Fleetwood Mac is a messy band that lives for drama. It's how their best album, Rumours, came to be. It's also how, in 2018, this drama is still ongoing. The latest update: Guitarist Lindsey Buckingham is suing the band for $12 million, according to The Hollywood Reporter.
Buckingham has often found himself in the centre of the Fleetwood Mac storm. He and singer Stevie Nicks entered the band as a couple before an emotional breakup back in the 70s, and he even briefly left the band between 1987 and 1996. An April of 2018, he was out again, but not by choice — hence the $12 million lawsuit.
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Shortly after the band announced their tour earlier this year, Lindsey Buckingham was "ousted," according to a profile in Rolling Stone.
"It became just a huge impasse and hit a brick wall, where we decided that we had to part company," Mick Fleetwood told CBS News, adding, "And it's not a question that Lindsey has huge amounts of respect and kudos to what he's done within the ranks of Fleetwood Mac and always will. But it's like a marriage that came to an end and there are reasons why. … But as a band we needed to move on."
Buckingham says not so fast. In his suit, the guitarist names members Fleetwood, Nicks, Christine McVie, and John McVie, and says he would have been paid $12 million for his share of the gig, and believes he is still owed the sum.
"During the entire time Buckingham has been a member of Fleetwood Mac, the Band has conducted itself as a partnership with each of the participating members having veto rights over Band decision making and an equal share of the proceeds earned by Fleetwood Mac," attorney Barry Mallen wrote in the complaint.
However this shakes out, I hope it ends with a song.