Longtime Fleetwood Mac singer, songwriter and keyboard player Christine McVie passed away following a brief illness. She was 79.
Originally known as Christine Perfect, she gained attention in her native England as a member of the late 1960's blues outfit Chicken Shack. She played with Chicken Shack on their first two albums and most notably sang lead vocal on a cover of the Etta James hit "I'd Rather Go Blind". After leaving Chicken Shack, she would marry founding Fleetwood Mac member John McVie recording a solo album in 1970 titled Christine Perfect which included a new recording of "I'd Rather Go Blind".
McVie would slowly become absorbed into Fleetwood Mac and formally joined the group for their 1971 album Future Games. My favorite McVie composition "Show Me a Smile" appears on this album featuring a gentle yet passionate vocal accompanied by Danny Kirwan's introspective guitar licks.
At the height of their fame during the mid to late 1970's much of the focus was on Lindsey Buckingham and Stevie Nicks. Yet McVie wrote a good many of their greatest hits including "Over My Head", "Say You Love Me" and "Go Your Own Way" (the latter of which was sung by Lindsey Buckingham) in the midst of her divorce from John McVie. In the 1980's, McVie also co-wrote hits such as "Hold Me" (which was inspired by her relationship with Beach Boys drummer Dennis Wilson) and "Little Lies".
After a 15-year hiatus from the band, McVie would rejoin Fleetwood Mac in 2013 for several tours and also recorded an album with Buckingham in 2017.
McVie's passing comes as a shock. There are some public figures one tends to take for granted and I would put McVie into that category. For all of Buckingham and Nicks' contributions, if McVie doesn't join Fleetwood Mac then they don't become a global phenomenon. Christine McVie's contributions to Fleetwood Mac were simply perfect. R.I.P.
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