Classic Rock’s Newest Lawsuit: Lindsey Buckingham v. Fleetwood Mac
Just when you think the Fleetwood Mac drama with ousted guitarist Lindsey Buckingham couldn’t get any messier, it does!
Per The Hollywood Reporter, Buckingham has filed suit against his former bandmates for “breach of fiduciary duty and breach of oral contract” and is petitioning for a cut of the band’s current tour revenue “because he is able and willing to perform on the tour and is being involuntarily excluded.”
Buckingham recently told Rolling Stone that he was fired from Fleetwood Mac after Stevie Nicks allegedly gave the band a “him or me” ultimatum following the band being honored at the MusiCares Person of the Year gala in January where she was not pleased with some of Buckingham’s behavior. There was also an issue within the band regarding the start of Fleetwood Mac’s current tour. The band wanted to start in August, while Buckingham wanted to start in November to give him time to promote and tour in support of a solo album.
Buckingham’s attorney Barry Mallen wrote in the initial complaint, “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. The only exception to the unanimous consent rule within the Fleetwood Mac Partnership is that the writer(s) of the underlying musical composition of each Fleetwood Mac master recording has the unilateral right to approve or reject licenses to synchronize the Fleetwood Mac recordings embodying the applicable Partner’s musical composition with audiovisual works.”
So far, neither Fleetwood Mac or their representation has issued a statement, but this story is LONG from over.
Erica Banas is a rock/classic rock blogger that loves the smell of old vinyl in the morning.
