There Was "Too Much Animosity" In Fleetwood Mac Before Lineup Changes

Fleetwood Mac had no choice but to fire Lindsey Buckingham last year, says Christine McVie.

It was either let Buckingham go his own way or break up the band after more than 50 years.

McVie told Mojo magazine in a new interview that the band was at a breaking point last year after its MusiCares Person of the Year honors. Something had to change.

"It was the only route we could take, because there was too much animosity between certain members of the band at that point," McVie said. "...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."

Buckingham himself blamed Stevie Nicks for his ousting, saying that sometime last year, she changed her mind about their relationship and informed the other members of the band that if they didn't fire Buckingham, she would quit.

Drummer Mick Fleetwood has refused to call the Buckingham split a firing, but has confirmed that it stemmed from issues between Nicks and Buckingham. Fleetwood, too, agrees the situation in the band with Buckingham was untenable, and the band did what it had to do.

Buckingham, who is currently recovering from emergency heart surgery, said last fall that he was "happy enough" with the way the band settled legal aspects of the break with him.

While Buckingham says he tried to reconcile after he was voted out, and that he regrets the lack of contact with some of his former bandmates, ultimately he doesn't miss being in Fleetwood Mac because it gave him a chance to work on some other projects that he had in the works.

Photo: Getty Images


Sponsored Content

Sponsored Content