Lindsey Buckingham, the guitar virtuoso whose prolific songwriting and precision fretwork helped launch Fleetwood Mac into the rock stratosphere as one of the best-selling acts in history, is reportedly out of the group. Rolling Stone and Variety confirmed the departure Monday afternoon, saying that the 68-year-old was, in fact, fired.
Representatives for the band did not immediately respond to PEOPLE's request for comment.
The news comes on the eve of a planned global tour for Fleetwood Mac. TMZ reports that, Mike Campbell — formerly of Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers — and Neil Finn will handle guitar duties on the trek. "Lindsey Buckingham will not be performing with the band on this tour," a source close to Fleetwood Mac told the outlet in a statement. "The band wishes Lindsey all the best."
Rolling Stone received a statement from Mick Fleetwood, the group's co-namesake and drummer, expanding on the change. "Fleetwood Mac has always been about an amazing collection of songs that are performed with a unique blend of talents," drummer and founding member Mick Fleetwood told the publication. "We jammed with Mike and Neil and the chemistry really worked and let the band realize that this is the right combination to go forward with in Fleetwood Mac style. We know we have something new, yet it's got the unmistakable Mac sound."
Finn spoke out about the new rol
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