Lindsey Buckingham has been fired by classic rock band Fleetwood Mac over a "disagreement" connected to the band's new tour, Rolling Stone magazine reported.
The departure leaves the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame band, which has its roots in the 1960s but greatest success in the 1970s and 1980s, without its longtime lead guitarist. The band announced that Mike Campbell, of Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, and Crowded House's Neil Finn will replace Buckingham on the tour, Rolling Stone noted.
The band will move forward with Mick Fleetwood, John and Christine McVie, and Stevie Nick, Buckingham's ex-wife, along with Campbell and Finn.
This marks the second departure of Buckingham from the band. He left in 1987 for a solo career, per NBC News. He returned to the band to play at Bill Clinton's presidential inauguration in 1992 and rejoined fulltime in 1996. He was expected to join the band on tour this year, according to the network.
"Lindsey Buckingham will not be performing with the band on this tour," the band said in a statement Monday. "The band wishes Lindsey all the best."
Billboard magazine reported that former Fleetwood Mac guitarist Billy Burnette, who replaced Buckingham in the 1980s, tipped fans off to the impending departure on April 4 in a now-deleted post.
"Breaking news: Lindsey Buckingham is out, but I’m not in," Burnette wrote in the tweet, per Billboard.
As news broke, Fleetwood Mac announced the addition of Campbell and Finn to their lineup, according to Rolling Stone.
"With Mike and Neil, we'll be performing all the hits that the fans love, plus we'll be surprising our audiences with some tracks from our historic catalogue of songs," the band said. "Fleetwood Mac has always been a creative evolution. We look forward to honoring that spirit on this upcoming tour."