Who Was Christine McVie? Fleetwood Mac Singer-Songwriter Dies At 79

Christine McVie, a British-born member of Fleetwood Mac who sang, wrote and played keyboards and whose calm, soulful contralto helped make songs like You Make Loving Fun, Everywhere, and Don't Stop classics, passed away on Wednesday at the age of 79. She "passed peacefully," according to a statement from her family.

The band posted a notice about her passing on their social media platforms. She "passed away peacefully in hospital this morning" with family by her side after a "short illness," according to a family statement, though no cause of death or other information was immediately given.

Bandmate Stevie Nicks stated in a handwritten statement that was uploaded to Instagram, "A few hours ago I was told that my best friend in the whole world since the first day of 1975, had passed away." She said, using the line from HAIM's Hallelujah, "I had a best friend/But she has come to pass," that one song has been "swirling about" in her thoughts ever since she learned that Christine was ill.

Who Was Christine McVie?

Singer-songwriter Christine Anne McVie was from England. She was best known for her work as the keyboardist and singer for the band Fleetwood Mac, which she joined in 1970. She also released three solo albums. Love and relationships were prominent themes in her lyrics. The 1988 Greatest Hits CD by Fleetwood Mac featured eight songs that she either wrote or co-wrote, including Don't Stop, Everywhere, and Little Lies.

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As a member of Fleetwood Mac, McVie was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1998 and honoured with the Brit Award for Outstanding Contribution to Music. She chose to leave the band that year after nearly 30 years of service and lived in semi-retirement for about 15 years. In 2004, she issued a solo album. She first performed live with Fleetwood Mac in September 2013 at London's O2 Arena before reuniting with them in 2014 ahead of their On with the Show tour.

McVie was given a Gold Badge of Merit Award by Basca, now known as The Ivors Academy, in 2006. She was honoured with the Trailblazer Award at the UK Americana Awards in 2021 after receiving the Ivor Novello Award for Lifetime Achievement from the British Academy of Songwriters, Composers, and Authors in 2014. Additionally, she was the winner of two Grammy Awards.