British-American rock group Fleetwood Mac was established in London in 1967. Peter Green, Jeremy Spencer, and Mick Fleetwood, who played drums and sang on guitar, formed Fleetwood Mac. Before John McVie joined the lineup in time for their self-titled debut album, Bob Brunning was hired as a temporary bass player. In 1968, Danny Kirwan joined as a third guitarist and singer. From the second album on, keyboardist and singer Christine Perfect, who participated as a session musician, married McVie, joined in 1970, and adopted the name Christine McVie.
Fleetwood Mac, mostly a British blues band at first, had other hits such as the singles “Oh Well,” “Man of the World,” and “The Green Manalishi,” as well as a UK number one with “Albatross.” Beginning in the early 1970s, Green, Spencer, and Kirwan all quit in turn and were replaced by guitarist and vocalist Bob Welch, guitarist Bob Weston, and vocalist Dave Walker. Welch, Weston, and Walker had all either left the band by 1974 or had been fired, leaving the group without a male vocalist or guitarist. The American folk-rock duet Lindsey Buckingham and Stevie Nicks caught Fleetwood’s ear in late 1974 as he was scouting studios in Los Angeles. In exchange for Nicks’ permission, Buckingham agreed to serve as their replacement guitarist and vocalist.
One of the best-selling bands in the world, Fleetwood Mac has sold more than 120 million records globally. The trio was given a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 1979. The band won the Brit Award for Outstanding Contribution to Music and was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 1998. The band was honored by The Recording Academy with the MusiCares Person of the Year award in 2018 in recognition of their creative success in the music business and commitment to philanthropy.
