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Lindsey Buckingham has spoken in depth about his 2018 firing from Fleetwood Mac, and shared insights as to why he and the band have parted way. Buckingham, who was the main creative force of the band is now out on the road in support of his upcoming self-tiled solo album set for release on September 17th.
When pressed about his dismissal from the band, Buckingham told The Los Angeles Times, “It would be like a scenario where Mick Jagger says, ‘Either Keith (Richards) goes or I go. No, neither one of you can go. But I guess the singer has to stay. The figurehead has to stay. . . I think she saw the possibility of remaking the band more in the Stevie Nicks vein. More mellow and kind of down, giving her more chances to do the kind of talking she does onstage.”
Buckingham, who’s known Stevie Nicks since their high school days back in Northern California, spoke frankly about his former-girlfriend at age 73: “You could do a whole analysis on Stevie at this point in her life and what she’s allowed to happen and what she’s allowed to slip away from her. Her creativity, at least for a while it seemed like she wasn’t in touch with that. Same with the level of energy she once had onstage. I think that was hard for her, seeing me jump around in an age-inappropriate way. Also, she’s lonely. She’s alone. She has the people who work for her, and I’m sure she has friends, but y’know.”
Both Stevie Nicks and Fleetwood Mac’s manager, legendary music mogul Irving Azoff responded to Buckingham’s claims regarding Nicks and his firing, respectively.
Stevie Nicks countered: “His version of events is factually inaccurate and while I’ve never spoken publicly on the matter, certainly it feels the time has come to shine a light on the truth. To be exceedingly clear, I did not have him fired, I did not ask for him to be fired, I did not demand he be fired. Frankly, I fired myself. I proactively removed myself from the band and a situation I considered to be toxic to my wellbeing. I was done. If the band went on without me, so be it. And after many lengthy group discussions, Fleetwood Mac, a band whose legacy is rooted in evolution and change, found a new path forward with two hugely talented new members.”
Regarding Buckingham’s statements pertaining to her personal life, Nicks added: “Those are my decisions that I get to make for myself. I’m proud of the life choices I’ve made and it seems a shame for him to pass judgment on anyone who makes a choice to live their life on their own terms.”
Irving Azoff broke his silence regarding the situation between Fleetwood Mac and Lindsey Buckingham, stating: “I have historically declined comment on artists, but in the case of Lindsey Buckingham, I will make an exception. While I understand it’s challenging for Lindsey to accept his own role in these matters and far easier to blame a manager, the fact remains that his actions alone are responsible for what transpired. Frankly, if I can be accused of anything it’s perhaps holding things together longer than I should have. After 2018 when Fleetwood Mac evolved with their new lineup, my continued work with the band was due entirely to the fact I’ve been aligned with Stevie Nicks in thought and purpose from the earliest of days. While financial gain was not a motivator for me, it was a delightful bonus that the band scored their highest grossing tour ever without Lindsey.”
Not too long ago, Lindsey Buckingham recalled that overcoming the drama surrounding the band’s inter-personal relationships during the making of Rumours showed that they could feasibly deal with and work through any issues that came their way: “The best thing probably was, in some odd way, the fact that we rose above all of that and were almost able to tap into the heroic aspects of ourselves in order to do what needed to be done. Because, we’d had already had one successful album, and once Rumours became as successful as it obviously was going to become, we just realized that we just had to push through no matter what and that was what people responded to.”
Back in 2012 during a Q&A at the Hamptons International Film Festival, Stevie Nicks touched upon some of her longtime issues with Lindsey Buckingham: “I mean, obviously, I didn’t go out with that guy, ’cause he was, like, a jerk. I went out with him ’cause he was gorgeous, and he had a beautiful smile, and a wonderful laugh, and he was a lot of fun. . . in the beginning (laughter, applause). And then, like men and women do, they get possessive, and consuming, and all-powerful, and wanting to run the show completely. Either you let me drive with you or I’m not gonna do it.”