Christine McVie was a vocalist, songwriter, and keyboardist for the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame band Fleetwood Mac.
- Died: Wednesday, November 30, 2022. (Who else died on November 30?)
- Details of death: Died after a short illness at the age of 79, according to a statement released by her family.
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Fleetwood Mac Songbird
Christine McVie started her music career in England using her maiden name Christine Perfect. She joined the blues rock band Chicken Shack as a keyboardist and vocalist and sang lead on the band’s one hit song “I’d Rather Go Blind” in 1969. She married Fleetwood Mac bassist John McVie in 1968 and appeared on the band’s 1968 album “Mr. Wonderful” and 1969’s “Then Play On,” which was their last release with band founder Peter Green. Christine McVie joined Fleetwood Mac as a permanent member in 1971 and the band started to move from a blues rock outfit into pop rock music.
In 1974, Lindsey Buckingham and Stevie Nicks joined, and the group that included original drummer Mick Fleetwood would become one of rock’s biggest selling bands of all-time with the release of the 1977 album “Rumours.” The relationships between Christine and John McVie and Lindsey Buckingham and Stevie Nicks fell apart as “Rumours” was being made and the songwriting matched what was happening in real life.
Christine McVie wrote and sang some of the group’s most beloved hit songs, typically writing about love and relationships. These include “Over My Head,” “Everywhere,” “Little Lies,” “You Make Loving Fun,” and “Don’t Stop,” which was the biggest hit that she wrote. Her “Songbird” ballad was often the encore for the band’s concerts. She left the band in the late 1990s and came back to Fleetwood Mac in 2014, both recording and touring with them. She released three solo albums with the single “Got a Hold on Me” from 1984’s self-titled album reaching the top ten.
Notable Quote
“Stevie gave me this chain,” she said, “It used to have a diamond feather on it. It’s a metaphor, you know. That the chain of the band will never be broken. Not be me, anyways. Not again by me.” – 2015 interview in the New Yorker
Tributes to Christine McVie
Full Obituary: Variety
