Fleetwood Mac’s early line-up was reshaped by a series of departures linked in the article to the pressures of fame, mental-health struggles and substance use. Jeremy Spencer’s abrupt exit in 1971 was especially consequential: he disappeared before a planned Los Angeles concert after encountering members of the Children of God religious sect, forcing the band to cancel the show and permanently altering its direction.

The article places Spencer’s departure after founder Peter Green left in 1970, following worsening mental health and drug use, and before Danny Kirwan was later dismissed amid erratic, alcohol-related behaviour. It argues that these changes ultimately created the conditions for later members Lindsey Buckingham and Stevie Nicks to join, though the claim that the cult’s intervention was essential to Fleetwood Mac’s eventual global success remains speculative.