Lindsey Buckingham
Today, we're telling the story of guitarist, singer, songwriter and producer Lindsey Buckingham.
He wrote some of "Fleetwood Mac"'s biggest hits, but his contribution to the band goes much further. His guitar work, vocal harmonies and attention to detail in the studio made him one of the main architects of its sound. Here are 40 facts about the man who combined melodic pop, distinctive playing and a constant search for new ways to create.
(Photo: Lauren Dukoff)
1. He was born Lindsey Adams Buckingham on October 3, 1949, in Palo Alto, California, and grew up in nearby Atherton. He is the youngest of three sons.
2. As a child, he competed in swimming alongside his brothers, but later chose music. His brother Greg Buckingham continued swimming and won a silver medal in the 200-meter individual medley at the 1968 Mexico City Olympics.
3. His first steps as a musician involved a toy guitar featuring Mickey Mouse, which he played along with his brother's records. When his parents noticed his interest, they bought him a "Harmony" guitar that cost $35.
4. Buckingham taught himself to play. Unlike many rock guitarists, he developed a style based mainly on fingerpicking, allowing him to combine accompaniment, rhythm and melody in a single guitar part.
5. He met Stevie Nicks while attending "Menlo-Atherton" High School. At one of their early musical encounters, he played and sang "California Dreamin'", and she joined him in harmony.
6. In the second half of the 1960s, the two performed with "Fritz", originally called "The Fritz Rabyne Memorial Band". In that group, Buckingham played bass and sang, while Nicks was the lead vocalist.
7. "Fritz" performed around the San Francisco Bay Area and opened for artists such as Jimi Hendrix, Janis Joplin and "Santana". These were Buckingham and Nicks' first years of experience performing before large audiences.
8. After the band broke up, Buckingham and Nicks became a musical duo and a couple. They moved to Los Angeles to advance their careers, with Buckingham devoting considerable time to writing and recording.
9. In 1973, they released their first and only album as a duo, "Buckingham Nicks". Recorded at "Sound City" with producer Keith Olsen, it did not achieve significant commercial success at the time.
10. The commercially unsuccessful album nevertheless gave them their big opportunity. When Mick Fleetwood visited "Sound City", Olsen played him "Frozen Love", and Buckingham's guitar work caught his attention.
11. After Bob Welch's departure, Buckingham was invited to join "Fleetwood Mac". He made his acceptance conditional on Nicks joining too. The two joined the band on December 31, 1974, as you can read in our feature on the day that changed the band's history.
12. Released in 1975, "Fleetwood Mac" was the band's tenth studio album and its first with Buckingham and Nicks. It reached No. 1 on the U.S. album chart. Buckingham's contributions included "Monday Morning" and "I'm So Afraid".
13. Their shared success did not prevent their relationship from falling apart. Buckingham and Nicks split up before "Rumours" was completed, but continued working together, singing harmonies and performing side by side. They were never married.
14. In 1977, "Rumours", the band's eleventh studio album, was released. It spent a total of 31 weeks at No. 1 on the "Billboard 200" and won the "Grammy" for Album of the Year at the 1978 ceremony.
15. Buckingham wrote and sang "Second Hand News", "Never Going Back Again" and "Go Your Own Way" on the album. The latter dealt with his breakup with Nicks, who had to sing backing vocals on a song in which her former partner addressed their relationship.
16. He was also one of the five writers of "The Chain". It is the only song on the album for which every member of the lineup received a songwriting credit.
17. In 1979, the band released its twelfth studio album, "Tusk". Buckingham was the main force behind its experimental direction, which incorporated punk and new wave influences and departed from the polished sound that had brought the band enormous success.
18. Buckingham wrote the title track, "Tusk". Its famous recording features the University of Southern California marching band, recorded at "Dodger Stadium" in Los Angeles.
19. Around that time, he began using the "Rick Turner Model 1" guitar, which became his trademark. Turner developed it for him to combine a full electric sound with the clarity and rhythmic response suited to his fingerpicking.
20. In 1981, he released his first solo album, "Law and Order", on which he played almost all the instruments. The album reached No. 32 on the U.S. chart, while the single "Trouble", featuring Mick Fleetwood on drums, reached No. 9 on the "Billboard Hot 100".
21. In 1982, he returned to recording with "Fleetwood Mac" for "Mirage", the band's thirteenth studio album, which reached No. 1 in the United States. His songs for the album included "Can't Go Back".
22. In 1983, he wrote and performed "Holiday Road" for the film "National Lampoon's Vacation". The song became one of the works most closely associated with his solo career and the Vacation film series.
23. In 1984, he released his second solo album, "Go Insane". It reached No. 45 on the U.S. album chart, while its title track reached No. 23 on the singles chart.
24. In 1985, he contributed "Time Bomb Town" to the soundtrack of "Back to the Future".
25. In 1987, "Fleetwood Mac" released its fourteenth studio album, "Tango in the Night". The project began as a Buckingham solo album before becoming a band album. He produced it with Richard Dashut and contributed songs including "Big Love". The album reached No. 7 in the United States and No. 1 in the United Kingdom.
26. Despite the album's success, Buckingham left the band before the tour. Two guitarists, Billy Burnette and Rick Vito, took his place.
27. In 1992, he released his third solo album, "Out of the Cradle". It reached No. 128 on the U.S. chart, but earned praise for its guitar work and meticulous production. Its singles included "Countdown", "Wrong" and "Soul Drifter".
28. In 1993, he reunited with the classic "Fleetwood Mac" lineup for a performance during the celebrations marking Bill Clinton's inauguration as U.S. president. In 1996, he recorded the duet "Twisted" with Nicks for the film "Twister".
29. In 1997, he returned fully to "Fleetwood Mac" for the live album "The Dance" and its accompanying tour. In 1998, he was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame as a member of the band, which was introduced at the ceremony by Sheryl Crow.
30. In 2003, he appeared on "Say You Will", the band's seventeenth studio album and its first with Buckingham since 1987. He was one of its main producers. The album reached No. 3 in the United States and included "Peacekeeper", which he wrote.
31. On October 3, 2006, his 57th birthday, he released his fourth solo album, "Under the Skin". The album reached No. 80 in the United States and centered on acoustic guitar and his voice, with relatively sparse accompaniment.
32. In 2008, his fifth solo album, "Gift of Screws", was released and reached No. 48 on the U.S. chart. His sixth album, "Seeds We Sow", followed in 2011 as an independent release and reached No. 45.
33. In 2017, he and Christine McVie released their first collaborative album, "Lindsey Buckingham Christine McVie". Mick Fleetwood and John McVie also played on the recordings, but the album was released under the two songwriters' names. It reached No. 17 in the United States and No. 5 in the United Kingdom.
34. In 2018, he was dismissed from "Fleetwood Mac" and replaced by Mike Campbell and Neil Finn. Buckingham sued the band members over his dismissal, and the parties reached an out-of-court settlement later that year.
35. In February 2019, he underwent emergency open-heart surgery. His vocal cords were damaged during treatment, but he later recovered and returned to singing and performing.
36. In 2020, he played the guitar solo on "Caution" by "The Killers". In 2021, he played guitar on Halsey's "Darling" and joined her for a performance of the song on "Saturday Night Live".
37. In September 2021, he released his seventh solo album, "Lindsey Buckingham", his first in a decade. Its release had been delayed by his recovery from surgery and the COVID-19 pandemic. Its songs included "I Don't Mind" and "On the Wrong Side".
38. In 2024, the box set "20th Century Lindsey" was released, bringing together his first three solo albums with additional recordings, special versions and songs he wrote for film soundtracks.
39. On September 19, 2025, "Buckingham Nicks" received an official reissue, appearing on CD and digital platforms for the first time. More than five decades after its original release, the album that began their shared journey reached a new audience.
40. In 2026, Buckingham said he was working on another solo album, and in August he said that he and Nicks were speaking regularly again. He hinted at possible developments in 2027, but did not announce a reunion or a new collaborative album.
Comments