#SONGBIRD CHRISTINE MAC#

McVie may have shared singing duties with bandmate Lindsey Buckingham on this track from Fleetwood Mac’s 1977 album Rumours, but it was entirely inspired by her own life. Though she co-wrote the track with her then-husband, songwriter Eddy Quintela, fans have since speculated it was in fact another track written about former lover Wilson. McVie later admitted it was about “the whole ‘shoulda, woulda, coulda’ feeling”. Underneath its pop gloss, Little Lies is infused with regret and sadness at a bitter betrayal in a relationship, yearning for the protective pretence of lies instead of being forced to confront the truth. Yet things were rarely as simple as they sounded for McVie. Instantly catchy, it has all the hallmarks of a chart-conquering pop song with its impossibly catchy chorus, perfect harmonies and those distinctive radio-friendly keyboards. One of Fleetwood Mac’s best-known tracks from their 1987 album Tango in the Night, Little Lies typifies McVie’s creative genius. Sadly within a year, Wilson was dead, drowning in California just weeks after his 39 th birthday. When it appeared on the band’s 1982 album Mirage, a simple line under the track’s writing credit acknowledged him as its inspiration, a final declaration of affection from McVie following the end of their relationship. Characterised by McVie’s trademark optimism in the face of other’s doubts, it matches her delicate romantic ideals with a steely belief that love could conquer all, telling Wilson movingly, “angel, please don’t go.” They were introduced by Mick Fleetwood in 1979 but their relationship was plagued by Wilson’s destructive battle with drink and drugs, acknowledged in the song as McVie admits “people think I’m crazy”.

McVie wrote the haunting, ethereal Only Over You about her on-going three-year relationship with Beach Boys drummer Dennis Wilson. Later famously covered by both Eva Cassidy and Willie Nelson, it remains one of the greatest love songs ever written. Her by-then ex-husband John McVie later admitted that hearing her sing it made him weep. Disarmingly tender, it reveals McVie’s voice at its purest, its lilting loveliness paired with a simple piano line to suit McVie’s heartfelt, perfectly uncomplicated lyrics. She later claimed it may never have existed without the “couple of toots of cocaine and a half a bottle of champagne” she’d consumed earlier, disturbing her sleep. Written – impossibly – in just half an hour, Songbird came to McVie in the middle of the night when she woke suddenly with the song fully formed in her head. Following her death at 79, here are 10 of her most unforgettable tracks: 1. Though they were already a successful blues act, adding a keyboard player gave their music a more commercial direction, eventually making them one of the world’s biggest selling bands, with her voice one of their most recognisable traits. Describing herself as “just a girl who plays piano”, she was married to the band’s bassist John McVie when they asked if she fancied joining in 1970.

#SONGBIRD CHRISTINE MAC#

I love you so much Stevie, rip beautiful songbird.Christine McVie’s impact on Fleetwood Mac was felt almost immediately. Seeing Stevie and Christine together changed my life forever and made me want to play music. “I wrote my verse to ‘hallelujah’ to try to help me heal after she had passed. “I’m at a loss for words…I would listen to Fleetwood Mac with my best friend Sammi Kane Kraft constantly,” she said in the caption.

seeing two strong women support each other in our favorite band has had such a huge impact on us throughout our lives.”Īlana Haim, who wrote the lyrics to the “Hallelujah” verse that Nicks shared, posted her own photo set to Instagram. Haim, whose song “Hallelujah” was quoted in Nicks’ handwritten tribute, posted a photo of the two Fleetwood Mac women writing: “The sisterhood Stevie and Christine had was so vital to us growing up. We send our heartfelt condolences to her family, her bandmates, and her legions of fans.

We had the utmost admiration and respect for Christine. Hers was a vibrant, soulful spirit, and her music was, and will remain, a gift to the world. “We are deeply saddened by the news of the passing of Christine McVie. A post shared by Mick Fleetwood Eagles, whose decades-long career has paralleled Fleetwood Mac’s, shared the following official statement with Variety:

Songbird christine