Lindsey Buckingham is a legendary guitarist who is best known for being a member of the British-American rock band Fleetwood Mac. The now-fired former lead guitarist and vocalist of the group, who was revered for plucking the guitar with his fingers and fingernails rather than a pick, has also had a successful solo career with his six solo albums and three live albums.
Lindsey Buckingham’s Biography
On October 3, 1949, Rutheda (née Elliott) and Morris Buckingham welcomed their youngest of three children to Palo Alto, California: Lindsey Adams Buckingham. As a child, Buckingham and his older brothers Jeffrey and Gregory were encouraged to do sports, especially swimming. The young boy attended Menlo Atherton High School in Atherton’s San Francisco Bay Area, where he swam until he quit to concentrate on his musical interests.
After noticing their son’s interest in music, Lindsey Buckingham’s parents bought him a guitar, but they never enrolled him for music or guitar lessons. Buckingham taught himself to play, and when he graduated high school, he joined a local band called The Fritz Rabyne Memorial Band in 1966. During this time he also enrolled at San Jose State University but did not graduate. As a member of The Fritz Rabyne Memorial Band, Buckingham invited his friend Stevie Nicks to join the group as a second lead singer. The couple remained with the group for five years before leaving to form a duo.
Hoping to become the next big thing in music, Lindsey Buckingham and Stevie Nicks, with whom he had started up until then, moved to Los Angeles together to get a record deal. It looked like things were going according to plan as they were signed almost immediately by Polydor Records in 1973. However, after the poor sales figures of their debut album entitled Buckingham Nicks, the record company released them.
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Buckingham and Nicks set out to find a new contract, and as things turned out, Fleetwood Mac drummer and co-founder Mike Fleetwood heard Buckingham’s guitar skills on one of his songs and was interested in working with him. However, Buckingham refused to join the group unless his girlfriend/collaborator was also brought along. Mike Fleetwood is said to have hired both of them without an audition, a move that led to the creation of songs like “Go Your Own Way”, “Tusk” and “Second Hand News”, while the rest became history.
Why Was Lindsey Buckingham Fired?
Lindsey Buckingham first left Fleetwood Mac in 1987 after breaking up with his girlfriend. He said he couldn’t stand having to see her and work with her all the time while he still wanted to break up with her, hence his decision to leave. In his absence, Buckingham began a solo career before returning to the group in the mid-1990s and joining The Dance on their reunion tour in 1996.
Buckingham’s return seemed to have helped Fleetwood Mac to a revival, as the group had been actively touring for a long time. However, in April 2018, it looked like things were going downhill, as Buckingham was released from the group this time just before they were due to tour again. It was reported that his dismissal came after a disagreement over the band’s upcoming tour. The band has since replaced their star guitarist, as he himself accused the group of losing perspective.
Family – Wife
Kristen Messner is the stunning wife of Lindsey Buckingham. The couple, who have been together for over twenty years, got married in 2000 after they met at a photoshoot for one of his solo albums. Messner, now known as Kristen “KB” Buckingham, was once a well-known photographer, but now works mainly as an interior designer.
Together the couple has three children; son William Gregory Buckingham – born July 8, 1998, daughter Leelee Buckingham – born July 15, 2000, and Stella, another daughter, born April 20, 2004.
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Lindsey Buckingham Net Worth
Lindsey Buckingham is said to have net assets of $80 million. The singer and guitarist, who was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1998 as a member of Fleetwood Mac, has been able to earn money thanks to the great success he has enjoyed in music both as a solo artist and as part of a group.
In the ’70s and ’80s, Fleetwood Mac was one of the biggest bands in the world. They were known for selling out arenas and stadiums when they toured, and sold more than 100 million records worldwide, making them one of the top-selling brands in the world.
