Member of the legendary British-American rock band Fleetwood Mac, songwriter and singer Christine McVie died aged 79 at a hospital following a short illness her family said in a statement posted on the singer’s Facebook page.
"We would like everyone to keep Christine in their hearts and remember the life of an incredible human being and a revered musician who was loved universally. RIP Christine McVie,” the family said in the statement.
While Fleetwood Mac which went on to become one of the best-selling rock bands of all time thanks to the signature vocals of McVie issued a separate statement saying that there were no words to describe the band's sadness at McVie's passing. Members of Fleetwood Mac including Stevie Nicks and Mick Fleetwood posted the statement on social media.
"She was the best musician anyone could have in their band and the best friend anyone could have in their life,” the band's statement said. “Individually and together, we cherished Christine deeply and are thankful for the amazing memories we have.”
McVie was born on July 12th, 1943 as Christine Perfect in northwest England and started making music at a very young age when she was in art school and played with a band called Chicken Shack before joining Fleetwood Mac in 1970 and marrying its bassist, John McVie.
Police barricade street in Shanghai after two nights of protests
It was two of Christine McVie's songs, “Over My Head” and ”Say You Love Me,” that first saw the band, which started as a blues outfit, getting featured on U.S. radio stations.
After relocating to California the band added two new members, Nicks and Lindsey Buckingham. Their 1977 album “Rumors” recorded as John and Christine McVie were divorcing went on to sell a whopping 40 million copies and registered as one of the best-selling albums of all time.
The album, which featured vocals from both Christine McVie and Stevie Nicks, included such hits as “Don't Stop (Thinking About Tomorrow),” “Go Your Own Way,” “The Chain,” “You Make Loving Fun” and “Gold Dust Woman”, and was a fixture on the charts for 134 weeks, spending 31 weeks at No. 1.
After leaving Fleetwood Mc back in 1998 McVie stayed out of the public eye despite releasing a solo album in 2004, she rejoined the band for a tour that was scheduled in the year 2014.