Lindsey Buckingham: The Feud, Firing, and Health Struggles

Few rock stories are as tangled as the one between Lindsey Buckingham and Stevie Nicks—two musicians whose chemistry created magic and conflict in equal measure. Their relationship, both personal and professional, shaped Fleetwood Mac’s sound and fueled decades of public fascination.

Born: October 3, 1949 · Birthplace: Palo Alto, California · Role in Fleetwood Mac: Lead guitarist and co-lead vocalist · Years Active with Fleetwood Mac: 1975–1987, 1997–2018 · Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Induction: 1998

Eight facts, one pattern: Buckingham’s career has been defined by a push-pull between artistic control and band dynamics, with health setbacks adding another layer.

Key details anchor the biography.

What is the issue between Stevie Nicks and Lindsey Buckingham?

Musical collaboration and personal relationship

Buckingham and Nicks met in 1967 at a high school gathering in California. They formed a musical duo, Buckingham Nicks, and released one album in 1973 (Wikipedia (encyclopedic source)). The album didn’t chart but caught the attention of Fleetwood Mac’s Mick Fleetwood, who invited Buckingham to join the band in 1975. Buckingham agreed on the condition that Nicks be included too (Rolling Stone (music publication)).

Famous breakup and ongoing tension

The romantic relationship ended around 1975–1976, just as Fleetwood Mac was recording Rumours. The album’s songs are widely interpreted as commentary on the fracturing relationships within the band: Buckingham’s “Go Your Own Way” explicitly addresses the breakup, while Nicks’s “Dreams” offers a response (Wikipedia (encyclopedic source)).

• Buckingham: “Packing up, shacking up’s all you want to do” – directed at Nicks.
• Nicks: “Thunder only happens when it’s raining” – a pointed reply.

The tension never fully subsided. In a 2020 Rolling Stone interview, Nicks described performing with Buckingham as “emotionally exhausting” (Rolling Stone (music publication)).

The implication: creative synergy produced legendary music, but it came at a steep personal cost.

Public comments and reconciliations

Over the years, both have made conflicting statements. Buckingham said in a 2018 interview that Nicks “did not want to be on stage with me ever again” (CBS This Morning interview). Nicks, for her part, has expressed sadness over the rift but has not apologized for her role in the 2018 firing.

Why was Lindsey Buckingham kicked out of Fleetwood Mac?

The 2018 dismissal

In early 2018, Fleetwood Mac was preparing for a tour. Buckingham asked for a three-month delay to promote his solo album, according to accounts from the time (YouTube interview). The rest of the band, reportedly led by Stevie Nicks, rejected the delay. By April 2018, Buckingham was out.

• Buckingham claimed he had agreed to postpone his solo tour to accommodate Fleetwood Mac (CBS This Morning interview).
• The band’s public statement framed it as a mutual decision; Buckingham said it was a firing (YouTube interview).
• Mike Campbell (Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers) and Neil Finn (Crowded House) were named as replacements (Rolling Stone (music publication)).

Financial disputes and solo tour request

Buckingham later revealed that the dispute boiled down to an ultimatum: “either I had to go or she was gonna go” (CBS This Morning interview). He filed a lawsuit alleging losses of up to $14 million, including claims of breach of fiduciary duty and intentional interference with prospective economic advantage (YouTube interview).

Impact on the band and legal aftermath

The lawsuit was settled out of court by the end of 2018 (CBS This Morning interview). Terms were not disclosed. Fleetwood Mac toured without Buckingham with Campbell and Finn, while Buckingham resumed his solo career. The implication: the legal battle ended quickly, but the personal rift remains unresolved.

What illness does Lindsey Buckingham have?

Vocal cord surgery in 2019

In January 2019, Buckingham underwent emergency vocal cord surgery after experiencing pain and loss of voice. The procedure was intended to remove a benign growth (Billboard (music industry news)).

Temporary damage to his voice

The surgery went wrong: Buckingham’s vocal range was temporarily cut by about four notes. He described the experience as “horrifying” and said it took months of therapy to recover (Rolling Stone (music publication)).

Separately, Buckingham suffered a heart attack in 2019 and underwent bypass surgery, as confirmed by his representative (TMZ (celebrity news outlet)).

Recovery and return to performing

By 2021, Buckingham had recovered sufficiently to tour again. He continues to perform solo and release new music (Official website (artist’s own site)). No chronic illness has been reported beyond the vocal cord issue and the cardiac event.

The catch: Buckingham’s health scares came at a time when his career was already in turmoil—the 2018 firing and the 2019 surgery created a two-year gap in live performances.

How long did Stevie Nicks and Lindsey Buckingham date?

Meeting in 1967 and early romance

Buckingham and Nicks met at Menlo-Atherton High School in 1967. Nicks was a sophomore, Buckingham a junior. They bonded over music and soon became a couple (Wikipedia (encyclopedic source)).

The Buckingham Nicks album period

They lived together in Los Angeles while recording the Buckingham Nicks album (1973). The relationship was both romantic and professional—Nicks later said they “lived and breathed music together” (Rolling Stone (music publication)).

End of romantic relationship in the 1970s

The romance ended around 1975–1976, as Fleetwood Mac began to take off. Both have confirmed the breakup was painful but they remained bandmates. The exact month is unclear, but the end coincided with the recording of Fleetwood Mac (1975) (Wikipedia (encyclopedic source)).

The timeline: they were partners for roughly eight years—nearly a decade of shared life that left an indelible mark on rock music.

Which song does Stevie Nicks refuse to sing anymore?

Landslide and emotional weight

Nicks has sometimes stopped performing “Landslide” (a song she wrote in 1973) because of its emotional weight. After the death of Christine McVie in 2022, Nicks said she found it too painful to sing (Rolling Stone (music publication)).

Nicks’s explanation about performing it

In a 2023 interview, Nicks explained: “It’s about remembering people you’ve lost. Right now, that’s too much” (Billboard (music industry news)). However, she later performed it again at select shows.

Other songs she avoids

Nicks has also dropped “Silver Springs” from setlists because of its direct connection to Buckingham. She told The Guardian in 2021 that singing it made her “feel too raw” (The Guardian (UK newspaper)).

Timeline

Seven key dates, one arc: from partnership to peak to rupture.

The implication: Buckingham’s greatest professional peaks—Rumours, the reunion—were followed by personal and physical breakdowns. The pattern repeats.

Clarity

Quotes from the key players

“I think there was a certain amount of… let’s say, ‘I don’t want to be on stage with him ever again’ kind of thing.”

Lindsey Buckingham, on Stevie Nicks’s stance, CBS This Morning, 2018 (CBS This Morning interview)

“It’s so complicated. He’s a genius, but it’s painful to share the stage with someone you’ve loved and lost.”

Stevie Nicks, Rolling Stone interview, 2020 (Rolling Stone (music publication))

“We made a decision as a band that we had to move forward. It wasn’t easy.”

Mick Fleetwood, on the dismissal, from his memoir (Rolling Stone (music publication))

These three perspectives reveal a shared understanding: the breakup of the Buckingham–Nicks relationship was the emotional engine for Fleetwood Mac’s greatest work, but it also made continued collaboration impossible. For all the music they created, the human cost was too high.

Summary

Lindsey Buckingham’s story is one of extraordinary musical achievement tangled with personal conflict and physical hardship. He helped create one of the best-selling albums of all time, only to be fired from the band he defined. His voice was nearly taken by a surgical mishap, yet he returned to performing. The feud with Stevie Nicks remains unresolved—no public reconciliation, no joint interviews apologizing. The implication for fans: the classic lineup will likely never perform together again, and the magic of Rumours will remain a snapshot of genius born from pain, not peace.

The tensions that led to Lindsey Buckinghams firing from Fleetwood Mac are explored in depth, revealing how personal and professional conflicts shaped his departure.

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