Christine Anne McVie (; née Perfect; 12 July 1943 – 30 November 2022) was an English musician and songwriter. She was best known as keyboardist and one of the vocalists of the band
Fleetwood Mac
Fleetwood Mac are a British-American rock band, formed in London in 1967. Fleetwood Mac were founded by guitarist Peter Green (musician), Peter Green, drummer Mick Fleetwood and guitarist Jeremy Spencer, before bassist John McVie joined the li ...
.
McVie was a member of several bands, notably
Chicken Shack
Chicken Shack are a British blues band, founded in the mid-1960s by Stan Webb (guitar and vocals), Andy Silvester (bass guitar), and Alan Morley (drums), who were later joined by Christine Perfect (later McVie) (vocals and keyboards) in 1967 ...
, in the mid-1960s
British Blues
British blues is a form of music derived from American blues that originated in the late 1950s, and reached its height of mainstream popularity in the 1960s. In Britain, it developed a distinctive and influential style dominated by electric gu ...
scene. She began working with Fleetwood Mac in 1968, initially as a
session player, before joining the band in 1970. Her first compositions with Fleetwood Mac appeared on their fifth album, ''
Future Games
''Future Games'' is the fifth studio album by British-American rock band Fleetwood Mac, released on 3 September 1971. It was recorded in the summer of 1971 at Advision Studios in London and was the first album to feature Christine McVie as a fu ...
''. She remained with the band through many changes of line-up, writing songs and performing
lead vocals
The lead vocalist in popular music is typically the member of a group or band whose voice is the most prominent melody in a performance where multiple voices may be heard. The lead singer sets their voice against the accompaniment parts of th ...
, before partially retiring in 1998. She was described as "the prime mover behind some of Fleetwood Mac's biggest hits". Eight songs written or co-written by McVie, including "
Don't Stop Don't Stop may refer to:
Albums
* ''Don't Stop'' (Annie album) or the title song, 2009
* ''Don't Stop'' (Jeffrey Osborne album) or the title song, 1984
* ''Don't Stop'' (Jolin Tsai album), or the title song, 2000
* ''Don't Stop'' (Rockets al ...
", "
Everywhere" and "
Little Lies", appeared on Fleetwood Mac's 1988 ''
Greatest Hits
A greatest hits album or best-of album is a type of compilation album that collects popular and commercially successful songs by a particular artist or band. While greatest hits albums are typically supported by the artist, they can also be creat ...
'' album. She appeared as a session musician on the band's last studio album, ''
Say You Will''. She also released three solo studio albums.
As a member of Fleetwood Mac, McVie was inducted into the
Rock and Roll Hall of Fame
The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame (RRHOF), sometimes simply referred to as the Rock Hall, is a museum and hall of fame located in downtown Cleveland, Ohio, United States, on the shore of Lake Erie. The museum documents the history of rock music an ...
and in 1998 received the
Brit Award
The BRIT Awards (often simply called the BRITs) are the British Phonographic Industry's annual popular music awards. The name was originally a shortened form of "British", "Britain", or "Britannia" (in the early days the awards were sponsore ...
for
Outstanding Contribution to Music. In the same year, after almost 30 years with Fleetwood Mac, she left the band and lived in semi-retirement, releasing a solo album in 2004. She appeared on stage with Fleetwood Mac at
the O2 Arena in London in September 2013 and rejoined the band in 2014 prior to their
On with the Show tour.
McVie received a Gold Badge of Merit Award from BASCA, now
The Ivors Academy, in 2006. She received the
Ivor Novello Award for Lifetime Achievement from the
British Academy of Songwriters, Composers and Authors in 2014 and was honoured with the Trailblazer Award at the
UK Americana Awards in 2021. She was also the recipient of two
Grammy Awards
The Grammy Awards (stylized as GRAMMY), or simply known as the Grammys, are awards presented by the Recording Academy of the United States to recognize "outstanding" achievements in the music industry. They are regarded by many as the most pres ...
.
Early life
McVie was born on 12 July 1943 in the English
Lake District village of
Bouth, and grew up in the
Bearwood area of
Smethwick
Smethwick () is an industrial town in Sandwell, West Midlands, England. It lies west of Birmingham city centre. Historically it was in Staffordshire.
In 2019, the ward of Smethwick had an estimated population of 15,246, while the wider bu ...
near
Birmingham
Birmingham ( ) is a city and metropolitan borough in the metropolitan county of West Midlands in England. It is the second-largest city in the United Kingdom with a population of 1.145 million in the city proper, 2.92 million in the We ...
. Her father, Cyril Percy Absell Perfect, was a concert violinist and music lecturer at
St Peter's College of Education,
Saltley
Saltley is an inner-city area of Birmingham, east of the city centre. The area is part of the Washwood Heath ward, and was previously part of the Nechells ward. It is part of the Ladywood constituency in the city.
History
Saltley was originall ...
, Birmingham, and taught violin at
St Philip's Grammar School, Birmingham. McVie's mother, Beatrice Edith Maud (Reece) Perfect, was a medium, psychic, and faith healer. McVie's grandfather was an organist at
Westminster Abbey
Westminster Abbey, formally titled the Collegiate Church of Saint Peter at Westminster, is an historic, mainly Gothic church in the City of Westminster, London, England, just to the west of the Palace of Westminster. It is one of the United ...
.
McVie was introduced to the piano when she was four, but did not study music seriously until the age of 11, when she was reintroduced to it by a local musician who was a friend of her brother John.
She continued classical training to the age of 15, but shifted her musical focus to
rock and roll
Rock and roll (often written as rock & roll, rock 'n' roll, or rock 'n roll) is a genre of popular music that evolved in the United States during the late 1940s and early 1950s. It originated from African-American music such as jazz, rhythm an ...
when her brother acquired a
Fats Domino
Antoine Dominique Domino Jr. (February 26, 1928 – October 24, 2017), known as Fats Domino, was an American pianist, singer and songwriter. One of the pioneers of rock and roll music, Domino sold more than 65 million records. Born in New O ...
songbook. Other early influences included
the Everly Brothers
The Everly Brothers were an American rock duo, known for steel-string acoustic guitar playing and close harmony singing. Consisting of Isaac Donald "Don" Everly (February 1, 1937 – August 21, 2021) and Phillip "Phil" Everly (January 19, 193 ...
.
Early music
McVie studied sculpture at
Moseley School of Art
The Moseley School of Art () on Moseley Road, Balsall Heath, Birmingham, England was built as the first municipal branch School of Art in Birmingham.
The Moseley School of Art was closed by the City of Birmingham Education Committee in 1976. The ...
in Birmingham for five years with the aim of becoming an art teacher. While at art school, she met budding musicians in Britain's blues scene.
Her introduction to performing music came when she met guitarist
Stan Webb Stan Webb may refer to:
*Stan Webb (footballer, born 1906) (1906–1994), English footballer
*Stan Webb (footballer, born 1947) (born 1947), English footballer
*Stan Webb (guitarist) (born 1946), English guitarist
*Stan Webb (rugby league)
Sta ...
and bass player
Andy Silvester
Andrew Frederick Silvester (born 16 June 1947, Kidderminster, Worcestershire, England) is a British bassist and multi-instrumentalist. Silvester has played in various bands during his career, most notably as co-founder of both Chicken Shack and ...
, who were in a band called Sounds of Blue. Knowing that McVie had musical talent, they invited her to join them.
She also sang with
Spencer Davis. By the time McVie graduated from art college, Sounds of Blue had split up. She did not have enough money to launch herself into the art world and moved to London, where she worked briefly as a department-store
window dresser
Window dressers are retail workers who arrange displays of goods in shop windows or within a shop itself. Such displays are themselves known as "window dressing". They may work for design companies contracted to work for clients or for department s ...
.
Chicken Shack
In 1967, McVie, then performing under the name Christine Perfect, heard that Silvester and Webb were forming a blues band, to be called
Chicken Shack
Chicken Shack are a British blues band, founded in the mid-1960s by Stan Webb (guitar and vocals), Andy Silvester (bass guitar), and Alan Morley (drums), who were later joined by Christine Perfect (later McVie) (vocals and keyboards) in 1967 ...
, and were looking for a pianist. She contacted them and was invited to join the band as pianist, keyboard player and backing vocalist. Chicken Shack's debut release was "It's Okay with Me Baby", which was written by and featured McVie.
She stayed with the band for two studio albums and her genuine feel for the blues became evident in her
Sonny Thompson-style piano playing and her authentic "bluesy" voice. Chicken Shack had a hit with a cover of Ellington Jordan's "
I'd Rather Go Blind", which featured McVie on lead vocals. McVie received a ''
Melody Maker
''Melody Maker'' was a British weekly music magazine, one of the world's earliest music weeklies; according to its publisher, IPC Media, the earliest. It was founded in 1926, largely as a magazine for dance band musicians, by Leicester-born ...
'' award for UK's best female vocalist in 1969 and again in 1970. She left Chicken Shack in 1969, having married
Fleetwood Mac
Fleetwood Mac are a British-American rock band, formed in London in 1967. Fleetwood Mac were founded by guitarist Peter Green (musician), Peter Green, drummer Mick Fleetwood and guitarist Jeremy Spencer, before bassist John McVie joined the li ...
bassist
John McVie
John Graham McVie (born 26 November 1945) is a British bass guitarist. He is best known as a member of the rock bands John Mayall & the Bluesbreakers from 1964 to 1967 and Fleetwood Mac since 1967. His surname, combined with that of Mick Fleet ...
a year earlier, feeling that she would not see her husband if they were in different bands.
Fleetwood Mac
McVie was a fan of Fleetwood Mac, and while she was touring with Chicken Shack the two bands would often meet. Both bands were signed to the
Blue Horizon label, and McVie played piano as a session musician on
Peter Green's songs on Fleetwood Mac's second studio album, ''
Mr. Wonderful''.
Encouraged to continue her career, she recorded a debut solo studio album, ''
Christine Perfect'', which was later reissued as ''The Legendary Christine Perfect Album''. She was invited to join Fleetwood Mac as a keyboard player in 1970 after the departure of founding member Peter Green, having already contributed piano and backing vocals, uncredited, to their next album, ''
Kiln House''.
She also provided the artwork for the sleeve. The band had been struggling to manage without Green and had needed another musician to fill out their sound.
McVie had been a huge fan of the Peter Green-era Fleetwood Mac and had learned the songs for the new album during rehearsals.
McVie became an integral member of Fleetwood Mac as keyboard player, songwriter and female lead vocalist. Before she joined there had been talk of the band splitting up, but Fleetwood said later "Christine became the glue
hat held the band together
A hat is a head covering which is worn for various reasons, including protection against weather conditions, ceremonial reasons such as university graduation, religious reasons, safety, or as a fashion accessory. Hats which incorporate mecha ...
She filled out our sound beautifully."
The first studio album on which McVie played as a full band member was ''
Future Games
''Future Games'' is the fifth studio album by British-American rock band Fleetwood Mac, released on 3 September 1971. It was recorded in the summer of 1971 at Advision Studios in London and was the first album to feature Christine McVie as a fu ...
'' in 1971. This was also the first album on which she worked with American guitarist and songwriter
Bob Welch Bob Welch may refer to:
*Bob Welch (baseball) (1956–2014), American baseball pitcher
*Bob Welch (author) (born c. 1955), American author and newspaper columnist
*Bob Welch (musician) (1945–2012), American musician and member of Fleetwood Mac
** ...
, who had replaced founding member
Jeremy Spencer.
[
McVie moved with the rest of Fleetwood Mac to California in 1974,] where Welch left after a final album, '' Heroes are Hard to Find'', and Stevie Nicks
Stephanie Lynn Nicks (born May 26, 1948) is an American singer, songwriter, and producer known for her work with the band Fleetwood Mac and as a solo artist.
After starting her career as a duo with her then-boyfriend Lindsey Buckingham, releasi ...
and Lindsey Buckingham
Lindsey Adams Buckingham (born October 3, 1949) is an American musician and record producer, best known as the lead guitarist and male lead vocalist of the band Fleetwood Mac from 1975 to 1987 and 1997 to 2018. In addition to his tenure with Fl ...
of Buckingham Nicks
''Buckingham Nicks'' is the only studio album by the duo of American rock guitarist Lindsey Buckingham and singer Stevie Nicks, both of whom later joined Fleetwood Mac. Produced by Keith Olsen, the album was released in September 1973 by Pol ...
joined the band. The line-up now contained two female lead vocalists who also wrote songs. McVie bonded instantly with Nicks and the two women found their voices harmonised perfectly. McVie wrote and sang lead on four tracks on the first studio album of the new line-up, ''Fleetwood Mac
Fleetwood Mac are a British-American rock band, formed in London in 1967. Fleetwood Mac were founded by guitarist Peter Green (musician), Peter Green, drummer Mick Fleetwood and guitarist Jeremy Spencer, before bassist John McVie joined the li ...
'' (1975): "Warm Ways", "Over My Head", "Say You Love Me" and "Sugar Daddy", and had a joint songwriting credit with Buckingham for "World Turning". The album produced several hit songs, with McVie's " Over My Head" and " Say You Love Me" both reaching the ''Billboard
A billboard (also called a hoarding in the UK and many other parts of the world) is a large outdoor advertising structure (a billing board), typically found in high-traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large advertis ...
'' top-20 singles chart. "Over My Head" put Fleetwood Mac on American radio and into the national top 20.
In 1976, McVie began an on-the-road affair with the band's lighting director which inspired her to write " You Make Loving Fun", a top-10 hit from their next album, '' Rumours'' (1977). Her biggest hit from the album was "Don't Stop Don't Stop may refer to:
Albums
* ''Don't Stop'' (Annie album) or the title song, 2009
* ''Don't Stop'' (Jeffrey Osborne album) or the title song, 1984
* ''Don't Stop'' (Jolin Tsai album), or the title song, 2000
* ''Don't Stop'' (Rockets al ...
", which reached the top five. ''Rumours'' also included McVie's "Songbird
A songbird is a bird belonging to the suborder Passeri of the perching birds ( Passeriformes). Another name that is sometimes seen as the scientific or vernacular name is Oscines, from Latin ''oscen'', "songbird". The Passeriformes contains 50 ...
", a slow ballad with McVie playing piano and Buckingham accompanying on acoustic guitar.
By the end of the ''Rumours'' tour, the McVies were divorced. Christine had a US top-20 hit with " Think About Me" from the 1979 double studio album ''Tusk
Tusks are elongated, continuously growing front teeth that protrude well beyond the mouth of certain mammal species. They are most commonly canine teeth, as with pigs and walruses, or, in the case of elephants, elongated incisors. Tusks share ...
'', which did not match the success of the ''Rumours'' album. After the ''Tusk'' tour the band took time apart, reuniting in 1981 to record the studio album ''Mirage
A mirage is a naturally-occurring optical phenomenon in which light rays bend via refraction to produce a displaced image of distant objects or the sky. The word comes to English via the French ''(se) mirer'', from the Latin ''mirari'', meani ...
'' at the Château d'Hérouville's studio in France. ''Mirage'', released in 1982, returned the band to the top of the US charts and contained the top-five hit " Hold Me", co-written by McVie. McVie's inspiration for the song was her tortured relationship with Beach Boys
A beach is a landform alongside a body of water which consists of loose particles. The particles composing a beach are typically made from rock, such as sand, gravel, shingle, pebbles, etc., or biological sources, such as mollusc shell ...
drummer Dennis Wilson
Dennis Carl Wilson (December 4, 1944 – December 28, 1983) was an American musician, singer, and songwriter who co-founded the Beach Boys. He is best remembered as their drummer and as the middle brother of bandmates Brian and Carl Wilson. ...
. Her song "Love in Store
"Love in Store" is a song by British-American rock group Fleetwood Mac. The song is the opening track on the 1982 album '' Mirage'', the fourth album by the band with Lindsey Buckingham acting as main producer with Richard Dashut and Ken Cailla ...
" became the third single from the album, peaking at number 22 in early 1983.
McVie's second solo studio album, '' Christine McVie'', recorded in 1984, included the hits " Got a Hold on Me" (number 10 US pop, number one adult contemporary
Adult contemporary music (AC) is a form of radio-played popular music, ranging from 1960s vocal and 1970s soft rock music to predominantly ballad-heavy music of the present day, with varying degrees of easy listening, pop, soul, R&B, quiet ...
and number one Mainstream Rock Tracks
Mainstream Rock is a music chart in '' Billboard'' magazine that ranks the most-played songs on mainstream rock radio stations in the United States, a category that combines the formats of active rock and heritage rock. The chart was launched i ...
) and " Love Will Show Us How" (number 30 US pop). A third single, "I'm the One", was released but did not chart. McVie said of the album, "Maybe it isn't the most adventurous album in the world, but I wanted to be honest and please my own ears with it."
McVie married keyboardist Eddy Quintela on 18 October 1986 and they co-wrote songs which featured on subsequent Fleetwood Mac albums. She rejoined Fleetwood Mac in 1987 to record the ''Tango in the Night
''Tango in the Night'' is the fourteenth studio album by British-American rock band Fleetwood Mac, released on 13 April 1987. It is the fifth and final studio album from the band's most successful lineup of Lindsey Buckingham, Mick Fleetwo ...
'' studio album, which became the band's biggest success since ''Rumours'' and reached the top five in the UK and US. McVie's " Little Lies", co-written with Quintela, was the biggest hit from the album. Another McVie single from the album, " Everywhere", reached number four in the UK, the band's third-highest UK chart peak. The single peaked at number 14 in the U.S. In 1990, the band (now without Lindsey Buckingham) recorded ''Behind the Mask Behind the Mask may refer to:
Film and television
* ''Behind the Mask'' (1932 film), a film featuring Boris Karloff
* ''Behind the Mask'' (1936 film) or ''The Man Behind the Mask'', a British mystery film by Michael Powell
* ''Behind the Mas ...
''. The album reached Gold status in the U.S. and McVie's song "Save Me Save Me may refer to:
Film and television
* ''Save Me'', a 1994 film starring Lysette Anthony
* ''Sauve-moi'' (''Save Me''), a 2000 French film directed by Christian Vincent
* ''Save Me'' (film), a 2007 American film directed by Robert Cary
* ' ...
" made the US top 40. The album entered the UK album chart at number one and reached Platinum status. McVie's "Skies the Limit
"Skies the Limit" is a single released in 1990 by British-American band Fleetwood Mac, from their album '' Behind the Mask''. While the single did not chart on the US '' Billboard'' Hot 100, it did reach number 10 on the ''Billboard'' Adult Con ...
", the second US single from the album, was a hit on the adult contemporary chart.
McVie's father, Cyril Perfect, died in 1990 while she was on the ''Behind the Mask'' tour and she decided to retire from touring.[Mick Fleetwood autobiography, "Play On", 2014] She remained with the band and wrote and recorded a new track, " Love Shines", for the 1992 box set ''25 Years – The Chain
''25 Years – The Chain'' is a box set by British-American rock band Fleetwood Mac originally released on 24 November 1992. The set contains four CDs, covering the history of the band from its formation in 1967 to 1992.
The set features sev ...
'', and five songs for the 1995 studio album ''Time
Time is the continued sequence of existence and events that occurs in an apparently irreversible succession from the past, through the present, into the future. It is a component quantity of various measurements used to sequence events, t ...
''. Nicks had by now departed. In the mid-90s, Fleetwood and John McVie worked with Buckingham on one of his solo projects and Christine McVie provided vocals and keyboards on some of the tracks. A reunion was proposed, Nicks rejoined the band, and Fleetwood Mac recorded the 1997 live album, '' The Dance'', which reached number one on the US album charts.
McVie returned to touring and performed for the group's 1998 induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame
The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame (RRHOF), sometimes simply referred to as the Rock Hall, is a museum and hall of fame located in downtown Cleveland, Ohio, United States, on the shore of Lake Erie. The museum documents the history of rock music an ...
, as well as the Grammy Awards
The Grammy Awards (stylized as GRAMMY), or simply known as the Grammys, are awards presented by the Recording Academy of the United States to recognize "outstanding" achievements in the music industry. They are regarded by many as the most pres ...
show and the Brit Awards
The BRIT Awards (often simply called the BRITs) are the British Phonographic Industry's annual popular music awards. The name was originally a shortened form of "British", "Britain", or "Britannia" (in the early days the awards were sponsored ...
in the UK. She decided not to continue with Fleetwood Mac after 1998 and said this was because she had developed a phobia
A phobia is an anxiety disorder defined by a persistent and excessive fear of an object or situation. Phobias typically result in a rapid onset of fear and are usually present for more than six months. Those affected go to great lengths to avo ...
about flying.
1999–2014: Hiatus from Fleetwood Mac and semi retirement
After ''The Dance'', McVie returned to England to be near her family and stayed out of public view until 2000, when she appeared to accept an honorary doctorate in music from the University of Greenwich
, mottoeng = "To learn, to do, to achieve"
, former_name = Woolwich Polytechnic(1890–1970)Thames Polytechnic(1970–1992)
, established =
, type = Public university
, budget = £214.9 million (2020)
, administrative_staff =
, chancel ...
. Five years after leaving Fleetwood Mac, McVie and Quintela divorced.
In a 2004 interview, McVie admitted to not listening much to pop music any more and stated, instead, a preference for Classic FM. She appeared as a session musician on the band's last studio album, '' Say You Will''. In December 2003 she went to see Fleetwood Mac's last UK performance on the Say You Will tour in London, but did not join her former bandmates on stage. She released her third solo studio album, '' In the Meantime'', that year.
McVie was awarded the British Academy of Songwriters, Composers and Authors' Gold Badge of Merit at a ceremony held at London's Savoy Hotel
The Savoy Hotel is a luxury hotel located in the Strand in the City of Westminster in central London, England. Built by the impresario Richard D'Oyly Carte with profits from his Gilbert and Sullivan opera productions, it opened on 6 August 18 ...
in 2006. That same year, ''Paste
Paste is a term for any very thick viscous fluid. It may refer to:
Science and technology
* Adhesive or paste
** Wallpaper paste
** Wheatpaste, A liquid adhesive made from vegetable starch and water
* Paste (rheology), a substance that behaves a ...
'' named McVie, together with bandmates Lindsey Buckingham and Stevie Nicks, as the 83rd-greatest living songwriter or songwriting team. McVie did not join her former bandmates on the band's last performance in the UK of the tour ''Unleashed'' in November 2009. During the announcement of Fleetwood Mac's 2012 world tour, Stevie Nicks downplayed the likelihood of McVie ever rejoining the group: "She went to England and she has never been back since 1998 ..as much as we would all like to think that she'll just change her mind one day, I don't think it'll happen ..We love her, so we had to let her go."
In October 2013, McVie was announced as recording a solo studio album for the first time in nine years. The album was never released.
2014–2022: Return to Fleetwood Mac and album with Lindsey Buckingham
In 2013, McVie appeared on stage in Maui, Hawaii, performing with the Mick Fleetwood Blues Band, which included Mick Fleetwood and ex-Fleetwood Mac guitarist Rick Vito. This was her first appearance on stage in 15 years. Later in September, Christine McVie joined Fleetwood Mac on stage for the first time in 15 years to play "Don't Stop" at the O2 Arena in London. She played on two dates and her appearance on stage was received with rapturous applause.
On 11 January 2014, Mick Fleetwood announced during a concert in Maui that McVie would be rejoining the band, and it was officially announced two days later that she had rejoined.
In August 2016, Mick Fleetwood said that while the band has "a huge amount of recorded music", virtually none of it features Stevie Nicks. Lindsey Buckingham and McVie, however, have contributed multiple songs to the new project. Fleetwood told Ultimate Classic Rock, "She cVie... wrote up a storm ... She and Lindsey could probably have a mighty strong duet album if they want. In truth, I hope it will come to more than that. There really are dozens of songs. And they're really good. So we'll see."
The collaborative studio album '' Lindsey Buckingham Christine McVie'' was released on 9 June 2017, and was preceded by the single, "In My World". A 38-date tour began on 21 June 2017 and ended on 16 November.
From 21 June to 27 July 2017, the duo engaged in a 14-date North American tour. Eight of the album's ten tracks were played live, with the rest of the set list consisting of Fleetwood Mac songs and Buckingham solo cuts. The Wallflowers opened for the band on select nights. In June, the band appeared on ''The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon
''The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon'' is an American late-night talk show hosted by Jimmy Fallon that airs on NBC. The show premiered on February 17, 2014, and is produced by Broadway Video and Universal Television. It is the seventh in ...
'' to perform the album's first single, "In My World". Some extra North American shows were later added in August, including one in Los Angeles and another in New York City. Another North American leg began in October, which saw the addition of 22 more shows.
Fleetwood Mac headlined the second night of the Classic West concert (on 16 July 2017 at Dodger Stadium
Dodger Stadium is a baseball stadium in the Elysian Park neighborhood of Los Angeles, California. It is the home stadium of Major League Baseball's Los Angeles Dodgers. Opened in 1962, it was constructed in less than three years at a cost of ...
in Los Angeles) and the second night of the Classic East concert (at New York City's Citi Field
Citi Field is a baseball park, baseball stadium located in Flushing Meadows–Corona Park in New York City, United States. It opened in 2009 and is the home field of Major League Baseball's New York Mets. The stadium was built as a replacement fo ...
on 30 July 2017). On 9 April 2018, Fleetwood Mac announced that Mike Campbell would be joining the band along with Neil Finn
Neil Mullane Finn (born 27 May 1958) is a New Zealand singer-songwriter and musician who is known for being a member of Crowded House, Split Enz (which he co-fronted with brother Tim), and Fleetwood Mac. Finn rose to prominence in the late ...
to replace lead guitarist Lindsey Buckingham
Lindsey Adams Buckingham (born October 3, 1949) is an American musician and record producer, best known as the lead guitarist and male lead vocalist of the band Fleetwood Mac from 1975 to 1987 and 1997 to 2018. In addition to his tenure with Fl ...
, who was fired.
In 2019, McVie was featured in the 90-minute BBC documentary ''Fleetwood Mac's Songbird – Christine McVie'', directed by Matt O'Casey.
Other collaborations
McVie sang with Christopher Cross
Christopher Cross (born Christopher Charles Geppert; May 3, 1951) is an American singer-songwriter from San Antonio, Texas.
He won five Grammy Awards for his eponymous debut album released in 1979. The singles "Sailing" (1980), and "Arthur's ...
on the song "Never Stop Believing" on his 1988 studio album '' Back of My Mind'' as well as with Bob Welch Bob Welch may refer to:
*Bob Welch (baseball) (1956–2014), American baseball pitcher
*Bob Welch (author) (born c. 1955), American author and newspaper columnist
*Bob Welch (musician) (1945–2012), American musician and member of Fleetwood Mac
** ...
on his solo version of "Sentimental Lady
"Sentimental Lady" is a song written by Bob Welch. It was originally recorded for Fleetwood Mac's 1972 album ''Bare Trees'', but was re-recorded by Welch on his debut solo album, '' French Kiss'', in 1977. It is a romantic song, originally wri ...
".
Personal life
When McVie married John McVie
John Graham McVie (born 26 November 1945) is a British bass guitarist. He is best known as a member of the rock bands John Mayall & the Bluesbreakers from 1964 to 1967 and Fleetwood Mac since 1967. His surname, combined with that of Mick Fleet ...
in 1968, Peter Green was best man. Instead of a honeymoon, they celebrated at a hotel in Birmingham
Birmingham ( ) is a city and metropolitan borough in the metropolitan county of West Midlands in England. It is the second-largest city in the United Kingdom with a population of 1.145 million in the city proper, 2.92 million in the We ...
with Joe Cocker
John Robert "Joe" Cocker (20 May 1944 – 22 December 2014) was an English singer known for his gritty, bluesy voice and dynamic stage performances that featured expressive body movements. Most of his best known singles were recordings of son ...
, who happened to be staying there, before going off with their own separate bands. The couple divorced in 1976, but remained friends and maintained a professional partnership. During the production of '' Rumours'', she had an affair with Fleetwood Mac's lighting engineer, Curry Grant, which inspired the song " You Make Loving Fun". From 1979 to 1982, she dated Dennis Wilson
Dennis Carl Wilson (December 4, 1944 – December 28, 1983) was an American musician, singer, and songwriter who co-founded the Beach Boys. He is best remembered as their drummer and as the middle brother of bandmates Brian and Carl Wilson. ...
of the Beach Boys. McVie married Portuguese keyboardist and songwriter Eddy Quintela on 18 October 1986. Quintela and McVie collaborated on a number of songs together, including " Little Lies". They divorced in 2003, and Quintela died in 2020.
During the height of Fleetwood Mac's success in the 1970s, McVie resided in Los Angeles in a house that had previously been owned by Joan Collins
Dame Joan Henrietta Collins (born 23 May 1933) is an English actress, author and columnist. Collins is the recipient of several accolades, including a Golden Globe Award, a People's Choice Award, two Soap Opera Digest Awards and a Primetime ...
and by Elton John
Sir Elton Hercules John (born Reginald Kenneth Dwight; 25 March 1947) is a British singer, pianist and composer. Commonly nicknamed the "Rocket Man" after his 1972 hit single of the same name, John has led a commercially successful career a ...
. In 1990, she moved to a Grade II-listed Tudor manor house in Wickhambreaux
Wickhambreaux ( ) is a small rural village in Kent, England. The village is just off the A257 Sandwich Road, four miles east of the city of Canterbury. Since Roman times the village has had connections to the Church and the Crown, including ...
, near Canterbury
Canterbury (, ) is a cathedral city and UNESCO World Heritage Site, situated in the heart of the City of Canterbury local government district of Kent, England. It lies on the River Stour.
The Archbishop of Canterbury is the primate of ...
in Kent, to which she retired after leaving Fleetwood Mac in 1998, and worked on her solo material. For years, McVie found inspiration in the home's country setting, not only writing songs there, but restoring the house. However, after rejoining Fleetwood Mac in 2014, McVie began spending more time in London, and put the house on the market in 2015.
Death
After a brief illness, McVie died in hospital on 30 November 2022 at the age of 79. Her death was announced by her family through social media. Fleetwood Mac said in a statement following her death that she was "the best musician anyone could have in their band and the best friend anyone could have in their life". Fellow Fleetwood Mac band member Stevie Nicks
Stephanie Lynn Nicks (born May 26, 1948) is an American singer, songwriter, and producer known for her work with the band Fleetwood Mac and as a solo artist.
After starting her career as a duo with her then-boyfriend Lindsey Buckingham, releasi ...
called McVie her "best friend in the whole world" in a statement following her death.
Discography
With Chicken Shack
Solo albums
With Fleetwood Mac
Compilation albums
Singles
Citations
General and cited references
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External links
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Extensive bio, links to charts, discography
{{DEFAULTSORT:McVie, Christine
1943 births
2022 deaths
Alumni of the University of Birmingham
Alumni of the University of Greenwich
British blues pianists
British rhythm and blues boom musicians
Chicken Shack members
English blues singers
English expatriates in the United States
English keyboardists
English organists
English rhythm and blues singers
English rock keyboardists
English rock pianists
English women pianists
English women singer-songwriters
Fleetwood Mac members
Grammy Award winners
Ivor Novello Award winners
MNRK Music Group artists
Musicians from Lancashire
People from Furness
Sanctuary Records artists
Women organists
Women rock singers
20th-century English painters
21st-century English painters
20th-century English singers
21st-century English singers
20th-century English women singers
21st-century English women singers
20th-century organists
21st-century organists
20th-century women pianists
21st-century women pianists