Mick Fleetwood, Stevie Nicks and other members of Fleetwood Mac have paid tribute to their bandmate Christine McVie, who died Wednesday at 79 after a short illness.
“This is a day where my dear sweet Friend Christine McVie has taken to flight.. and left us earthbound folks to listen with bated breath to the sounds of that ‘song bird’ … reminding one and all that love is all around us to reach for and touch in this precious life that is gifted to us,” Fleetwood, 75, wrote in a message shared on social media.
“Part of my heart has flown away today.. I will miss everything about you Christine McVie. Memories abound.. they fly to me.”
Nicks, 74, posted a handwritten note on Instagram.
“A few hours ago I was told that my best friend in the whole world since the first day of 1975, had passed away,” she 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.”
Nicks quoted lyrics from Haim’s 2019 song “Hallelujah” and concluded with: “See you on the other side ... Don't forget me."
Both Neil Finn and Mike Campbell, who joined Fleetwood Mac in 2018, paid tribute to McVie on Instagram.
“It’s a very sad day,” Finn, 64, shared. "Christine McVie was a unique and soulful woman, supremely gifted songwriter and a warm and wonderful friend. I am so grateful to have shared some hours in her beautiful presence.”
Campbell, 72, wrote: “Oh dear…..sweet Christine has left us…..that voice, those eyes, that smile. No one like her in the universe. I remember in rehearsal once after playing ‘I’d Rather Go Blind,’ she looked at me and said, ‘I like playing the blues with you, Mike.’ I’ve never met anyone with such an angelic aura. Always so kind to everyone. We will all miss you so…..no one could ever fill those shoes….”
Shortly after McVie's death was announced, a statement attributed to Fleetwood Mac read: “She was truly one-of-a-kind, special and talented beyond measure. She was the best musician anyone could have in their band and the best friend anyone could have in their life. We were so lucky to have a life with her. Individually and together, we cherished Christine deeply and are thankful for the amazing memories we have. She will be so very missed.”
Former Fleetwood Mac guitarist Lindsey Buckingham shared in an Instagram post: "Christine McVie’s sudden passing is profoundly heartbreaking. Not only were she and I part of the magical family of Fleetwood Mac, to me Christine was a musical comrade, a friend, a soul mate, a sister. For over four decades, we helped each other create a beautiful body of work and a lasting legacy that continues to resonate today. I feel very lucky to have known her. Though she will be deeply missed, her spirit will live on through that body of work and that legacy."
There has been public statement yet from John McVie.
McVie was predeceased by Fleetwood Mac members Peter Green, Bob Brunning, Danny Kitten, Bob Welch and Bob Weston.