Fleetwood Mac Fires Lindsey Buckingham

Steven Ferdman/Getty Images

Fleetwood Mac Fires Lindsey Buckingham

Steven Ferdman/Getty Images

Lindsey Buckingham can go his own way … again. The guitarist first left Fleetwood Mac in ’87 and rejoined the group in ’97 for The Dance. The band will embark on a tour starting in June, and according to a statement, Stevie Nicks, Christine McVie, John McVie, and Mick Fleetwood will be joined on the road by Mike Campbell (Tom Petty And The Heartbreakers) and Neil Finn (Crowded House) instead of Buckingham. A source tells TMZ that Buckingham “will no longer be involved in any band activity.”

Earlier this year, Fleetwood Mac released the deluxe reissue of their self-titled 1975 LP, the first the band released with both Buckingham and Stevie Nicks.

Buckingham’s last performance with Fleetwood Mac was at MusiCares’ Person Of The Year gala earlier this year. You can read the band’s announcement via Variety below.

Fleetwood Mac has always been about an amazing collection of songs that are performed with a unique blend of talents,” Mick Fleetwood said. “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.”

“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,” said the group collectively. “Fleetwood Mac has always been a creative evolution. We look forward to honoring that spirit on this upcoming tour.”

Neil Finn released his own statement:

“Two weeks ago I received a wonderful invitation to be a part of a truly great band. A few days later I was standing in a room playing music with Fleetwood Mac. It felt fresh and exciting, so many great songs, a spectacular rhythm section and two of the greatest voices ever. Best of all, we sounded good together. It was a natural fit. I can’t wait to play.”

Fleetwood Mac were apparently pressured to confirm Buckingham’s departure when guitarist Billy Burnette (who replaced Buckingham along with Rick Vito last time he quit) tweeted, “Breaking news: Lindsey Buckingham is out but I’m not in” a few days ago. He deleted the tweet shortly after.

UPDATE: The plot thickens. Rolling Stone now reports that “Fleetwood Mac fired Lindsey Buckingham after a disagreement over the band’s upcoming tour.”

more from News