Anne Christine McVie, nee Perfect (12th July 1943-30th November 2022) was a British singer, songwriter and keyboard player who joined Fleetwood Mac in 1970 and worked with the band until 1998. She rejoined in 2013 but any prospect of further studio work was quashed with her death in 2022.
Before Fleetwood Mac[]
Coming from a musical family, Christine turned against her father's aspirations for her to become a concert pianist at an early stage. By 1967 she was playing in blues outfit Chicken Shack and sharing lead vocals with guitarist/founder Stan Webb. She recorded two albums with them and sang on their hit cover of the Etta James standard I'd Rather Go Blind.
Chicken Shack were on the Blue Horizon record label with Fleetwood Mac and the two bands toured together. She played piano on their second album Mr. Wonderful and soon became an item with their bassist John McVie whom she married in 1968.
McVie announced her retirement from music soon after her wedding. By 1970 however, the band and their wives were living together communally in Hampshire. McVie contributed piano and backing vocals to the subsequent album Kiln House but the band were struggling following the departure of their founder Peter Green and she was invited to join the band full time shortly afterwards.
Fleetwood Mac[]
McVie remained with Fleetwood Mac for another twenty-eight years despite her divorce from John in 1978. After the band experienced a revival of success in 1975, several of her songs became international hit singles for the band including Say You Love Me, Don't Stop, You Make Loving Fun, Little Lies and Everywhere. Her song Songbird became a live anthem for the group and for many years was chosen to finish their concerts. McVie had a mezzo-soprano vocal range.
She retired from touring in 1990 and only contributed in a remote capacity to 1995's Time album. She rejoined briefly when the commercially successful line-up with Lindsey Buckingham and Stevie Nicks reformed for the live album The Dance in 1997 but left altogether the following year citing a dislike of flying and a desire to live in England again after the band had emigrated to the United States in 1974.
In 2014, Christine McVie rejoined Fleetwood Mac full-time. Although no new material has subsequently been issued under the band name, a collaborative album, Lindsey Buckingham Christine McVie, featuring all band members except for Stevie Nicks, was released in 2017.
Solo work[]
After leaving Chicken Shack, Christine recorded the self-titled album Christine Perfect in 1970. It featured a mixture of originals and covers, one of which was the Fleetwood Mac song When You Say, which John McVie and the song's composer Danny Kirwan played on.
During a lull in group activity she brought out the album Christine McVie (album) in 1984. Mostly co-written with session guitarist Todd Sharp, this featured the hit singles Got a Hold On Me and Love Will Show Us How. Mick Fleetwood and Lindsey Buckingham both contributed to the album and one song was written with future Mac member Billy Burnette.
After leaving Fleetwood Mac, McVie did a third album In the Meantime (2004) produced and co-written by her nephew Dan Perfect. Previous collaborators George Hawkins, Robbie Patton, Eddy Quintela and Billy Burnette all co-wrote songs while Hawkins played bass on the album. There was no promotional tour although McVie did some promotional interviews and one song, Friend, was released as a single.
In the spring of 2022, McVie announced the release of Songbird: A Solo Collection. This featured a handful of tracks from the 1984 and 2004 albums remixed by Glyn Johns with additional instrumentation plus two previously unreleased tracks. The album concluded with a new orchestral arrangement of Songbird featuring McVie's original 1977 vocal. This album turned out to be her swansong.
Personal life[]
Christine and John McVie were divorced in 1976 but continued together as band members for many years to come. The song Don't Stop was written for John as the divorce was going through. Other love affairs included with the group's lighting engineer Curry Grant, for whom she wrote You Make Loving Fun, and The Beach Boys' Dennis Wilson for who she wrote Only Over You.
Her second husband was Portuguese musician Eddy Quintela with whom she wrote several Mac songs including the 1987 smash hit Little Lies. This marriage ended in divorce in 2003.
Her brother, John Perfect, contributed saxophone to the instrumental track What a Shame from 1971's Future Games while his son, Dan Perfect, would later produce, play guitar on and contribute songwriting to McVie's 2004 solo album In the Meantime.
Christine McVie died on November 30th 2022 from a short illness.
Albums with Chicken Shack[]
40 Blue Fingers, Freshly Packed and Ready To Serve (1968)
OK Ken? (1969)
Solo albums[]
Christine Perfect (1970)
Christine McVie (1984)
In the Meantime (2004)
With Lindsey Buckingham[]
Lindsey Buckingham Christine McVie (2017)
Guest appearances on solo albums by Fleetwood Mac members[]
Backing vocals only except where stated
| Year | Artist | Album | Songs | Guests on same tracks |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1977 | Bob Welch | French Kiss | Sentimental Lady, Easy to Fall, Lose Your Heart | Mick Fleetwood, Lindsey Buckingham (both on Sentimental Lady only) |
| 1979 | Bob Welch | Three Hearts | Come Softly to Me, Don't Wait Too Long | |
| 1981 | Lindsey Buckingham | Law and Order | Shadow of the West | |
| 1983 | Mick Fleetwood's Zoo | I'm Not Me | Keyboards/backing vocals, but it is unclear which tracks McVie appears on | Lindsey Buckingham, Billy Burnette |