Mick Fleetwood and Christine McVie have confirmed they chose to ditch Lindsey Buckingham from Fleetwood Mac due to his feud with ex-lover Stevie Nicks.
Lindsey left the band acrimoniously last year, and later claimed he had been kicked out of the band by Stevie, 70, who he alleged took exception to his “smirking” behaviour at a MusiCares benefit concert and refused to share a stage with him ever again.
Comparing the warring duo’s relationship to Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton’s tempestuous marriages, the group’s leader Mick told Britain’s Mojo magazine, “Support really could not be given to ask the situation to continue. It was too challenging.”
The veteran drummer disagreed that the group’s guitarist was fired, but did admit the famed guitarist was forced out due to the animosity between him and his one-time lover.
Mick, 71, explained: “The truth is, call it what you want, a parting of company took place, and it had to take place, and it was supported by the remaining band members around something that for sure was a major problem to two people – Lindsey and Stevie.”
Christine, 75, collaborated on a joint album with her former colleague as recently as 2017, believed the rest of the group had to “make a choice” as she feared for their future if action wasn’t taken.
“It was the only route we could take, because there was too much animosity between certain members of the band at that point, there was just no way it could’ve gone on as a five-piece, a group with Lindsey in the band. So it was either just completely break up the band or make the best of it,” she confessed.
The 69-year-old initially sued his old bandmates, but the case was settled in December, leading to him expressing a willingness to return to the Fleetwood Mac fold if invited. However, he underwent open heart surgery last month and is now recovering.
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