Christine McVie Said She and Stevie Nicks May Not Tour With Fleetwood Mac Again
Though they were not original members, it isn’t easy to imagine Fleetwood Mac without Stevie Nicks or Christine McVie. The group has released several high-performing records with them as vocalists, including their seminal album, Rumours. Still, they have left the group before, and, according to McVie, they may not tour with them again. Here’s what McVie had to say about the potential for another Fleetwood Mac tour.
Stevie Nicks joined Fleetwood Mac with Christine McVie’s approval
In the early 1970s, Nicks worked waitressing and cleaning jobs to support her burgeoning music career. She and then-boyfriend Lindsey Buckingham moved to Los Angeles to pursue music as a duo, something that hadn’t gone entirely to plan. Though a record producer encouraged them to drop the rest of their band and move forward together, their first album flopped, and their label dropped them.
As they continued trying to make their music careers work, Mick Fleetwood tried to recruit Buckingham to join Fleetwood Mac. He agreed, but only if Nicks could join as well. After a bit of hesitation, the band agreed, but only because McVie got along with her. As the only other woman in the band, the other members wanted to make sure they get along. Luckily, McVie and Nicks fell into a quick friendship.
While Nicks initially received criticism for her vocals, she soon became an integral part of the band. Her song, “Dreams,” became the band’s only number-one single in the United States.
McVie once said that the band was unlikely to tour anymore
In 2021, McVie reflected on the band’s potential for any further tours. She admitted that she wasn’t sure if they would be able to.
“If we do, it will be without John [McVie] and without Stevie [Nicks], I think,” she told the BBC, per Rolling Stone. “I think I’m getting a bit too old for it now, especially having had a year off. I don’t know if I can get myself back into it again.”
She added that despite their hesitancy, she was sure Fleetwood would be up for another tour.
“[He] would do it in a lightning strike,” she said. “But I couldn’t possibly say. We’re certainly not touring this year either.”
Later, though, McVie walked back her comments.
“I gave a cheeky answer indicating that the band might be ‘done with that’ or ‘you just never know,’” she shared. “I always intended to convey that, particularly after the last year, we just don’t know what the future holds.”
She added that she hopes touring is possible, though she can’t be certain.
“In no way are any members of Fleetwood Mac ‘done’ with being part of the band,” she said. “If anyone took that from my statement, that was a misperception and not intended. Fleetwood Mac is part of the DNA of who I am, and I know the same is true for Stevie, Mick, and John. As for future touring … Who knows. We continue to hope for the best.”
Both Christine McVie and Stevie Nicks have left Fleetwood Mac before
If Nicks and McVie were to walk away from the band, it wouldn’t be the first time. After the 1990 album Mask performed poorly, Nicks decided to focus her energy on her solo career instead of Fleetwood Mac. After just six years, however, she returned for a reunion tour.
In 1998, two years after Nicks’ return, McVie chose to exit. She had been dealing with mounting anxiety over flying and finally decided it was no longer tenable for her to tour with the band. After 16 years, however, she chose to rejoin. Both women have remained integral parts of the group ever since.
