Lindsey Buckingham is leaving Fleetwood Mac
When Fleetwood Mac hits the road this year, it will be without Lindsey Buckingham for the first time in decades.
The legendary band has split with the beloved guitarist prior to its fall tour, according to Rolling Stone, and it’ll apparently take two men to replace him. Both Mike Campbell, of Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers, and Neil Finn, of Crowded House, will replace Buckingham.
It’s not entirely clear why Buckingham was let go, but a source close to the band told CNN they split “over musical differences regarding the tour.” So far, both the band and Buckingham have been silent about the split on social media.
For fans looking to see Buckingham perform alongside his former girlfriend and longtime bandmate Stevie Nicks, this new will undoubtedly be a disappointment—but the band is maintaining its stance. Fleetwood Mac issued a statement which read, in part:
“With Mike and Neil, we’ll be performing all the hits that the fans love, plus we’ll be surprising our audiences with some tracks from our historic catalogue of songs. Fleetwood Mac has always been a creative evolution. We look forward to honoring that spirit on this upcoming tour.”
Buckingham joined the band in 1974, along with Nicks, writing some of the band’s most popular hits, including “Go Your Own Way,” “Monday Morning” and “Second Hand News.” According to Rolling Stone, he left the band in 1987, only to join again in 1996, continuing to tour with them since then.
In 2017, Buckingham released an album with fellow longtime Fleetwood Mac member Christine McVie, titled “Lindsey Buckingham/Christine McVie.”
Does Buckingham not being part of the band make you reconsider going to see Fleetwood Mac in concert?