Skip to main content

Fleetwood Mac’s Christine McVie performed on hits like “The Chain,” “Love In Store,” and “Go Your Own Way.” Following her relationship with The Beach Boys member Dennis Wilson, McVie dedicated one Mirage track to her ex, giving him “special thanks” for the “inspiration” behind the 1982 release. 

The Beach Boys’ Dennis Wilson and Fleetwood Mac’s Christine McVie started their relationship in the 1970s

American singer, songwriter and drummer with the Beach Boys, Dennis Wilson (1944 - 1983)
American singer, songwriter and drummer with the Beach Boys, Dennis Wilson (1944 – 1983) | Michael Putland/Getty Images

As one of the founding members of The Beach Boys, Wilson performed drums on chart-topping songs for the rock group. Wilson also started a whirlwind romance with Fleetwood Mac member Christine McVie. 

“Dennis walked into the studio one night and whisked me off my feet,” McVie said during an interview with Rolling Stone. “It was probably the experience of a lifetime. Dennis was such a character. Half of him was like a little boy, and the other half was insane. A really split personality.”

‘Only Over You’ by Fleetwood Mac is dedicated to Dennis Wilson

Wilson performed “You Are So Beautiful” at McVie’s birthday party, complete with a full orchestra. As two award-winning artists, the duo often wrote and performed music together. 

McVie even dedicated a song on Fleetwood Mac’s last LP, Mirage, to her partner. That’s “Only Over You,” with the record sleeve stating “with special thanks for inspiration to Dennis Wilson.” The song currently holds over 2 million Spotify plays.

“I’m out of my mind / But it’s only over you,” the lyrics state. “People think I’m crazy / But they don’t know / Thought love had failed me / But now, they’re watching it grow.”

Related

Beach Boy Dennis Wilson’s Friend Called Him ‘a Notorious Womanizer’: ‘He Called Himself The Wood’

Dennis Wilson and Christine McVie broke up in 1981

This relationship was overshadowed by Wilson’s drug and alcohol consumption, particularly his coke use followed by excessive drinking. This strained his time with McVie, as noted by other people close to the performers.

“He used her place like a hospital,” Steve Goldberg said during the same Rolling Stone article. “Then he’d call me, I’d go and pick him up, and she wouldn’t see him for a week. When he was totaled out — he wouldn’t sleep for a week — he’d go back. Over and over again. He cared about her, but his priority was having a good time.”

By 1981, the couple had officially separated. McVie later reflected on the relationship, particularly after the death of Wilson in 1983.

“Why do people stay with people? ’Cos they love them, I guess. And I loved him for a while,” she said in 2004, per the book Fleetwood Mac on Fleetwood Mac. “He was very charismatic, great looking, very charming, very cute — if you can call a guy with a beard and a voice like Satan ‘cute’. He used to draw people into his life, strangers off planes and off the streets, and they’d become his best friends.”

Music by Fleetwood Music is available on most major streaming platforms. 

Best in Entertainment