1. John McVie's surname, combined with that of drummer Mick Fleetwood, was the source for the band's name.
17 Facts About John McVie
1. 2.
John McVie joined Fleetwood Mac shortly after its formation by guitarist Peter Green in 1967, replacing temporary bass guitarist Bob Brunning.
3.
In 1968, John McVie married blues pianist and singer Christine Perfect, who became a member of Fleetwood Mac two years later.
4.
John and Christine McVie divorced in 1976, but continued working together professionally.
5.
John McVie was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1998 as a member of Fleetwood Mac.
6.
John McVie says that he did have a sister, but she died when she was very young.
7.
John McVie started playing the trumpet at an early age then, at age 14, he began playing the guitar in local bands, covering songs by the Shadows.
8.
John McVie soon realised that his friends were learning lead guitar so he decided to play the bass guitar instead.
9.
John McVie is listed at number 37 on Rolling Stone list of the fifty greatest bassists of all time.
10.
Soon thereafter, John McVie got an offer to play bass in the Bluesbreakers.
11.
John McVie accepted while still holding down his daytime job for a further nine months before becoming a musician full-time.
12.
John McVie was the band's bassist for four and a half years.
13.
However, John McVie initially was reluctant to join Fleetwood Mac, not wanting to leave the security and well-paid job in the Bluesbreakers, forcing Green to temporarily hire a bassist named Bob Brunning.
14.
John McVie suggested the title Rumours because he felt that the songs functioned as journal and diary entries about each other.
15.
An alcohol-induced seizure in 1987 finally prompted John McVie to stop drinking altogether and he has been sober ever since.
16.
In October 2013, John McVie was diagnosed with colon cancer and began treatment.
17.
John McVie continued to play with the band during their 2014 On With the Show tour following an improvement in his condition.