21 October 2023 , 19:00
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It has been almost a year since the tragic passing of Fleetwood Mac keyboardist and singer Christine McVie - who was a member of the chart topping band from the early 1970s.
The British star, who hailed from Greenodd in Lancashire, was 79 when she passed away in November 2022 after suffering a stroke in hospital. The band broke the news of her passing with an emotional statement where they championed her music abilities and expressing their sadness at losing their friend.
Fleetwood Mac wrote: "There are no words to described our sadness at the passing of Christine McVie. She was truly one-of-a-kind, special and talented beyond measure. She was the best musician anyone could have in their band and the best friend anyone could have in their life.
"We were so lucky to have a life with her. Individually and together, we cherished Christine deeply and are thankful for the amazing memories we have. She will be so very missed." It was revealed that Christine had secretly been battling cancer and had been in hospital when she died.
Christine McVie died at the age of 79 in November 2022 following a secret cancer battle (Getty Images)Following the announcement of her death, vocalist Stevie Nicks, 75, shared her own sadness about the loss of her bandmate and friend. In a handwritten note shared via Instagram, the music legend wrote: "A few hours ago I was told that my best friend in the whole world since the first day of 1975 had passed away. I didn't even know she was ill... until late Saturday night.
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“I wanted to be in London; I wanted to get to London - but we were told to wait. So, since Saturday, one song has been swirling around in my head, over and over and over. I thought I might possibly get to sing it to her, and so, I'm singing it to her now. I always knew I would need these words one day. (Written by the Ladies Haim) It's all I can do now... x"
More recently, Stevie took to social media to reveal she had been engrossed in the hit Amazon TV series Daisy Jones and the Six - a compelling drama loosely based on the lives and success of Fleetwood Mac told through a fictitious band. In the drama, British actress and model Suki Waterhouse plays a keyboardist in the band named Karen Sirko who is said to be heavily influenced by Christine. While Riley Keough plays title character Daisy Jones, who is believed to be based on Stevie.
Christine was a member of Fleetwood Mac alongside Mick Fleetwood, Stevie Nicks, John McVie and Lindsey Buckingham (Michael Ochs Archives)Stevie hinted she was haunted by the performances in the TV drama - and was reminded of Christine while she watched it. Taking to Twitter after watching the series, she wrote: “Just finished watching @daisyjonesand6 for the 2nd time. In the beginning, it wasn't really my story, but Riley seamlessly, soon became my story.
“It brought back memories that made me feel like a ghost watching my own story. It was very emotional for me. I just wish Christine could have seen it. She would have loved it.”
Christine was born Christine Anne Perfect in Lancashire in 1943 and studied music from the age of 11. She was in a band called Chicken Shack in the ‘70s and would often cross paths with Fleetwood Mac - who were on the same label, Blue Horizon. She joined Fleetwood Mac in 1970 as keyboardist when founding member Peter Green quit the band.
Stevie Nicks and Lindsey Buckingham subsequently joined the band, leading to the winning line-up that also included Mick Fleetwood and John McVie which went on to enjoy global success. Christine and John had already married in 1968 - but went on to divorce in 1976. Despite the collapse of their marriage, the pair remained close and maintained a professional relationship which continued up to Christine’s death.
The BBC are celebrating the history of Fleetwood Mac tonight - with a series of TV shows, specials and films airing on BBC Two from 8:25pm.