Following his dismissal from the band, ex-Fleetwood Mac singer and guitarist Lindsey Buckingham has filed a lawsuit against his former bandmates, Mick Fleetwood, Stevie Nicks, John McVie and Christine McVie.
The suit was specifically filed for “breach of oral contract, breach of fiduciary duty and intentional interference with prospective economic advantage.”
He claimed that he’s still interested in touring with the band, otherwise he wants his share of the tour revenues — which was estimated by Live Nation to be more than US$12 million per band member.
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Buckingham said he wanted to tour, promoting his new solo album, before hitting the road for 55 shows with Fleetwood Mac. He exercised the right to veto any major band decisions. He asked to postpone the Fleetwood Mac tour until November, but the rest of the band disagreed, so he reluctantly accepted and delayed his solo project. The 69-year old tried to compromise by suggesting his tour with his solo band during days off.
Files from Hollywood Reporter shared details from the suit. Buckingham’s lawyer Barry Mallen revealed:
“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 decision-making and an equal share of the proceeds earned by Fleetwood Mac.”
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Buckingham was booted from Fleetwood Mac only two days after their MusiCares performance back in January. (They were being honoured as MusiCare’s Person of the Year in New York City.) He received a call with the bad news from the band’s manager, Irving Azoff, and he allegedly said, “Stevie never wants to be on a stage with you again.”
Following reported arguments, Nicks also claimed he smirked during her acceptance speech at MusiCares.
Nicks reportedly gave the band an ultimatum: either he was out or she was. From that point on, Buckingham was cut out. He tried to reach out to his bandmates via calls and email but says he received no answers.
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Buckingham was replaced by Tom Petty’s Heartbreaker, Mike Campbell, and Neil Finn of Crowded House. They will share guitar duties, while Finn now acts as the replacement co-vocalist to sing alongside Nicks.
The suit alleges, “Absent a written partnership agreement, no partner in Fleetwood Mac may be terminated from the partnership without cause.”
Fans are not happy with the handling of the situation. To make matters worse, some are appalled by the band’s new sound.
WATCH BELOW: The new rendition of Fleetwood Mac performs The Chain on Ellen.
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As of this writing, there has been no word from the rest of the band or their publicists regarding the lawsuit.
The five-piece comprised the most famous Rumours-era lineup of the band and were all set to tour together through 2019. The An Evening with Fleetwood Mac tour commenced without Buckingham on Oct. 3 in Tulsa.
Fleetwood Mac will carry on with their North American tour until May. They are scheduled for five Canadian shows in November. Tickets are available via the official Fleetwood Mac website.
Fleetwood Mac 2018 Canadian tour Dates
Nov. 3 – Ottawa, Ont., @ Canada Canadian Tire Centre
Nov. 5 – Toronto, Ont., @ Scotiabank Arena
Nov. 10 – Edmonton, Alta., @ Canada Rogers Place
Nov. 12 – Calgary, Alta., @ Scotiabank Saddledome
Nov. 14 – Vancouver, B.C., @ Rogers Arena
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