When Exactly Did Bob Welch Leave Fleetwood Mac?

[Penguin Emeritus]

Originally Posted by chriskisn

Yes I remember she was very argumentative and angry with those of us on here. Most of whom fully agreed with her that Bob should have been inducted. I hate to think how she would have treated those who disagreed. Grief is a funny thing though.

Grief may have played a bigger part in her rage than i ever realized. my dad passed away 3 mos ago and right now my mom, in many ways, is like a different person. angry, unable to focus or "hear" what is said, going off on things that happened in the past , just shattered..so now i can kind of understand how people can change so dramatically. never saw this firsthand before. i do appreciate wendy's devotion to bob and that may have made her not really be in her rational mind.

-Lis

[jbrownsjr]

I absolutely understood her outrage in leaving Bob out. It's still a BIG mistake among other a slew of mistakes for their legacy.

[HomerMcvie]

Originally Posted by jbrownsjr

I absolutely understood her outrage in leaving Bob out. It's still a BIG mistake among other a slew of mistakes for their legacy.

"Bob Welch SAVED Fleetwood Mac" - Mick Fleetwood

Mick, you're an ungrateful mother fukcer.

[Villavic]

The final words Mick wrote about Bob in his first book were
Bob Welch, still a buddy, lives in Phoenix and is doing movie sound tracks.

Did he record or produce music for soundtracks? I couldn't find anything.

[Street_Dreamer]

The most honest thing he's ever said... or written because it is, in fact the truth.

Originally Posted by HomerMcvie

"Bob Welch SAVED Fleetwood Mac" - Mick Fleetwood

Mick, you're an ungrateful mother fukcer.

[Penguin Emeritus]

Originally Posted by jbrownsjr

I absolutely understood her outrage in leaving Bob out. It's still a BIG mistake among other a slew of mistakes for their legacy.

they have made a ton of errors but i still don't think they had anything to do w the final decision, though...? i went back to look at bob's Q&A and even he explained that it was the board's decision, because his years w FM were not up to the board's standards. but i can understand his anger and frustration w that.

--Lis

[HomerMcvie]

Originally Posted by Penguin Emeritus

they have made a ton of errors but i still don't think they had anything to do w the final decision, though...? i went back to look at bob's Q&A and even he explained that it was the board's decision, because his years w FM were not up to the board's standards. but i can understand his anger and frustration w that.

--Lis

I refuse to believe that if Mick had insisted, that they would have denied him entry.

[aleuzzi]

Originally Posted by HomerMcvie

I refuse to believe that if Mick had insisted, that they would have denied him entry.

Especially since, in other cases, with other bands, former members who left before the band got famous are still included.

Ainsley Dunbar was inducted for Journey, though he was fired following the recording of Infinity, which was before the band broke big. Like Welch, Dunbar was a key player on their early, comparatively obscure records.

Bruce Springsteen was initially inducted without the E-Street Band. Many years later, as a result of Bruce’s advocacy, they were inducted apart from him.

If Welch was just a session player, like some of the supporting musician for, say, Traffic or CSNY, then I could see the omission. I also do not think Burnett, Bramlett, Mason, Weston, Walker, Brunning or Vito should have been inducted, though Burnett, Vito, Bramlett, and Weston made impressive contributions. But Welch was different: for four years, he WAS FM.

[Street_Dreamer]

If only Mick had some balls...

Originally Posted by HomerMcvie

I refuse to believe that if Mick had insisted, that they would have denied him entry.

[HomerMcvie]

Originally Posted by Street_Dreamer

If only Mick had some balls...

Did he ever? He's been a suck up to Stevie for nearly half a century now.

And it must be contagious, because it rubbed off on Lindsey.

[Macfan4life]

Originally Posted by Street_Dreamer

If only Mick had some balls...

He sold them along with his RRHOF award

[Villavic]

Bob made 5 albums with Fleetwood Mac. Same as Randy Meisner with Eagles. And Randy was in Eagles induction.

[Mr Scarrott]

Originally Posted by Villavic

Bob made 5 albums with Fleetwood Mac. Same as Randy Meisner with Eagles. And Randy was in Eagles induction.

All seven then-current and past members of the Eagles were inducted and Randy was on Hotel California so I'm not sure the comparison is valid on that score.

However, Bob Welch's contribution was several heads and shoulders above those of Brunning, Weston, Walker, Vito, Burnette, Bramlett and Mason put together and he should have been included, especially as he, in Mick's own words "saved Fleetwood Mac". Perhaps if he were on better terms with Fleetwood and the McVies at the time they would have put a word in for him, like the Rolling Stones did for the late Ian Stewart.

Perhaps, though, Bob Weston put it best in his Q & A here:

I don't have an opinion on the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame thing. Of course it's great to be recognised; who wants to be ignored? (Only the famous, perhaps .) I don't understand the method of selection, or the Hall of Fame's significance. Does one get a wax effigy, like Mme Tussauds?

[Macfan4life]

Originally Posted by Villavic

Bob made 5 albums with Fleetwood Mac. Same as Randy Meisner with Eagles. And Randy was in Eagles induction.

That's a good point. I remember the original drummer in Blondie wanted to be included but he was purposely excluded from induction by Harry and the rest of the band. It did not stop him from showing up and crashing the stage anyway. The point of the story is it's an example of a band excluding a former member from induction.
There is so much we don't know. It could be about the legal process. I am speculating but what if Bob's lawyer was in the process of deposing Chris and Mick. Surely that would irk you to not want to be around Bob. Perhaps they were afraid Bob was going to show up with a surprise subpoena or something (joke).
Like others said, it would be strange for Chris to act this way towards Bob. But we do not know the Fleetwood Mac position in the civil case. Perhaps the band's lawyers told them to stay away from Bob. There is a piece of the puzzle we don't know. We know what Bob alleges in the lawsuit. We don't know what the band and its lawyers response was or their strategy at the time of the RRHOF. We just know like most civil cases it was settled.

[Villavic]

Originally Posted by Macfan4life

There is so much we don't know. It could be about the legal process. .

Yes. I don't know if we will ever know the whole truth. By 1997 they probably were not allowed to talk about the people involved. And now Bob is not anymore, so it would not be correct for the band to talk about someone who can no longer confirm or question what others say.