According to Ultimate Classic Rock, seven months before former Fleetwood Mac guitarist Lindsey Buckingham instigated legal proceedings against his ex-bandmates over his firing, he tried to settle the dispute with the band directly.
After initial phone calls to the band concerning his dismissal were ignored, Buckingham resorted to email. The legal suit contains the correspondence as evidence. About a month after he was fired, Buckingham sent the iPhone message to the band’s co-founder, Mick Fleetwood. It was a final attempt to reconcile the problems that led to his dismissal.
In the email, Buckingham cites the silent treatment he had experienced since his final show with the band at the 2018 MusiCares Person of the Year benefit as heartbreaking. The guitarist says that everyone concerned owe it to the “beautiful legacy we’ve built together” to resolve their differences. Buckingham wrote to Fleetwood,
“In the month since MusiCares, I’ve tried to speak to both you and Stevie Nicks, to no avail. I’ve only gotten radio silence this whole time. (I haven’t tried Chris (tine McVie) as I thought she might be feeling a bit fragile.) I even emailed John (McVie), who responded that he couldn’t have contact with me… All of this breaks my heart. After forty-three years and (with) the finish line clearly in sight, it’s hard to escape the conclusion that for the five of us to splinter apart now would be doing the wrong thing. Wrong for the beautiful legacy we’ve built together. Wrong for our legions of loyal fans who would hate to see the final act be a breakup. Wrong for ourselves, and all that we’ve accomplished and shared together…”
Buckingham finishes the message with, “If there is a way to work this through, I believe we must try. I love you all no matter what.” Alas, it appears the email wasn’t successful, and months afterwards he filed the suit last week seeking the estimated $12 million he would have received on the group’s present tour.
Fleetwood Mac maintain that his dismissal was owing to scheduling conflicts, with Buckingham desiring to release and tour on the back of a solo album before initiating on a tour with the band. Buckingham denies that accusation, claiming he agreed to the band’s wishes and it was the Stevie Nicks’ him-or-me ultimatum to the group over apparent behaviour at his final performance that got him ousted.
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