Christine McVie - 1943-2022

by Julie Cruickshank

published: 7 / 1 / 2023

Julie Cruickshank reflects on the career of Fleetwood Mac keyboardist Christine McVie who died in November.

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As 2022 draws to a close we have, sadly, lost another English Queen. This lady was rock royalty, her songs selling in their millions around the world. But she preferred a low-key, quiet life, living almost unnoticed, a concealed star in our midst. Christine McVie, who has died aged 79, was born Christine Perfect in 1943 in Cumbria, England, and was a member of one of the world’s greatest and best-selling rock bands, Fleetwood Mac. She wrote or co-wrote many of the songs on the band’s iconic album ‘Rumours’, as well as later albums. The tribulations involved with the writing and recording of ‘Rumours’ are well-documented; suffice to say, Christine breezed through it all by composing some of its greatest tracks: ‘Oh Daddy’, ‘You Make Loving Fun’, ‘Don’t Stop’ and, what has become her epitaph, ‘Songbird’. Whenever Fleetwood Mac played live this tall, elegant lady, with her husky, bluesy voice, sitting side-stage behind the keyboards she played with such flair, provided the cool counterpoint to the flamboyant stage antics of singer Stevie Nicks and singer-guitarist Lindsey Buckingham. Christine played with the band Chicken Shack in the 1960s, before being drafted into an early line-up of Fleetwood Mac, along with her then-husband, bassist John McVie. After guitarist Peter Green left the band, drummer Mick Fleetwood recruited the American duo of Buckingham and Nicks, and their combined musical, songwriting and arranging talents created one of the top-selling bands of all time. In later years Christine teamed up once more with Lindsey Buckingham, and their eponymous album included the beautiful track ‘Carnival Begin’, a return to the lovely swirling Fleetwood Mac sound. After many years in America Christine had returned home, to live in England; she quite simply missed it, she said. In 2019 she at last agreed to open the door a little into her private thoughts, allowing the BBC to film a fascinating documentary about her life. Stevie Nicks published a touching hand-written letter to Christine on learning of her friend’s death; “See you on the other side, my love. Don’t forget me.” Lindsey Buckingham stated “Christine was a musical comrade.” Tributes from around the world proved just how admired and respected Christine McVie, as a singer and a songwriter, really was. Never again will we hear live the beautiful combination of the voices of Christine McVie, Lindsey Buckingham and Stevie Nicks, which made the songs of Fleetwood Mac sound so magical. The world has lost one of its greatest singer-songwriters; but her voice and her melodies will continue to give pleasure wherever they are heard. Rest in peace, regal lady.