Stevie Nicks and Mick Fleetwood Mourn Loss of Fleetwood Mac Bandmate and ‘Best Friend’ Christine McVie
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Christine McVie’s Fleetwood Mac bandmates are mourning her loss the best way they know how — through song.
The singer, songwriter and keyboard player died on Wednesday after a brief illness at age 79. Shortly after, Stevie Nicks and Mick Fleetwood, who shared a stage with McVie for nearly 50 years, revealed their grief to fans in emotional social media statements.
Nicks, 74, shared the poignant lyrics of the Haim song “Hallelujah,” which tell of someone mourning a “best friend” who has “been with me all along.”
In a hand-written note shared alongside a recent photo of her and McVie, the “Edge of Seventeen” singer wrote that she only learned of McVie’s undisclosed illness on Saturday night, and that she’d wanted to fly to London to be by her side.
“A few hours ago I was told that my best friend in the whole world since the first day of 1975, had passed away,” Nicks wrote. “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.”
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The star then shared the hand-written lyrics to the 2020 track, and signed her note: “See you on the other side, my love. Don’t forget me.”
Drummer Fleetwood, meanwhile, called McVie his “dear sweet friend,” and wrote that he would “miss everything about” the beloved musician.
“This is a day where my dear sweet Friend Christine McVie has taken to flight.. and left us earthbound folks to listen with bated breath to the sounds of that ‘song bird’… reminding one and all that love is all around us to reach for and touch in this precious life that is gifted to us,” the rocker, 75, wrote. “Part of my heart has flown away today.. I will miss everything about you Christine McVie. Memories abound.. They fly to me.”
Fleetwood co-founded the group in 1967 with McVie’s then-husband John McVie on the bass, and McVie joined in 1970. Nicks came on board five years later with then-boyfriend Lindsey Buckingham.
McVie lent her voice to classics like “Don’t Stop,” “Everywhere” and “You Make Loving Fun,” and sang on more Fleetwood Mac hits than Nicks or Buckingham.
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The band, with whom McVie was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1998, released a joint statement as news of her death broke, writing that 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,” the statement read. “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.”
McVie and Fleetwood Mac (minus Buckingham) last toured together in 2019, playing nearly 100 shows before winding down.
RELATED VIDEO: Fleetwood Mac’s Christine McVie Dead at 79 Following ‘Short Illness’
She told Rolling Stone in June that she hadn’t closed the door on another reunion, but felt held back physically by a chronic back problem.
“What’s that saying? The mind is willing, but the flesh is weak,” she said. “I’m quite happy being at home. I don’t know if I ever want to tour again. It’s bloody hard work… I’ll just leave it open and say that we might.”
Fleetwood, however, was more than game to reunite once last time to say goodbye in a more official capacity, telling the outlet in 2021: “That has always been my vision and I’m flatly confident that we can do that. We owe it to the fans.”
Read the original article on People