NEW YORK: Christine McVie, a British-born Fleetwood Mac singer, composer, and keyboardist who helped shape songs like “You Make Loving Fun,” “Everywhere,” and “Don’t Stop,” died on Wednesday at the age of 79. Her soothing, soulful voice was a vital component of these tunes.
On the band’s social media pages, her passing was confirmed. She “went away quietly in hospital this morning” with family by her side after a “brief illness,” according to a family statement, however no cause of death or other information was given right away.
In a handwritten message shared on Instagram, bandmate Stevie Nicks said, “A few hours ago I was told that my dearest buddy in the whole world since the first day of 1975, had died away.
“She said, echoing the words to HAIM’s “Hallelujah,” that one song has been “swirling around” in her head ever since she learned that McVie was ill: I had had a best friend, but she has since passed away.
Christine McVie is the first member of Fleetwood Mac’s most well-known lineup to pass away, joining John McVie, Nicks, Buckingham, Mick Fleetwood, and bassist Christine McVie. The band had recently gone on tour without
Mike Campbell and Neil Finn took Buckingham’s position on stage after he was fired from the band in 2018. Beginning in the 1960s as a London blues band, Fleetwood Mac transformed into one of the key figures in the creation of California pop-rock in the 1970s thanks to the talents of McVie, Nicks, and Buckingham, who were supported by the rhythm section of
John McVie and Fleetwood. The band captivated listeners while selling tens of millions of records during its commercial heyday, which occurred between 1975 and 1980, by turning personal struggles into catchy, appealing songs. Rumours, one of the all-time best-selling albums, famously detailed the dissolution of the McVies and the breakup of Nicks and Buckingham.
