Stevie Nicks and Lindsey Buckingham’s Relationship Revisted
Stevie Nicks and Lindsey Buckingham have had one of the most complex relationships in music history; the pair’s romantic involvement has been enshrined in music and live performances that have inspired artists, writers, poets, and successors within the music industry. It says something hugely complimentary about the two’s charisma and lasting power that people are still talking about a breakup that happened in the seventies— but this could also be owed to the incredible music that the two put out as part of Fleetwood Mac. Regardless, fans of both the band and the two individually will have noticed that, earlier this week, the pair shared a seemingly cryptic but conjoined Instagram post. On July 18, Stevie Nicks posted a white screen, black save for the phrase “And if you go forward…” written in her own handwriting. Lindsey Buckingham seemingly completes the phrase on his page, with a matching post that says “I’ll meet you there.”
This is the most recent development in a saga that’s spanned decades. Buckingham and Nicks met when Nicks was in high school, and the two began to pursue music together, in a combined effort, after dropping out of San Jose State University. Though they attended college, dropped out, and were part of psychedelic rock band Fritz together, they were not romantically involved yet. It wasn’t until they moved to Los Angeles after Fritz had broken up that the two officially became a couple. The two hit the L.A. music scene as a folk-rock duo called “Buckingham Nicks”— but their first record didn’t meet any commercial or critical requirements and the two were dropped by their record label. Whether it was the tension of money growing tighter or the fear of dreams never being actualized, the two began to fight more. When they were invited to join Fleetwood Mac, Nicks told Buckingham that they were going to “sew the relationship back up.” The success of the band was their primary priority and their status as a couple came second.
The two officially ended things while recording “Rumors”— and it is this album that contains the bulk of their relationship angst. Songs like “Dreams” and “Go Your Own Way”, written by Nicks and Buckingham respectively, documented their differing perspectives on the breakup. Over the years since, both Nicks and Buckingham have commented on their unique relationship— having known each other during the early years of their careers, before they were accepted into the world of fame and celebrity. This past week’s development demonstrates, once again, that though the romantic aspect of the relationship might be over, whatever remains between the two continues to grow and evolve with them.