Buckingham Leaves Fleetwood Mac
• Big news for the fans of Fleetwood Mac — yesterday it was announced that longtime lead guitarist and musical collaborator Lindsey Buckingham was leaving the band; that news was quickly followed by the announcement Mike Campbell, longtime lead guitarist for Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers and Neil Finn, frontman for Crowded House would join the band for a fall tour.
“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.”
In a statement, Fleetwood Mac said, “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.” The statement concludes, “Lindsey Buckingham will not be performing with the band on this tour. The band wishes Lindsey all the best.”
Buckingham (right) has been Fleetwood Mac’s lead guitarist since he and then girlfriend Stevie Nicks (performing as Buckingham Nicks) were recruited by Mick Fleetwood in 1974. The band’s popularity quickly skyrocketed on the heels of two huge albums — 1975’s Fleetwood Macand 1977’s monster-selling Rumours. After a decade-long split, Buckingham returned to the band in 1997, the year before Fleetwood Mac was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
Campbell worked with Tom Petty for nearly 50 years in their early band Mudcrutch and the Heartbreakers. Petty and the Heartbreakers backed Stevie Nicks on her first solo album, 1981’s Bella Donna, and Petty duetted with Nicks on “Stop Draggin’ My Heart Around.” Buckingham last performed with Fleetwood Mac on January 26 in New York when the band was honored as the 2018 MusiCares® Person of the Year.
