Fans Mourn Passing of Fleetwood Mac’s Christine McVie, Age 79

Christine McVie, a key member of Fleetwood Mac, has passed away at the age of 79, her family and the band announced on Wednesday.

The family’s statement announced her death “with a heavy heart,” saying that the singer-songwriter who penned some of Fleetwood Mac’s biggest hits had “passed away peacefully at hospital this morning, Wednesday, November 30th 2022, following a short illness,” and in the company of her family.

“We kindly ask that you respect the family’s privacy at this extremely painful time, and we 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,” the statement concluded. “RIP Christine McVie.”

The band shared their own grief, tweeting that there were “no words to describe our sadness.” McVie was “truly one-of-a-kind, special and talented beyond measure” and “the best musician anyone could have in their band and the best friend anyone could have in their life.”

“We were so lucky to have a life with her,” the statement continued. “Individually and together, we cherished Christine deeply and are thankful for the amazing memories we have. She will be so missed.”

McVie joined Fleetwood Mac in 1970 after contributing as a session musician on the band’s prior albums and marrying bassist John McVie in 1968. The McVies moved with band founder Mick Fleetwood to the United States in 1974, where they would soon meet Stevie Nicks and Lindsey Buckingham, forming the team that would catapult the band to superstardom.

McVie’s “warmth and gravitas balanc[ed] the contributions of her younger new bandmates,” wrote Variety’s Chris Morris, with her sultry voice and skills as a songwriter and keyboardist providing a key foundation for the band’s growth into a “pop music juggernaut.” She wrote several of the songs on the newly reformed Fleetwood Mac’s first album together, the eponymous Fleetwood Mac, including “Say You Love Me” and “Over My Head,” which were both Billboard Top 20 singles.

1977’s smash hit Rumours — which spawned headlines for both its musical genius and the infamous personal turmoil among the band members’ relationships — again contained multiple significant songwriting contributions from McVie, including “Don’t Stop,” “You Make Loving Fun,” “Chain,” and “Songbird,” which the band frequently used to close out their concerts for the album’s tour.

https://twitter.com/DannyDeraney/status/1598048552197885952?s=20&t=gGu96MeLGQXtOdtFzJOoTg

Other major McVie-penned hits include “Everywhere” and “Little Lies” from 1987’s Tango in the Night and “Hold Me” from 1982’s Mirage. Eight of the sixteen songs on the U.S. release of Fleetwood Mac’s 1988 Greatest Hits album have a solo or shared writing credit for McVie.

On America Reports Wednesday, Fox News anchor John Roberts recalled his time as a DJ in Toronto when the Rumours album came out, and “You Make Loving Fun” was the first single and “blew everything else off the charts.”

“What an incredible record that was,” Roberts added. The music she had helped the band create was “timeless” and still in high rotation, he said, and “it really is sad to see her go,” because she was “a real force” and “a giant talent.”

“And responsible for some of the band’s absolute biggest hits,” said Sandra Smith. “She inspired a generation..it’s 2022, and there are so many young people today who discovered that they love Fleetwood Mac and their legacy, it’s incredible, they’ve reached so many people over the decades they’ve been performing.”

Fans mourned McVie’s passing on social media.

https://twitter.com/DannyDeraney/status/1598042952835551232?s=20&t=gGu96MeLGQXtOdtFzJOoTg

Watch the videos above, via Fox News and Twitter.

New: The Mediaite One-Sheet "Newsletter of Newsletters"
Your daily summary and analysis of what the many, many media newsletters are saying and reporting. Subscribe now!