Singer, songwriter, and guitarist Lindsey Buckingham has left Fleetwood Mac, Variety and TMZ report. The band told Variety that they would be touring this year with Mike Campbell (Tom Petty and the Hearbreakers) and Neil Finn (Crowded House) as replacement for Buckingham. In a statement, the band confirmed that “Lindsey Buckingham will not be performing with the band on this tour” and that “the band wishes Lindsey all the best.” They also described their plans for their upcoming tour with Finn and Campbell, for which no dates have yet been announced:
We are thrilled to welcome the musical talents of the caliber of Mike Campbell and Neil Finn into the Mac family. 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.
Drummer and co-founder Mick Fleetwood said in a separate statement to Variety:
Fleetwood Mac has always been about an amazing collection of songs that are performed with a unique blend of talents. We jammed with Mike and Neil and the chemistry really worked and let the band realize that this is the right combination to go forward with in Fleetwood Mac style. We know we have something new, yet it’s got the unmistakable Mac sound.
The first indication of Buckingham’s potential exit from the band came via a now-deleted tweet from Billy Burnette, one of the singer-songwriters and guitarist who replaced Buckingham during his hiatus from the band between 1987 and 1997. “Breaking news: Lindsey Buckingham is out but I’m not in,” Burnette wrote. “A little pissed off but I’ll get over it.” Sources then confirmed to TMZ that Buckingham will not be touring with the band on the world tour that Christine McVie has claimed was set to occur this summer. McVie first alluded to the tour last year, during the press cycle for McVie and Buckingham’s collaborative, self-titled album from June.
Following a 2013 Fleetwood Mac reunion EP made without Christine McVie, McVie rejoined the band in 2014 for a tour with the group. Since then, rumors that a full-length Fleetwood Mac album would be coming have circulated. The band last played together live last summer.
Spin has reached out to Buckingham’s representatives for further comment.
Update (5 p.m.): Rolling Stone now reports that Buckingham was fired from Fleetwood Mac “after a disagreement over the band’s upcoming tour.”
