Christine McVie Shared How She Made it Through the Chaos of Fleetwood Mac With Good Memories
Christine McVie weathered decades of tumult in Fleetwood Mac. She divorced her husband, watched her bandmates get into screaming matches, and began an affair with the band’s lighting director. The soap opera drama practically begs for a biopic. Looking back, McVie said that she primarily had fond memories of her years with the group. Though she dealt with a lot of chaos, she said everyone’s sense of humor helped her get through it.
Christine McVie joined Fleetwood Mac in 1970
McVie was a fan of Fleetwood Mac before she joined the group. She watched many of their early performances.
“They just had tremendous charisma – especially Peter Green – and Jeremy Spencer was such an outrageous little guy onstage,” she told Rolling Stone in 1984. “I used to go and see them when I wasn’t working.”
She eventually grew close to bassist John McVie, who she married in 1968. In 1970, she joined the band she had so long admired. She’d trained for years as a classical pianist and had been the keyboardist for the band Chicken Shack, so she fit right into the group.
She said she mostly has good memories from being in the band
In 1975, American couple Stevie Nicks and Lindsey Buckingham joined Fleetwood Mac. Their arrival marked the beginning of the band’s most prolific years, but also their most tumultuous. The McVies divorced after she had an affair with the band’s lighting director, Curry Grant, and Nicks and Buckingham ended their years-long relationship not long after.
Nicks began a secret affair with drummer Mick Fleetwood, continued to butt heads with Buckingham, and every band member fueled their long recording sessions with champagne and cocaine. The arguments, drama, and vitriol between band members helped them write their magnum opus, Rumours. Amidst all this, McVie was often a calming presence.
“Yes, I was supposedly like the Mother Teresa who would hang out with everybody or just try and [keep] everything nice and cool and relaxed,” she told Rolling Stone in 2022. “But they were great people; they were great friends.”
She said that their sense of humor overshadowed the stormy band dynamics. It helped everyone navigate the chaos.
“I don’t think I thought about it that much,” she said. “I enjoyed the storm.… Even though I am quite a peaceful person, I did enjoy that storm. Although it’s said that we fought a lot, we actually did spend a lot of our time laughing. So, that must have been forgotten. Great sense of humor.”
Christine McVie said she enjoyed all her time with the band
McVie left Fleetwood Mac in 1998 and did not return to the group until 2014. She wanted a break, but she said that she’d always enjoyed her time in the band.
“I was happy with Bob Welch,” she said, adding, “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. 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.”
