Fleetwood Mac’s Lindsey Buckingham remembers ‘soul mate’ Christine McVie

Virgin Radio

6 Dec 2022, 10:41

"Her passing is profoundly heartbreaking", he wrote.

Lindsey Buckingham has become the latest member of Fleetwood Mac to share his thoughts on the passing of “sister” Christine McVie following her “sudden” death on Wednesday.

Stevie Nicks wrote her own emotional tribute last week.

McVie joined the rock band in 1968 as a session player, before becoming a full-time member in 1970 alongside Nicks, Buckingham, Mick Fleetwood and ex-husband John Graham McVie - whom she was married to from 1968 to 1976.

She started to emerge as a songwriter in her own right by 1971, with her first compositions appearing on her fourth album with the group, Future Games.

She quit the band in 1998 due to her “fear of flying” — only to rejoin the band in 2014.

73 year old Buckingham wrote on Instagram, “Christine McVie’s sudden passing is profoundly heartbreaking. Not only were she and I part of the magical family of Fleetwood Mac, to me Christine was a musical comrade, a friend, a soul mate, a sister."

He continued, “For over four decades, we helped each other create a beautiful body of work and a lasting legacy that continues to resonate today,” he continued, adding that he feels “very lucky to have known her.”

Buckingham, the lead guitarist and male vocalist for Fleetwood Mac, went on to say McVie’s “spirit will live on” through the music she made.

The Grammy-winning band reported on the news of their bandmate's passing via statement, saying the keyboardist “will be so very missed” after dying from a “short illness.”

“There are no words to describe the sadness at the passing of Christine McVie,” the band wrote on Twitter last Wednesday (November 30th).

“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.”

Understandably, the singers passing has resulted in a rush to celebrate the music McVie made.

Based on sales and streaming data captured by the Official Charts Company, the group’s iconic 1977 LP Rumours (Rhino/Warner Bros) is surging, and is on track for a return to the top 10.

Further down the chart, Fleetwood Mac’s hits collection 50 Years – Don’t Stop has risen significantly too, vaulting from 29 to 14.

We're sure it - and those other special records - will keep on climbing.