Christine McVie, an English musician whose sultry vocals and passionate lyrics propelled Fleetwood Mac to worldwide fame, passed away on Wednesday, the band and her family confirmed on social media.
She was 79.
There aren’t enough words to express how heartbroken we are to hear about Christine McVie’s demise, the group wrote in a tweet on Wednesday afternoon. She was absolutely unique, exceptional, and incredibly gifted.
In addition to being the finest friend someone could have, she was the best musician anyone could have in their band. We had a wonderful life with her, and the band continued.
“Both individually and collectively, we genuinely loved Christine and are grateful for the wonderful memories we have. She is going to be sorely missed.
Following a “brief illness,” McVie “went away quietly” at a hospital, according to a message on Instagram from her family.
The family requested that people respect their privacy during this incredibly difficult time, and they want for everyone to remember Christine as a wonderful human being and revered musician who was adored by all.
John McVie, the bassist for Fleetwood Mac, and McVie were once married. One of the creative forces behind the band’s wildly successful album “Rumours,” which was published in 1977, was the conflict in their relationship.
Some of the most beloved lyrics in the Fleetwood Mac songbook were written by Christine McVie, who also wrote the lyrics to international blockbusters including “Everywhere,” “Little Lies,” and “Don’t Stop”—a song that became associated with Bill Clinton’s first presidential campaign.
She described the highs and lows of love in straightforward yet lyrical terms in her lyrics. One of “Rumours’” lyrical high points and a mainstay of Fleetwood Mac’s concerts, “You Make Loving Fun,” perfectly encapsulated the carefree abandon of romance.
One of the four “Rumours” tracks that McVie wrote alone, “Songbird,” captured a more reflective mood. She sings while a gloomy piano tune plays, “For you, there’ll be no more crying / For you, the sun will be beaming.”
At its commercial height in the 1970s, Fleetwood Mac sold tens of millions of records and rose to become one of the greatest rock bands of all time. Fans all over the world were mesmerized by the transcendent music and riveted on the drama taking place behind the scenes.
Rumours, a timeless joint chronicle of marital collapse and one of the best-selling albums of all time, was born out of the breakup of the McVies and the subsequent split of fellow singer-songwriters Stevie Nicks and Lindsey Buckingham.
In 1998, following the band’s induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, McVie left Fleetwood Mac.
She reunited with the “Rumours”-era iteration of a band noted for its many lineup changes in early 2014 for an electric global tour.
Nicks quoted the line “I had a best friend / But she has come to pass” from the Haim song “Hallelujah” in a handwritten message she shared on Twitter on Wednesday in honor of her “best buddy in the whole world since the first day of 1975.”
Christine Anne Perfect was born on July 12, 1943, in Lancashire, England, and from an early age displayed a natural talent for the arts of music. Although she started out playing the piano, she finally set aside her training in classical music and dove deeply into rock ‘n’ roll.
In 1967, she began her career as a musician with the British blues group Chicken Shack. After a brief courtship, she fell in love with John McVie, they got married, and in 1970 she formally joined his band.
Christine McVie joined Fleetwood Mac and swiftly cemented her place as a crucial player, keyboardist, and hypnotic low alto voice. Early songs by McVie that are particularly noteworthy include “Over My Head” and “Say You Love Me.”
Although they remained friends and continued to play in the band through beloved albums like “Tusk” (1979) and “Mirage,” John and Christine McVie divorced in 1978. (1982).
Between 1986 until 2003, she was wed to Eduardo “Eddy” Quintela.
Out of a total of seven nominations, McVie garnered two Grammy Awards, while the British Academy of Songwriters, Composers, and Authors gave her a lifetime achievement award in 2014.
