Danny Kirwan, whose addition to Fleetwood Mac in 1968 made it a three-guitar band for a time, died on Friday at age 68.
Kirwan added extra punch and lyricism to the band's original guitar tandem of Peter Green and Jeremy Spencer and wound up outlasting them both, although he was in the lineup for less than five years. Kirwan's first recording with the group was its number-one British single, the instrumental "Albatross." He appeared on the albums Then Play On, Blues Jam at Chess, Kiln House, Penguin and Bare Trees.
Kirwan was fired in 1972 after refusing to go onstage one night. He recorded three solo albums but didn't tour to promote them and they didn't sell well. Kirwan struggled with a drinking problem while with Fleetwood Mac and mental health issues later in his life. He was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame with the band in 1998, but didn't attend the ceremony.
Mick Fleetwood announced Kirwan's death on the band's Facebook page, calling him "a huge force in our early years. Danny’s true legacy, in my mind, will forever live on in the music he wrote and played so beautifully as a part of the foundation of Fleetwood Mac that has now endured for over 50 years."