How did Stevie Nicks and Christine McVie remain friends after playing in one of the
most toxic rock bands of all time? Let's take a look at the bond between these bandmates.
The world of rock 'n' roll became a bit dimmer with the recent death of Christine McVie,
who passed away at the age of 79 on November 30, 2022. She had a long and prolific career
in music, releasing numerous solo albums and collaborations. However, she will always be
remembered for her time with the legendary rock band Fleetwood Mac. As the keyboardist, co-singer,
and co-songwriter, McVie's contributions to the group are massive, serving as the
genius behind such hits as "Little Lies," "Everywhere," "Songbird," and numerous others.
Fleetwood Mac has always been known for the rollercoaster drama of its members'
personal lives, and McVie was no exception. She married the band's bassist John McVie in 1970,
only to get divorced in 1978 — although they both continued to
remain in the band and use their strong emotions to deliver better performances.
"I think we all kind of [interrupted] leave
that behind when we're on stage, and you tend to put even more feeling into the songs, I think."
While McVie endured the changes that typified her life with Fleetwood Mac, one thing that
remained constant was her unbreakable friendship with the band's other singer, Stevie Nicks.
Christine McVie was with Fleetwood Mac for some time before Stevie Nicks joined
the band alongside her boyfriend at the time, Lindsey Buckingham. While this may cause some
tension or rivalry for many other musicians, McVie and Nicks instantly became friends,
according to Far Out Magazine. The arrival of Buckingham and Nicks provided some element of
lineup stability for the band, leading to its most commercially successful era. Though the internal
drama within the band arguably increased, it never got in the way of McVie and Nicks'
foundational friendship. They developed a bond that was closer to kin than kith,
far outlasting whatever emotional tumult the band was going through.
McVie recounted to Rolling Stone the story of Buckingham and Nicks joining the band,
saying that Mick Fleetwood told her:
She went on to recount:
The feeling was mutual because Nicks always appreciated how welcoming McVie was toward
her. Nicks explained in the 1981 book "Fleetwood Mac on Fleetwood Mac: Interviews and Encounters":
There's no shortage of cutthroat personalities in the world of
rock 'n' roll, which makes McVie and Nicks' friendship all the more special.
If there's one universal value that can bring together even the most disparate people, it's
humor. According to McVie in an interview with The Guardian, Nicks' more whimsical traits were a big
part of what helped them get along and overcome their contrasting personalities. She said:
It was undoubtedly difficult at times for McVie and Nicks to be the only women in a band,
particularly in a genre stereotypically dominated by men. But being able to laugh
together only brought them closer to one another. Nicks recalled to Uncut:
Not long after Fleetwood Mac was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 1998,
McVie left the band, a move that had been in the works for several years. She contributed to
Fleetwood Mac's albums without touring to support them. She mostly stayed out of the limelight,
releasing some music, but largely living a quiet life. However, that changed when she returned to
Fleetwood Mac in 2014. On CBS Sunday Morning, she said that though she was nervous at first,
the second they started playing together again after so long, it just felt right:
"The moment you find yourself playing with these fantastic musicians, and friends,
uh, it just melted away and I feel completely comfortable."
Considering how close McVie and Nicks were, it's no wonder that their friendship remained
intact after McVie's hiatus from the band. In an interview with The Arts Desk, McVie said:
McVie described her role in the band as a sort of peacekeeper,
a much-needed presence in a well-known rock band for its internal drama and clashing egos.
Following McVie's death, several members of Fleetwood Mac publicly released
statements. Lindsey Buckingham posted a tribute to his bandmate on Instagram,
wherein he commented in a handwritten note:
Drummer Mick Fleetwood took to Twitter to say:
However, the most touching tribute came from Stevie Nicks,
who posted her thoughts on Twitter. Her post also consisted of a handwritten note where she wrote:
She also included lyrics to Haim's 2019 song "Hallelujah", which read: