’s life and death, it’s probably about the cost of genius. He felt everything too deeply. He played with a vulnerability that most people can't handle. When he died, he was finally free of the "Oh Well" of his own mind.
If you want to truly honor his memory, don't just read about his death. Go listen to the live version of "Jumpin' at Shadows." You can hear his soul in the strings. It’s better than any obituary.
Next Steps for Music Fans:
- Listen to the "Live in Boston" 1970 recordings: This is Peter at his absolute peak, right before he left the band.
- Watch the "Man of the World" Documentary: It’s a BBC Four film that gives the most honest look at his mental health struggles without being exploitative.
- Explore the Splinter Group Era: Most people skip his 90s work, but The Robert Johnson Songbook is a masterclass in restrained blues.