At this point, Fleetwood Mac seems unstoppable. The band has weathered countless storms over the years but remains active more than 50 years after its formation. Even so, the 2022 death of Christine McVie is a particularly hard blow to the band and its legions of fans. McVie, of course, was instrumental in many of Fleetwood Mac’s hits, including its most popular song ever.
How Christine McVie became a member of Fleetwood Mac
Way back in 1967, drummer Mick Fleetwood and guitarists/vocalists Peter Green and Jeremy Spencer founded Fleetwood Mac. And the band released its first self-titled album the very next year. Soon before its release, bass guitarist John McVie joined the band, making him an instrumental part of the band’s first album. But it didn’t take long for the band to grow bigger.
Christine Perfect – previously a member of the band Chicken Shack – first worked with Fleetwood Mac as a session musician on the band’s second album, 1968’s Mr. Wonderful. She and McVie married that same year, with Perfect taking her husband’s surname. By 1970, she became a full-time member of Fleetwood Mac, remaining with the band well into the 1990s.
Christine McVie left her mark on Fleetwood Mac’s ‘Don’t Stop’
McVie brought a lot of hits to Fleetwood Mac a ton over the years. But her most notable contribution is undoubtedly the 1977 single “Don’t Stop.” Released as the third single on the band’s Rumours album, the song became one of Fleetwood Mac’s biggest songs. According to Ultimate Classic Rock, only “Dreams” — the previous Rumours single — surpassed its success.
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McVie shares lead vocals on “Don’t Stop” with Lindsey Buckingham, though it certainly bears the former’s trademarks. During her time with Fleetwood Mac, McVie also penned many other hits for the band, including “Everywhere,” “You Make Loving Fun,” “Say You Love Me,” “Over My Head,” and “Songbird.” And she was among the eight Fleetwood Mac members to be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
The future of Fleetwood Mac hangs in the balance
McVie died from an illness in November 2022 at the age of 79. And following McVie’s death, recent talk of a Fleetwood Mac reunion seems increasingly unlikely. Even Fleetwood himself opened up about the fact that losing McVie makes the idea of getting back together less appealing, though he’s not necessarily ruling it out, given the band’s history.
“I think right now, I truly think the line in the sand has been drawn with the loss of Chris,” Fleetwood told Consequence of Sound in 2023. I’d say we’re done, but then we’ve all said that before. It’s sort of unthinkable right now.” But will Fleetwood Mac ever actually reunite. Only time will tell, but fans will be eager to see if the band does continue pursuing a potential reunion now.
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