55 Facts About Christine McVie

Christine Anne McVie was an English musician, singer and songwriter.

Christine McVie was best known as keyboardist and one of the vocalists of Fleetwood Mac.

Christine McVie began working with Fleetwood Mac in 1968, initially as a session player, before joining the band in 1970.

Christine McVie remained with the band through many changes of line-up, writing songs and performing lead vocals before partially retiring in 1998.

Christine McVie appeared as a session musician on the band's last studio album, Say You Will.

Christine McVie appeared on stage with Fleetwood Mac at the O2 Arena in London in September 2013 and rejoined the band in 2014 prior to their On with the Show tour.

Christine McVie received a Gold Badge of Merit Award from BASCA, now The Ivors Academy, in 2006.

Christine McVie received the Ivor Novello Award for Lifetime Achievement from the British Academy of Songwriters, Composers and Authors in 2014 and was honoured with the Trailblazer Award at the UK Americana Awards in 2021.

Christine McVie was born on 12 July 1943 in the English Lake District village of Bouth, and grew up in the Bearwood area of Smethwick near Birmingham.

Christine McVie's mother, Beatrice Edith Maud Perfect, was a medium, psychic, and faith healer.

Christine McVie was introduced to the piano when she was four, but did not study music seriously until the age of 11, when she was reintroduced to it by a local musician who was a friend of her brother John.

Christine McVie continued classical training to the age of 15, but shifted her musical focus to rock and roll when her brother acquired a Fats Domino songbook.

Christine McVie studied sculpture at Moseley School of Art in Birmingham for five years with the aim of becoming an art teacher, and while at art school, she met budding musicians in Britain's blues scene.

Christine McVie did not have enough money to launch herself into the art world and moved to London, where she worked briefly as a department-store window dresser.

In 1967 McVie, then performing under the name Christine Perfect, heard that Silvester and Webb were forming a blues band, to be called Chicken Shack, and were looking for a pianist.

Christine McVie contacted them and was invited to join the band as pianist, keyboard player and backing vocalist.

Christine McVie stayed with the band for two studio albums, and her genuine feel for the blues became evident in her Sonny Thompson-style piano playing and her authentic "bluesy" voice.

Christine McVie received a Melody Maker award for UK's best female vocalist in 1969 and again in 1970.

Christine McVie left Chicken Shack in 1969, having married Fleetwood Mac bassist John McVie a year earlier, feeling that she would not see her husband if they were in different bands.

Christine McVie was a fan of Fleetwood Mac and while she was touring with Chicken Shack the two bands would often meet.

Christine McVie was invited to join Fleetwood Mac as a keyboard player in 1970 after the departure of founding member Peter Green, having already contributed piano and backing vocals, uncredited, to their next album, Kiln House and provided the artwork for the sleeve.

Christine McVie had been a huge fan of the Peter Green-era Fleetwood Mac and learned the songs for Kiln House during rehearsals.

Christine McVie became an integral member of Fleetwood Mac as keyboard player, songwriter and female lead vocalist.

Christine McVie moved with the rest of Fleetwood Mac to California in 1974, where Welch left after a final album, Heroes are Hard to Find, and Stevie Nicks and Lindsey Buckingham of Buckingham Nicks joined the band.

Christine McVie bonded instantly with Nicks and the two women found their voices blended perfectly.

In 1976, Christine McVie began an on-the-road affair with the band's lighting director which inspired her to write "You Make Loving Fun", a top-10 hit from their next album, Rumours.

Christine McVie's biggest hit from the album was "Don't Stop", which reached the top five.

Christine McVie had a US top-20 hit with "Think About Me" from the 1979 double studio album Tusk, which did not match the success of the Rumours album.

McVie's second solo studio album, Christine McVie, recorded in 1984, included the hits "Got a Hold on Me" and "Love Will Show Us How".

Christine McVie married keyboardist Eddy Quintela on 18 October 1986 and they co-wrote songs which featured on subsequent Fleetwood Mac albums.

Christine McVie rejoined Fleetwood Mac in 1987 to record the Tango in the Night studio album, which became the band's biggest success since Rumours and reached the top five in the UK and US.

The single peaked at number 14 in the US In 1990, the band recorded Behind the Mask, which reached Gold status in the US and Christine McVie's song "Save Me" made the US top 40.

Christine McVie's "Skies the Limit", the second US single from the album, was a hit on the adult contemporary chart.

Christine McVie returned to touring and performed for the group's 1998 induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, as well as the Grammy Awards show and the Brit Awards in the UK.

Christine McVie decided not to continue with Fleetwood Mac after 1998 and said this was because she had developed a phobia about flying.

Five years after Christine McVie left Fleetwood Mac, she and Quintela were divorced.

Christine McVie appeared as a session musician on the band's last studio album, Say You Will.

Christine McVie released her third solo studio album, In the Meantime, that year.

Christine McVie was awarded the British Academy of Songwriters, Composers and Authors' Gold Badge of Merit at a ceremony held at London's Savoy Hotel in 2006.

Christine McVie did not join her former bandmates on the band's last performance in the UK of the Unleashed tour in November 2009.

When Fleetwood Mac's 2012 world tour was announced, Stevie Nicks downplayed the likelihood of Christine McVie ever rejoining the group.

In October 2013 it was announced that Christine McVie was recording a solo studio album for the first time in nine years.

In 2013, Christine McVie appeared on stage in Maui, Hawaii, performing with the Mick Fleetwood Blues Band, which included Mick Fleetwood and ex-Fleetwood Mac guitarist Rick Vito.

Christine McVie played on two dates, and her appearance on stage was received with rapturous applause.

On 11 January 2014, Mick Fleetwood announced during a concert in Maui that Christine McVie would be rejoining the band, and it was officially announced two days later that she had rejoined.

Buckingham and Christine McVie have contributed numerous songs to the new project.

The collaborative studio album Lindsey Buckingham Christine McVie was released on 9 June 2017, and was preceded by the single, "In My World".

Christine McVie sang with Christopher Cross on the song "Never Stop Believing" on his 1988 studio album Back of My Mind as well as with Bob Welch on his solo version of "Sentimental Lady".

Christine McVie married John Christine McVie in 1968, with Peter Green as best man.

Christine McVie married Portuguese keyboardist and songwriter Eddy Quintela on 18 October 1986.

Quintela and Christine McVie collaborated on a number of songs together, including "Little Lies".

For years Christine McVie found inspiration in the home's country setting, not only writing songs there, but restoring the house.

Christine McVie died in hospital on 30 November 2022, at the age of 79.

Christine McVie's death was announced by her family through social media.

Fellow band member Stevie Nicks said Christine McVie had been her "best friend in the whole world".