Fleetwood Mac singer-songwriter, dies aged 79

Little Lies, Everywhere, Don’t Stop, Say You Love Me, and Songbird were all successes for the British singer-songwriter.

According to a statement, she died quietly in the presence of her family at a hospital.

McVie departed Fleetwood Mac in 1998 after 28 years but rejoined in 2014.

The family’s statement said, “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”.

McVie, born Christine Perfect, married Fleetwood Mac bassist John McVie and joined the band in the early 1970s.

Fleetwood Mac is a world-famous rock band

In the 1970s and 1980s, Fleetwood Mac became one of the world’s most well-known rock bands.

Rumours, inspired by the divorces of the McVies and the band’s other coupling, Lindsey Buckingham and Stevie Nicks, became one of the best-selling albums of all time, selling more than 40 million copies worldwide.

In 1998, McVie was one of eight band members inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame.

In the same year, after their live CD The Dance success, she retired to Kent, citing a dislike of travelling as the reason for her departure from the band.

After a one-time performance with the group at London’s O2 stadium in 2013, she rediscovered her passion for performing and returned to them a year later.

She said in 2017 on BBC Radio 4’s Desert Island Discs that she had acquired agoraphobia since quitting the band.

The band remarked of McVie, “We were delighted to share a life with her.”           

“Individually and together, we cherish Christine deeply and are thankful for our amazing memories. She will be so very missed.”

Stevie Nicks wrote on Instagram, “A few hours ago, I was told that my best friend in the entire world since the first day of 1975 had passed away.”

“I didn’t even know she was ill… until late Saturday night. I wanted to be in London and get to London – but we were told to wait.

“So, since Saturday, one song has been swirling around my head, over and over and over. I might get to sing it to her, so I’m singing it to her now.

“I always knew I would need these words one day… It’s all I can do now.”

“This is a day where my dear sweet friend Christine McVie has taken to flight… and left us, earthbound folks, to listen with bated breath to the sounds of that songbird… reminding one and all that love is all around us to reach for, and touch in this precious life that is gifted to us,” band co-founder Mick Fleetwood wrote in a tweet.

“Part of my heart has flown away today…I will miss everything about you, Christine McVie.”

Merck Mercuriadis, the owner of the Hipgnosis Songs Fund, which purchased McVie’s back catalogue, called her “arguably the greatest female English songwriter of all time.”

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