Fleetwood Mac `Songbird' star Christine McVie dies in London
Christine McVie, whose keyboards, vocals and songwriting shaped the sound of Fleetwood Mac as it soared to global fame in the 1970s, died Wednesday. She was 79.
McVie's death was announced on her Twitter page with few details provided, simply noting that she had died at an unnamed hospital after a short illness.
“She was in the company of her family,” the statement read. “(W)e 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.”
Fleetwood Mac, whose surviving members include co-founders Mick Fleetwood and John McVie, Christine McVie's ex-husband, as well as Lindsey Buckingham and Stevie Nicks, also posted statements online.
“There are no words to describe our sadness at the passing of Christine McVie,” the band statement read. “She was truly one of a kind, special and talented beyond measure. Individually and together, we cherished Christine deeply and are thankful for the amazing memories we have.”
Nicks posted photos on Twitter of the handwritten note she'd composed after hearing the news that “my best friend in the whole world since the first day of 1975 had passed away.”
She continued to say she hadn't known McVie was ill until Saturday night and wished she'd been able to go to her in London before she died.
Nicks' note continued with the lyrics of Haim's “Hallelujah,” a song singer Alaina Haim wrote after the death of a close friend, a song Nicks said she'd been thinking of ever since hearing the news. “See you on the other side, my love,” she concluded. “Don't forget me — always, Stevie.”
McVie, who was born Christine Perfect, bridged the several versions of Fleetwood Mac, which started as a blues-rock band in England before she, John McVie and Fleetwood moved to Los Angeles in the mid-'70s. Once settled here, they invited Buckingham and Nicks to join the group, and reemerged as a classic rock juggernaut.
The newly reconstituted group's first two albums, a 1975 self-titled release and 1977's “Rumours,” both reached No. 1 on the U.S. album charts, with Christine McVie writing or singing hit singles such as “Over My Head,” “Say You Love Me,” “Don't Stop” and “You Make Loving Fun.”
With her soulful vocals and inclination toward softer pop rock and ballads, McVie provided Fleetwood Mac with a third sound that complemented the upbeat rock numbers written by Buckingham and the mystical journeys of the ethereal Nicks.
“Songbird,” an album track from “Rumours,” is her signature tune. The song's wistful, loving lyrics are accompanied only by McVie's piano; it long has been a fan favorite, a number that often appeared at the end of Fleetwood Mac shows.
Fleetwood Mac famously was a volatile band. By the end of the “Rumours” tour, the McVies' relationship was on the rocks, as was that of Buckingham and Nicks. The 1979 double album “Tusk” failed to reach the same heights as its two predecessors, though McVie penned another Top 20 hit in “Think About Me.”
Reactions from fans and fellow musicians filled Twitter as news of her death spread on Wednesday.
“Gutted to learn about the passing of Christine McVie,” Garbage singer Shirley Manson wrote on the band's Twitter. “Just gutted. Songbird forever.”
Michele Zauner, who performs as Japanese Breakfast, called her a legend and eternal inspiration. “Every time I tried to write a classy synth line in the studio I'd always say I was trying to channel my inner Christine,” she wrote on Twitter.
“I am so sad to hear of Christine McVie going on to heaven,” singer-songwriter Sheryl Crow wrote. “The world feels weird without her here. What a legend and an icon and an amazing human being.”