Longtime Fleetwood Mac vocalist and keyboardist Christine McVie has died at the age of 79. The news was confirmed by the musician’s family in a statement this morning: “She passed away peacefully at hospital this morning, Wednesday, November 30th 2022, following a short illness. She was in the company of her family.”
In a statement from Fleetwood Mac, her bandmates remembered her as “one-of-a-kind, special and talented beyond measure”. “She was the best musician anyone could have in their band and the best friend anyone could have in their life,” the joint statement read. “We were so lucky to have a life with her. Individually and together, we cherished Christine deeply and are thankful for the amazing memories we have. She will be so very missed.”
“She Was Truly One-of-a-Kind, Special and Talented Beyond Measure”
Rest In Peace Christine McVie pic.twitter.com/sJwlqgsBLw
— Christine McVie (@christine_mcvie) November 30, 2022
Rest in Peace Christine McVie ?? pic.twitter.com/ibmQEsJo0U
— Christine McVie (@christine_mcvie) November 30, 2022
Born Christine Perfect in Lancashire, England, in 1943, McVie was drawn to music at a young age. One of her first forays into music was with the blues group Chicken Shack, which she joined in 1968. She played piano on the band’s 1968 debut album, 40 Blue Fingers Freshly Packed & Ready to Serve, and the following year’s, O.K. Ken?.
McVie left Chicken Shack in 1969 and released her solo debut, the eponymous Christine Perfect, in 1970. She was married to Fleetwood Mac bassist John McVie at the time and made her recorded debut with the band on their fifth album, 1971’s Future Games.
After Stevie Nicks and Lindsey Buckingham joined Fleetwood Mac in 1975, the revamped lineup found success with their self-titled album. The record topped the US Billboard albums chart and spawned the enduring singles ‘Rhiannon’ and ‘Say You Love Me’. The band achieved even greater success with 1977’s Grammy-winning Rumours, selling more than 20 million copies in the US alone.
Fleetwood Mac – ‘Songbird’
McVie wrote and sang on many of the band’s most beloved hits, including ‘Don’t Stop’, ‘Say You Love Me’, ‘Songbird’, ‘Everywhere, ‘Little Lies’, ‘Brown Eyes’ and more. McVie remained a member of Fleetwood Mac until the late 1990s, with her final album with the band being 1995’s Time. In 1998, she was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame as part of Fleetwood Mac.
McVie released her second solo album, Christine McVie, in 1984, and followed it up with In the Meantime in 2004. In 2017, McVie and Lindsey Buckingham released the collaborative album, Lindsey Buckingham Christine McVie, with Fleetwood Mac’s John McVie and Mick Fleetwood also contributing to the record.
McVie rejoined Fleetwood Mac in 2014, playing with the band on their On with the Show and An Evening with Fleetwood Mac tours, the latter of which wrapped up in 2019.
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