Stevie Nicks Pays Tearful Tribute to Christine McVie During Concert With Billy Joel
Stevie Nicks played her first live show since the death of Christine McVie, and she paid an emotional tribute to her Fleetwood Mac bandmate. Here’s how Nicks honored McVie at her concert with Billy Joel.
Stevie Nicks paid tribute to Christine McVie during her concert with Billy Joel
On March 10, Stevie Nicks took to the stage for the first time since the November 2022 death of Christine McVie. Nicks joined Billy Joel as they kicked off their “Two Icons, One Night” tour at the SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles.
Nicks performed before Joel and delivered a packed set, including her solo hits “Edge of Seventeen” and “Stand Back” and the Fleetwood Mac songs “Dreams,” “Gypsy,” and “Rhiannon” (per Yahoo).
For her encore, Nicks dedicated a performance of “Landslide” to McVie. A slideshow of pictures of the two women played across the venue’s video screens as Nicks sang.
After “Landslide” ended, Nicks teared up as she addressed the crowd. “There’s really not much to say,” she said. “We just will pretend that she’s still here, that’s how I’m trying to deal with it.” Her band members supportively surrounded her as they took their final bow.
Stevie Nicks previously paid tribute to her ‘best friend’ Christine McVie on Instagram
Nicks’ performance with Billy Joel wasn’t the first time she has paid tribute to her Fleetwood Mac bandmate. Hours after the news of McVie’s death broke, the singer took to Instagram to share three pictures of a handwritten note.
“A few hours ago I was told that my best friend in the whole world since the first day of 1975, had died,” Nicks wrote. “I didn’t even know she was ill… until late Saturday night. I wanted to be in London; I wanted to get to London – but we were told to wait. So, since Saturday, one song has been swirling around in my head, over and over and over. I thought I might possibly get to sing it to her, and so, I’m singing it to her now.
The singer shared the lyrics to HAIM’s song “Hallelujah,” written by hand. She concluded, “See you on the other side, My Love. Don’t forget me. Always, Stevie.”
As the only two women in Fleetwood Mac for decades, Nicks and McVie formed an exceptionally close friendship. They often spoke of their bond and mutual admiration in interviews.
The Fleetwood Mac star also paid tribute to Tom Petty
Besides dedicating “Landslide” to McVie, Nicks also paid tribute to another famous friend. She performed “Stop Draggin’ My Heart Around,” her 1981 collaboration with Tom Petty.
Nicks and Petty had a close friendship and musical connection, and the Fleetwood Mac singer often said she loved the “Learning to Fly” singer before she even met him.
“She’s a good friend. I’ve known her since 1978 and she’s insisted on being in my life,” Petty told the Toronto Sun in 2014 when asked about Nicks. “Some of my best musical memories of her are sitting on the couch and just playing the guitar while she sings.”
Four songs into her March 10 set, Nicks launched into “Stop Draggin’ My Heart Around.” The crowd went wild when Billy Joel joined her on stage to sing Petty’s part in the second verse.
She also covered Petty’s song “Free Fallin’” later in her set.
