Hi everyone.  Hope you are all well and continue to stay that way during this global health crisis we are facing.  But in addition to protecting your physical wellness, what are you doing to stay mentally healthy today?

(Image found online.  Original source unknown.)

I know we are in a serious situation, but I need a break from the gloom, doom and bullying by way of hoarding. Music has always been my refuge and watching those beautiful Italians singing to each other from their balconies reaffirmed my belief that music is the answer. So until the old normal returns, I am going to share a song I listen to that helps me escape the current state of things, if only for a few minutes each day.  And if this helps anyone else, even better.

Three days into October and already we have our first rock & roll birthday of the month. This one belongs to guitarist & singer Lindsey Buckingham, formerly of Fleetwood Mac, who turns 71 today. I have loved his music since I first discovered that band and the fact that he was oh-so-easy-on-the-eyes was just a plus. As the only guitarist & male vocalist for the band, it was his sound that made their music instantly recognizable throughout the 1970’s & 1980’s.

If you know the back story to the album, “Rumours” then you know he was romantically involved with bandmate Stevie Nicks until they began working on that record. They met in high school and he invited her to join the band he was in at the time. Five years later, they left the band and started dating. In 1973 they released a record together but it did not sell. However, Mick Fleetwood heard one of those songs and was intrigued by the guitar work. He eventually met Buckingham and in 1974 invited him to join Fleetwood Mac. But Buckingham said he & Nicks were a team so he would only take the job if she was hired, too. Fleetwood agreed and the team became part of the band. Nicks wrote the lyrics to her songs, but it was Buckingham who provided all the arrangements, so he was as responsible for the sound of her songs as she was.

While he was with the group Buckingham released his first solo record in 1981 and pursued a few more musical collaborations outside the band until he decided to leave the group in 1987. He reunited with them once in 1992 where they played “Don’t Stop” for Bill Clinton’s inauguration ceremony. But it was not until 1997 that Buckingham would rejoin the group as a full time member, restoring the band’s classic line-up. That year they released a live album, “The Dance”. It debuted at #1 on the album chart, sold one million copies in two months and eventually over six million copies worldwide.

Over the next 20 years he made music with the group while he continued to work on solo & outside projects. That included an album with Christine McVie in 2017. But in January of 2018 Nicks took issue with Buckingham’s alleged “disrespectful behavior towards her” whatever she perceived that to be & gave the band an ultimatum: she wanted him out or she would quit. He was let go, so he filed a lawsuit against the band that was eventually settled. Buckingham revealed in an interview soon after his dismissal that he received a note from McVie stating she did not want him out of the band.

Groups breaking up and members being fired are all part of the rock & roll game. But honestly there should be a statute of limitations in place to prevent what happened to Buckingham because if you have been a part of a band for nearly 35 years, another member should not be allowed to have you fired due to a diva moment. Especially the member who made it possible for you to join the group in the first place. But at least Buckingham’s personal life is solid, as he has been happily married to the mother of his three grown children since 2000. And his talent as a musician is undeniable. As much as I love his contributions to “Rumours”, today’s song was my first introduction to Buckingham and it remains one of my favorites, on any day of the week.

“But you know it’s true
You only want me when I get over you
First you love me, then you get on down the line
But I don’t mind, I don’t mind“.

Top: Fleetwood Mac in 1975 (L-R): John McVie, Christine McVie, Stevie Nicks, Mick Fleetwood & Lindsey Buckingham. Bottom: Buckingham circa 2017. (Image found online.  Original source unknown.)

Fleetwood Mac: “Monday Morning” (1975, written by Lindsey Buckingham).

I do not own the rights to anything.  I am just sharing what I love and how I am coping with you.

Stay well.