How Many Times Has Lindsey Buckingham Been Married

Picture this: it’s the late 1970s, and Fleetwood Mac is a swirling hurricane of cocaine, creative genius, and tangled relationships. Lindsey Buckingham, the wiry guitarist with the wild hair and even wilder riffs, is in the studio, probably arguing with Stevie Nicks about a tambourine part. You might think a guy like that has been married a dozen times, right? Wrong. The answer is actually surprisingly simple, and it might just make you rethink everything you thought you knew about rock star love lives.

So, how many times has Lindsey Buckingham actually been married? The short, almost boring answer is: once. Yes, you read that correctly. Just a single trip down the aisle, for a man who lived through the most legendary romantic drama in rock history. It’s like finding out a fire-breathing dragon secretly prefers knitting to arson.

Before we dive into his one and only marriage, let’s address the elephant in the room—or rather, the shawl-wearing, twirling goddess in the room. Stevie Nicks. Everyone assumes Lindsey and Stevie were married, but they were never even engaged. They were a couple, a deeply intense, creatively explosive couple, but they never got a marriage license. Sorry, fans of “Silver Springs,” that dream is a myth.

That whirlwind romance with Stevie ended before Fleetwood Mac even hit their peak. What followed were decades of on-again, off-again tension, lawsuits, and awkward Grammy performances. You’d think after all that, Lindsey would either swear off marriage entirely or dive headfirst into it. Instead, he did something completely unexpected: he waited.

He waited until he was 58 years old to finally tie the knot. That’s right—Lindsey Buckingham got married for the first time in 2000. And who was the lucky woman? Her name is Kristen Messner, a woman who wasn’t a rock star, wasn’t a famous muse, but a photographer he met while working on his solo album. Irony alert: the guy who wrote “Go Your Own Way” eventually found his way to a steady, quiet home life.

Who Is Lindsey Buckingham's Wife? All About Kristen Messner

Lindsey and Kristen have been married for over two decades now, which, let’s be honest, is longer than most rock marriages last. They have three kids together, a son and two daughters, and they live a relatively private life in Los Angeles. It’s almost too normal, isn’t it? Where are the tabloid headlines? The dramatic public spats?

Now, here’s where it gets a little spicy—because nothing in Fleetwood Mac’s orbit stays boring forever. In 2021, news broke that Lindsey and Kristen had separated. Yes, after 21 years of marriage, they called it quits. But here’s the kicker: as of now, they haven’t filed for divorce. They’re “living separately” but apparently still working things out. So technically, he’s still married in the legal sense. It’s a limbo that feels very Fleetwood Mac.

If you’re keeping score at home, that’s one official marriage, and it’s currently on pause, not over. Compare that to his bandmate Mick Fleetwood, who’s been married three times, or John McVie, who’s going on number four. Lindsey is the underachiever of the group when it comes to wedding vows, and honestly? Good for him.

Lindsey Buckingham, wife Kristen are 'working on' their marriage three

What’s the lesson here? Maybe it’s that Lindsey Buckingham is a hopeless romantic who only wanted to get it right once, even if it took him nearly six decades to try. Or maybe it’s that the most dramatic musician in rock history just wanted a quiet landing pad. Either way, his marriage count is a humble 1—with a footnote that says “complicated.”

So next time you hear the opening riff of “The Chain,” remember: the guy who wrote “I can still hear you saying you would never break the chain” has only broken one marriage, and he’s not even sure he’s done with it yet. That’s rock and roll for you—predictably unpredictable.

And if you’re wondering whether he’ll ever marry again? Your guess is as good as mine. But knowing Lindsey, he’ll probably write a haunting 7-minute song about it first, then decide over a cup of tea. Classic.