Stevie Nicks Sees ‘No Reason’ to Continue Fleetwood Mac Without Christine McVie
Fleetwood Mac singer Stevie Nicks says she sees "no reason" to continue Fleetwood Mac without keyboardist and co-vocalist Christine McVie, who died at 79 last year.
Does that really mean Fleetwood Mac will never put on another concert? They last performed together in late 2019, as a new interview with Nicks pointed out on Monday (Oct. 2). But they haven't played live since McVie's death. And Nicks now seems to believe Fleetwood Mac may never hit the stage again.
Asked if she could envision a scenario where the band could ever tour again, Nicks tells Vulture, "When Christine died, I felt like you can't replace her. You just can't. Without her, what is it? You know what I mean?" (via Ultimate Classic Rock)
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The singer continues, "She was like my soul mate, my musical soul mate, and my best friend that I spent more time with than any of my other best friends outside of Fleetwood Mac. Christine was my best friend."
Nicks adds, "When I think about Taylor Swift's song 'You're on Your Own, Kid," and the line, 'You always have been' — it was like, that was Christine and I. We were on our own in that band. We always were. We protected each other. Who am I going to look over to on the right and have them not be there behind that Hammond organ? When she died, I figured we really can't go any further with this. There's no reason to."
In a statement following McVie's death in November 2022, Fleetwood Mac jointly called her 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."
Now, Nicks underscores McVie's importance to the group: "Her songs —you take out all of those songs," she explains. "Christine was the pop star. She wrote all those really super pop hits. None of the rest of us could write those songs. What would happen is we'd have to take the songs out, like we did when she actually retired for 18 years. We couldn't re-create those songs. So we became a much more hard rock band."
McVie was married to Fleetwood Mac bassist John McVie until 1976. Christine rejoined Fleetwood Mac in 2014 after leaving in 1998. She then remained a member until her death. Guitarist and co-vocalist Lindsey Buckingham, with whom Christine collaborated on 2017's Buckingham McVie, last parted ways with Fleetwood Mac in 2018.
Earlier this year, Fleetwood Mac bandleader Mick Fleetwood also addressed the group's future. See Stevie Nicks' upcoming solo tour dates at this location.
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