Legendary musician Lindsey Buckingham, who rose to fame as a member of Fleetwood Mac, has had a difficult and tumultuous few years. Not only did the famous guitarist and singer get fired from Fleetwood in 2018, but he also had a massive heart attack in 2019. The heart attack also necessitated a surgery that, during which, Buckingham had damage done to his vocal cords. Despite those setbacks, he was planning a comeback tour this year. Sadly, due to more health complications, he recently had to cancel his upcoming dates. In this video we’re going to take a look at Buckingham’s health, as well as the debate and timeline of his firing from Fleetwood Mac, and the subsequent fallout. So stay tuned, as Facts Verse presents: Lindsey Buckingham’s Health is Declining Fast After He Got Fired.
Lindsey Buckingham was seemingly on the verge of a comeback after a challenging last few years. Not only was the legendary musician fired from Fleetwood Mac in 2018, but he and the band have had a back and forth of lawsuits and misunderstandings in the years since. Then in 2019, he had a massive heart attack, and had his vocal cords damaged. So it might have seemed like he was going to hang it up and retire from performing. Yet, the 73-year-old musician is still trying to put his career and life back together after these tragic events, and get back out on stage to perform for his many fans. As such, he planned a tour in 2022, in an attempt to start his career back up. Sadly, however, he recently had to postpone his U.K. tour dates because of his failing health. It’s unclear what the specific ailments are that Buckingham is suffering from, but one can imagine it’s possible, or even likely, that they are related to the heart and vocal cord issues that he’s been trying to recover from since 2019. Of course, it’s also completely possible that he has newer health issues that haven’t been revealed to the public. Regardless, Buckingham has had to postpone the rest of his European tour dates in the wake of his ongoing health issues.
Buckingham’s reps put out a statement on behalf of the musician, saying that he was devastated to have to postpone these dates, but that it was unavoidable. They offered ticket holders refunds, and said that Lindsey planned to resume touring in Europe when he felt healthy enough. Sadly, this wasn’t the first time this year that Buckingham has had to postpone his European tour. In May of 2022, he and some members of his crew all got COVID-19, and had to postpone his summer tour dates. It was particularly sad for Buckingham, since it would have been the first time he’d ever been on a European tour as a solo act.
The Timeline of His Firing from Fleetwood Mac
In 2018, Buckingham was fired from his long time position in Fleetwood Mac. And in the years since, there have been numerous battles fought withing the band and in the courts as well. In April of that year it was made public that Buckingham had been removed from his spot in the band. Initially there was some confusion as to whether or not he had quit or been fired. Rolling Stone covered it, reporting that he was let go because of disagreements about the band’s upcoming tour dates. At the same time, Variety claimed that Buckingham had left the band willingly. Fleetwood went ahead with their tour dates that year without Buckingham, and they brought in Neil Finn from Crowded House and Mike Campbell of the Heartbreakers as his replacements. The next month, Buckingham tried to clear up any confusion by making a statement during a performance at a political fundraiser. He said his departure from the band was not his choice, nor did he many the decision to go. And while he didn’t get into any details at the event, he mentioned that “factions” inside the band had, according to him, “lost their perspective.” A person in the crowd responded by shouting a curse about Fleetwood singer Stevie Nicks. And while Buckingham didn’t condone it, he also didn’t rebuke it. Instead he talked about how his bandmates’ loss of perspective was going to harm the legacy of the 43 years of work they had done together.
A few months later, Lindsey revealed more details of the firing to Rolling Stone. He claimed that Stevie Nicks didn’t approve of his behavior at a benefit by MusiCares early in the year. He said that led to an ultimatum in the band, where Stevie said Lindsey had to leave or she would. Nicks reportedly disapproved when Buckingham was laughing and smirking while she was trying to give a thank you speech at the event. Buckingham said he then emailed Mick Fleetwood, asking if it was true Stevie was planning to leave the group. But silence from Mick gave Buckingham an inclination that instead, the band had decided to fire him.
Fallout from the firing
A few months after being dismissed form the band, Lindsey brought a suit against them for breach of contract. In the suit, he demanded a portion of their tour revenue, since he argued he should have been touring with them. Then, two months later, the suit was settled out of court. While the details weren’t made public, Buckingham told CBS’ This Morning that he was happy
with the agreement that was reached.
In March of 2019, band members Mick Fleetwood and Christine McVie shed a little more light on the situation. They admitted that because of Stevie’s ultimatum, they were forced with a situation where the entire band would have to breakup if Lindsey didn’t leave. So, ultimately, they went with what they felt was the least destructive option, which was to ask Buckingham to leave. McVie said that the animosity between Nicks and Buckingham was so intense, there wasn’t a way for them to move forward as a full band.
In early 2020, Mick gave an interview to Rolling Stone, in which he admitted that it was pretty unlikely that the band would ever be reunited to include Buckingham. This was partially because he felt things were working quite well with the addition of Neil Finn and Mike Campbell, and partially because of the tension that would be inflamed if Buckingham were to come back. He pointed out that no one was happy, and thus it wasn’t a situation that should be replicated.
Then in October of 2020, Stevie Nicks told the LA Times that she didn’t plan for Buckingham’s firing to happen. She claimed to have always entered their get togethers to prep for touring or for making an album with an openness and internal hope. But she felt let down by what she considered to be Buckingham’s toxic behavior. And while she didn’t get into any particulars of that night at the MusiCares event, she did admit that it was the last straw for her. She even admitted that she could picture her father in her head, giving her advice about the situation. She said she imagined him telling her that she needed to get a ‘divorce’ from Lindsey. Of course, that meant not being in a band with him any longer.
A potential return to the band?
Things took a somewhat reconciliatory turn in 2021 however. In March, Mick told Rollingstone that he and Lindsey had reconnected, and that he was willing to consider a reunion. He noted that Lindsey had been “gracious and open” and that he had reached out to Lindsey after the two didn’t speak for nearly two years. A big component of that reconnection was the death of Peter Green, an original member of Fleetwood Mac. Mick is clearly entering the final third of his life, and thus is seeing things wind down over the next several years. As such, he said he was interested in potentially doing a farewell tour, which could possibly include Buckingham.
In the middle of 2021, Buckingham went on Marc Maron’s podcast and said that he sensed the band wanted him to come back. He claimed he was still hurt about being fired from the band, but felt it was more important to continue the band’s legacy than hold grudges about the firing. Then in August, he told Entertainment Weekly that Mick had hinted that he wanted to bring Buckingham back. He said that while he hadn’t seen the band in their most recent tour, he imagined they were missing the particular energy that he brought to the band. He also said that he thought everyone was willing to bring him back, and that it was a matter of Stevie Nicks giving her ok as well.
Christine McVie’s Death
Sadly, Christine McVie died in November of 2022. She had been an integral part of the band for decades, and fans were devastated to hear of her passing. Lindsey was clearly affected by the loss as well, and he posted a moving tribute to his late friend on social media. He talked about how not only were they a part of Fleetwood Mac, but that Christine was much more than a bandmate. He referred to her as a “musical comrade, a friend, a soul mate, a sister.” He said he was extremely lucky to have been a friend for so many years, and that her legacy would be intertwined with that of Fleetwood Mac. The two had actually released an album together in 2017, and had remained close over the years.
Only time will tell whether or not Lindsey Buckingham will be invited to rejoin Fleetwood Mac. And, on top of that, it’s unclear whether his health issues will be resolved enough for him to continue performing at all.
Now it’s time to hear from you! What’s your favorite Fleetwood Mac song? Let us know in the comments below!
