Lindsey Buckingham Says He Doesn't Have 'Any Control Over' Joining Potential Fleetwood Mac Reunion

Dia Dipasupil/Getty Lindsey Buckingham

Lindsey Buckingham is aware he has no say in whether he can return to Fleetwood Mac.

"I realize I don't have a lot of control over that — any control over that," the 71-year-old musician told the Los Angeles Times about reuniting with the iconic band for a potential reunion.

Founding member Mick Fleetwood said in March that he reconciled with former bandmate Buckingham, who was released from the band in 2018 after a disagreement regarding their 2019 world tour, according to Rolling Stone.

Buckingham told the L.A. Times that Mick has "talked about getting us back together. But that's him, and he probably didn't want to see me go in the first place. I know he didn't. But there's a difference between him saying that and Stevie [Nicks] saying that."

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Buckingham had filed a lawsuit against the band in October 2018 and accused Fleetwood Mac of seven offenses, including breach of fiduciary duty, breach of oral contract and intentional interference with prospective economic advantage. In December 2018, he told CBS This Morning they had settled the lawsuit.

Buckingham told the L.A. Times that his ex Nicks — with whom he's been at odds with in recent years — wanted to "cut herself loose" from him. He said, "I think she saw the possibility of remaking the band more in the Stevie Nicks vein. More mellow and kind of down, giving her more chances to do the kind of talking she does onstage."

Nicks, 73, fired back, saying in a statement to the outlet that she did not have him removed from the band.

"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," said Nicks, "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."

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Dia Dipasupil/FilmMagic Stevie Nicks

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"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," she added.

The 2018 split did not mark the first time Buckingham left the band: After his departure in 1987, he was replaced with Billy Burnette and Rick Vito. He rejoined the group in 1997.

In the profile, Buckingham also criticized the latest iteration of the group as "on the edge of being a cover band." (Mike Campbell and Neil Finn have replaced Buckingham.)

Nicks and Buckingham also exchanged barbs in the L.A. Times piece about their life choices, with the latter calling Nicks "lonely" for focusing on her career, and Nicks slamming him for passing judgment.

He and Nicks were a couple before joining Fleetwood Mac in 1975 and then split while the band was recording their iconic 1977 album Rumours.

JB Lacroix/WireImage Fleetwood Mac in September 2018

"Well, maybe she never did [want kids or marriage], but it doesn't mean that it doesn't make her feel alone as a result," Buckingham said.

Said Buckingham of Nicks: "She's very guarded and protective of her own world, and I think she sees me as a potential upsetter of that."

Nicks responded that while she was "thrilled for Lindsey when he had children," she "wasn't interested in making those same life choices." She explained: "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."