Christine McVie, the keyboardist, singer, and songwriter behind one of Fleetwood Mac’s well-known hits, passed away on Nov. 30 at age 79. Her bandmates mourned the loss of their beloved friend, including Fleetwood Mac lead guitarist Lindsey Buckingham. One day after the news of Christine’s death, Lindsey, 73, reflected on the loss by taking to Instagram and saying, “Christine McVie’s sudden passing is profoundly heartbreaking. Not only were she and I part of the magical family of Fleetwood Mac, to me Christine was a musical comrade, a friend, a soul mate, a sister. For over four decades, we helped each other create a beautiful body of work and a lasting legacy that continues to resonate today. I feel very lucky to have known her. Though she will be deeply missed, her spirit will live on through that body of work and that legacy.”
News of Christine’s death was first shared by her official Instagram page. “On behalf of Christine McVie’s family, it is with a heavy heart we are informing you of Christine’s death. She passed away peacefully at hospital this morning, Wednesday, November 30th, 2022, following a short illness,” the statement read. “She was in the company of her family. We kindly ask that you respect the family’s privacy at this extremely painful time, and we would like everyone to keep Christine in their hearts and remember the life of an incredible human being and revered musician who was loved universally. RIP Christine McVie.”
“There are no words to describe our sadness at the passing of Christine McVie,” the band said in a statement issued by Mick Fleetwood’s social media account. “She was the best musician anyone could have in their band and the best friend anyone could have in their life. We were so lucky to have a life with her.” The statement was shared on Stevie Nicks’ official IG account. “Individually and together, we cherished Christine deeply and are thankful for the amazing memories we have. She will be so very missed.”
Christine joined Fleetwood Mac in 1970 after marrying the band’s bassist, John McVie. She was vital to the group’s success, helping turn them from a British blues-rock imitation act into a pop-rock trailblazer. The band’s self-titled debut featured seven songs written by McVie and/or Buckingham. “I think it was from Day 1,” McVie told the Tampa Bay Times in 2017. “When we got into the studio, it was like, I get what he’s playing, and he gets what I’m playing.”
The band’s legacy is married to its drama. The band’s most iconic album, Rumours, came on the heels of Stevie Nicks splitting from Lindsey Buckingham. Christine was in the middle of divorcing her husband. One of the songs that Christine wrote for the album, “You Make Loving Fun,” was inspired by her relationship with lighting technician Curry Grant after splitting from John.
“The excitement, the buzz of realizing you’ve written one of the best albums ever written, we were just flying high off that knowledge,” said McVie, per American Songwriter. “And every week, it was number one in the charts for about a year. We flip-flopped with The Eagles and Hotel California. But it was just a phenomenal time. Too many drugs, too much alcohol, but that was a crazy, crazy year. That era was unbelievable. ”
Christine left the band in 1998 due to a crippling fear of flying and a desire to stay closer to her family in England. She rejoined the group in 2014.
“It’s a strange one, really, because we’re not really the best of chums,” McVie said of her band when speaking to the Tampa Bay Times. “We don’t really hang out very much together. But we have a really strong musical bond with each other. Once we’re in the studio, we work as a team really well. We inspire ideas with each other. It is quite amazing, really, that I can listen to something he’s playing and tooling around on, and then we link up off each other very well. It’s been like that over the years — we come up with different ideas and cooperate in a very natural way.”