Stevie Nicks has blasted Lindsey Buckingham for giving a "factually inaccurate" account of his departure from Fleetwood Mac.
Stevie Nicks
The 71-year-old guitarist was fired from the group in 2018 and earlier this week repeated his allegation that it was Stevie who was responsible for his exit after she gave the rest of the band an ultimatum when he asked to delay an upcoming tour to promote his solo music.
He claimed to the LA Times newspaper: “It would be like a scenario where Mick Jagger says, ‘Either Keith [Richards] goes or I go.'
“No, neither one of you can go. But I guess the singer has to stay. The figurehead has to stay...
“I think she saw the possibility of remaking the band more in the Stevie Nicks vein,” Buckingham said in the interview. “More mellow and kind of down, giving her more chances to do the kind of talking she does onstage.”
And Stevie has hit back, insisting Lindsey's version of events is simply "revisionist history".
She told the publication: “His version of events is factually inaccurate and while I’ve never spoken publicly on the matter, certainly it feels the time has come to shine a light on the truth.
"To be exceedingly clear, I did not have him fired, I did not ask for him to be fired, I did not demand he be fired. Frankly, I fired myself. I proactively removed myself from the band and a situation I considered to be toxic to my wellbeing. I was done. If the band went on without me, so be it.
"And after many lengthy group discussions, Fleetwood Mac, a band whose legacy is rooted in evolution and change, found a new path forward with two hugely talented new members.”
Lindsey claimed the situation arose because Stevie is "alone" and finds it hard to accept she isn't the performer she used to be.
He said: “You could do a whole analysis on Stevie at this point in her life and what she’s allowed to happen and what she’s allowed to slip away from her. Her creativity, at least for a while it seemed like she wasn’t in touch with that.
“Same with the level of energy she once had onstage. I think that was hard for her, seeing me jump around in an age-inappropriate way. Also, she’s lonely. She’s alone. She has the people who work for her, and I’m sure she has friends, but you know.”
The 73-year-old singer blasted her former bandmate for "passing judgement" over her decision to focus on her career over her personal life.
She said: “Those are my decisions that I get to make for myself. I’m proud of the life choices I’ve made and it seems a shame for him to pass judgment on anyone who makes a choice to live their life on their own terms.”
Lindsey also hit out at the 'Dreams' group's manager, Irving Azoff, arguing the businessman was "driven by the money" when it came to kicking him out, but the executive insisted the guitarist had been keep in the band “longer than [he] should have.”
He said in a statement: “I have historically declined comment on artists, but in the case of Lindsey Buckingham, I will make an exception.
“While I understand it’s challenging for Lindsey to accept his own role in these matters and far easier to blame a manager, the fact remains that his actions alone are responsible for what transpired.
"Frankly, if I can be accused of anything it’s perhaps holding things together longer than I should have. After 2018 when Fleetwood Mac evolved with their new lineup, my continued work with the band was due entirely to the fact I’ve been aligned with Stevie Nicks in thought and purpose from the earliest of days.
"While financial gain was not a motivator for me, it was a delightful bonus that the band scored their highest grossing tour ever without Lindsey.”
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