Christine McVie has died. The Fleetwood Mac singer and songwriter was 79.

“She passed away peacefully at hospital this morning, Wednesday, November 30th 2022, following a short illness,” reads a statement posted on McVie’s official social media accounts. “She was in the company of her family. We kindly ask that you respect the family’s privacy at this extremely painful time, and we would like everyone to keep Christine in their hearts and remember the life of an incredible human being, and revered musician who was loved universally.”

Christine Anne Perfect was born in 1943 in the village of Bouth, Lancashire in England. Her father was a violinist and her mother was a faith healer. She started out playing classical music, taking after her father, but was turned onto rock ‘n’ roll as a teenager by her brother. She moved to Birmingham to study sculpture, and while there she started playing bass in a band called Sounds Of Blue.

Two of her Sounds Of Blue bandmates, Stan Webb and Andy Silvester, went on to form Chicken Shack, and she ended up joining them on piano. She wrote and sang on their debut single “It’s Okay With Me Baby” and the group managed a top 20 UK hit with a cover of “I’d Rather Go Blind.”

The members of Chicken Shack and Fleetwood Mac were friends, sharing a label in their early days on Blue Horizon. Her first appearance on a Fleetwood Mac album, before she joined the band, was playing keyboards on 1968’s Mr. Wonderful. That was the same year she married John McVie. She left Chicken Shack the following year to write and record her debut solo album, Christine Perfect. In 1970, following the departure of Peter Green from Fleetwood Mac, she became an official member.

The first album McVie recorded with Fleetwood Mac as a full-time member was 1971’s Future Games. She was with the band through all of their early ’70s albums, and she made the move with them to the United States in 1974. Soon after, Lindsey Buckingham and Stevie Nicks would join the band and catapult Fleetwood Mac to international superstardom. The McVie-penned “Over My Head” and “Say You Love Me” were two of the big hits from their 1975 self-titled album, and she wrote “You Make Loving Fun,” among others, from the blockbuster Rumours the following year.

John and Christine McVie would get divorced in 1978, but both remained in Fleetwood Mac. Christine was part of the band for 1979’s Tusk and 1982’s Mirage, and she also released an eponymous solo album in 1984, which included the top 10 hit “Get A Hold On Me.” She married keyboard player Eddy Quintela in 1986, and he and McVie co-wrote songs together for Fleetwood Mac’s 1987 album Tango In The Night. After the tour for 1990’s Behind The Mask, McVie told the rest of the group that she no longer wanted to tour with them, but did contribute in the studio to 1995’s Time.

She ended up playing with the band again for their live album The Dance and parts of the ensuing tour, but following Fleetwood Mac’s induction into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame in 1998, she formally retired from the band. McVie returned to England and largely stayed out of the public eye, save for the 2004 solo album In The Meantime.

In 2013, McVie made her first onstage appearance in 15 years at a Mick Fleetwood Blues Band show, and a few months after that she performed with Fleetwood Mac. McVie officially rejoined the band in early 2014, and the band’s most popular lineup proceeded to tour for the next year-and-a-half. In 2017, McVie released an album called Lindsey Buckingham Christine McVie that was recorded before and after the 2014 On With The Show Tour with members of Fleetwood Mac. McVie continued to tour with Fleetwood Mac, most recently for their An Evening With… tour, which wrapped up in 2019. Earlier this year, McVie released a compilation album called Songbird (A Solo Collection).

“There are no words to describe our sadness at the passing of Christine McVie,” reads a statement from Fleetwood Mac. “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.”

https://www.twitter.com/christine_mcvie/status/1598037626032099328