Remembering the Songbird, Christine McVie
“I wish you all the love in the world, but most of all, I wish it from myself“
It was announced on Wednesday the 30th of November that Christine Anne McVie, Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee and famed singer/keyboardist of the multi-awarding winning band Fleetwood Mac, had passed away after battling a ‘short illness’.
After joining Fleetwood Mac in 1970 – following being an active fan of the existing blues-rock band of Peter Green, John McVie, Jeremy Spencer and Mick Fleetwood – McVie rapidly became an underrated key member of the group who would go on to inject her enigmatic songwriting and multi-instrumental prowess into the effort. Since the band’s conception, Fleetwood Mac has been through countless line-ups, public and private tiffs, rebrands and complete image alterations before existing as the most commercially successful and recognisable iteration of Mick Fleetwood, Christine and John McVie, Stevie Nicks and Lindsey Buckingham.
Unlike some of the other seemingly more confident members of the group, McVie was content to prioritise the music instead of the limelight. She was an extremely adaptable instrumentalist and an incredibly talented singer-songwriter, and her musical legacy will continue to grace the ears and hearts of fans worldwide. A long-serving group member, Christine stuck with the band through some of their most tumultuous eras plagued by alcohol and substance abuse and intense personal interrelations – in many ways serving as a concrete pillar of the group. Famously perpetually interlinked, Fleetwood Mac was never short of its interpersonal dramas. However, McVie seemed to be the uniting factor, with the band calling her the “best musician anyone could have in their band and the best friend anyone could have in their life” and Nicks dubbing McVie her “best friend in the whole world”.
An ever-talented songwriter, McVie’s song writing stretches across several bands discographies as well as her own solo work. With a way of writing that is introspective and , coupled with the quiet power to become commercially successful, Christine McVie was a definite driving force of the band. Widely renowned as one of the defining entries in the Fleetwood Mac discography, McVie’s ‘Songbird’ has been a staple for the band during live performances since its release in 1977. The quiet genius of Fleetwood Mac will always be fondly remembered by countless fans this way. The Songbird’s call will continue to resound for years to come.
“Shine me a light from your eyes dear
Don’t let me see a single tear
Take everything easy
Show me a smile.”
– ‘Show Me a Smile’ – Christine McVie, 1971
