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Christine McVie appeared as a vocalist, keyboard player, and songwriter for Fleetwood Mac. Although she was often in the middle of the Stevie Nicks and Lindsey Buckingham drama, McVie said she was “happy” with her time in the band, “contrary to public opinion.” 

Christine McVie appeared in the rock band Fleetwood Mac

British musician Christine McVie of the group Fleetwood Mac performs
British musician Christine McVie of the group Fleetwood Mac performs | Bob Riha, Jr./Getty Images

They’re the Grammy Award-winning band behind “Don’t Stop,” “Dreams,” and “Go Your Own Way.” There were several lineup changes for Fleetwood Mac, with the original members consisting of Mick Fleetwood, John McVie, Peter Green, and Jeremy Spencer. Christine McVie officially joined Fleetwood Mac in 1970, sharing a close relationship with John McVie. 

Not long after, Lindsey Buckingham and Stevie Nicks joined the group as a package deal. By the time Fleetwood Mac released Rumours and Tusk, the lineup consisted of Fleetwood, Christine McVie, John McVie, Buckingham, and Nicks. 

Christine McVie was happy ‘pretty much all the time’ working with Fleetwood Mac

Acting as Fleetwood Mac’s self-proclaimed “Mother Teresa,” Christine McVie was often caught in the middle of drama between Nicks and Buckingham. Each person had their respective role in the group, she explained, but despite what some listeners know about this band, McVie had a good time.

“I think I was happy pretty much all the time,” McVie said during an interview with Rolling Stone. “I was happy with Bob Welch. I was happy with that era. I was always happy with Stevie and Lindsey and loved what they brought to the table musically.” 

“Also, I loved being with Neil Finn and Mike Campbell,” she added in the same interview. “They were a couple of great guys. I loved working with them. But Mick and John and Stevie and I all got on well, contrary to public opinion.”

When asked what advice she would give her younger self, McVie explained she wouldn’t change anything. Citing a fear of flying, McVie left Fleetwood Mac in 1998. She later reunited with the group to perform live.

McVie maintained a close friendship with the Fleetwood Mac members, often discussing her relationship with Nicks and revealing Fleetwood helped her get over her phobia of flying. 

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Stevie Nicks and Lindsey Buckingham Don’t Fake Their Love for Each Other on Stage, but ‘When You Go Back to Your Separate Dressing Rooms, It’s Over’

Which Fleetwood Mac songs were written by Christine McVie?

Christine McVie is the songwriter behind several Fleetwood Mac hits, including “Say You Love Me.” She co-wrote “The Chain” with the other five band members, also writing and releasing music as a solo artist. 

“That’s the one and only song I wrote and finished in half an hour, in the middle of the night — it was the middle of the night,” McVie said of “Songbird” in a Raised On Radio interview. “And I woke up and I happened to have a little piano in my room but no tape recorder. No means to record it on.” 

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