The Latest Fleetwood Mac 'Rumours': Crow Is Joining

Fleetwood Mac has not stopped thinking about tomorrow.

Word has it that Sheryl Crow will join the '70s rock band and fill the slot originally occupied by Christine McVie, who retired a few years ago to the English countryside.

Remaining Mac members Lindsey Buckingham, John McVie, Mick Fleetwood and Stevie Nicks are said to be working on new material, and Crow's participation is seen as a positive step. She already has a close working relationship with Nicks, and is an accomplished keyboard player (she once taught piano). This makes her a perfect replacement for Christine, ex-wife of John and the band's original keyboardist.

Reached last night in Manhattan, a rep for the band said: "The only discussion I know about Crow and Fleetwood Mac is for Crow to open for the band when they tour again. A rep for Crow was unaware of the news but promised to look into it.

Thursday October 25 05:07 PM EDT
Sheryl Crow Not A New Member Of Fleetwood Mac

(10/25/01, 5 p.m. ET) -- Fleetwood Mac is working on a new album, engaged in its first recording sessions since singer-keyboardist Christine McVie left after the band's last tour. While there are published rumors that Sheryl Crow might replace McVie in the group's lineup, representative for Crow has denied that she would be joining the group. Drummer and founding member Mick Fleetwood says that while there are no hard feelings, Fleetwood Mac is more than willing to go on without McVie.

"Just the four of us are going to continue and we'll augment the band for live performance," he says. "We're blessed that we have a lot of material that Stevie (Nicks) and Lindsey (Buckingham) are way capable of demonstrating, and it will be a different band to some extent. As of the moment, no, there's been no thought of adding anyone. Stevie's had a lot of fun working and touring a lot with Sheryl Crow...and...I don't anticipate anything like that happening. We're certainly not planning to do that, and that's where we're at."

The new Fleetwood Mac album isn't expected until well into next year.