Prior to his Grammy “in memoriam” performance of Fleetwood Mac‘s 1977 Rumours track “Songbird,” along with Sheryl Crow and Bonnie Raitt during the 65th annual Grammy Awards, drummer Mick Fleetwood said that he doesn’t see a future for his legendary band following the death of their keyboardist and songwriter Christine McVie, who died on November 30, 2022, at 79.
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“I think right now, I truly think the line in the sand has been drawn with the loss of Chris [McVie],” said Fleetwood during an interview at the 65th annual Grammy Awards. “I’d say we’re done, but then we’ve all said that before. It’s sort of unthinkable right now.”
Fleetwood added that all the Mac members are still busy working on their individual projects and performing outside of the band as well. “They all get out and play,” added Fleetwood, “so I’m gonna be doing the same thing, finding people to play with.”
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McVie’s last tour with Fleetwood Mac ran between 2018 and 2019 with Neil Finn and Mike Campbell, who played in place of Lindsey Buckingham. In 2017, McVie and Buckingham released a collaborative album—Lindsey Buckingham Christine McVie—and toured together following its release.
Before her death, McVie also released her new album Songbird (A Solo Collection), a collection of songs pulled from two of her solo albums in addition to several unreleased songs, including “All You Gotta Do,” a duet with George Hawkins, which was originally cut from her third and final album, In the Meantime, released in 2004.
McVie also revealed that she was unsure she would go back on the road with Fleetwood Mac because of her health concerns. “I don’t feel physically up for it,” said McVie. “I’m in quite bad health. I’ve got a chronic back problem, which debilitates me. I stand up to play the piano, so I don’t know if I could actually physically do it. What’s that saying? The mind is willing, but the flesh is weak.”
Stevie Nicks and Buckingham continued with their solo careers while in Fleetwood Mac, while McVie only released three albums from her self-titled debut in 1970 through her third and final release, In the Meantime.
“I’ve never felt like I was a solo artist,” said McVie in a June 2022 interview. “I always liked to be part of a group. I also felt a little ill at ease doing a solo tour for that material. It just made me uneasy.”
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Fleetwood Mac played their last show, and their final one with McVie, on Nov. 20, 2019, in San Francisco at Oracle Park, a fundraiser for UCSF Benioff Children’s Hospitals. McVie gave her final performance on Feb. 25, 2020, at the London Palladium as part of a tribute to founding Fleetwood Mac guitarist Peter Green, who died in 2020 at the age of 73.
“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 ‘Songbird,’ reminding one and all that love is all around us to reach for and touch in this precious life that is gifted to us,” wrote Fleetwood in a post following McVie’s death. “Part of my heart has flown away today. I will miss everything about you, Christine McVie. Memories abound. They fly to me.”
During the Grammy telecast, a touching ode to Fleetwood Mac’s McVie was performed by Bonnie Raitt, Sheryl Crow, and Fleetwood. Crow was seated at a piano adorned with floral arrangements while Raitt appeared across from her. Fleetwood was positioned off to the side of the stage, playing a bongo drum as Crow and Raitt serenaded the room with McVie’s powerful “Songbird,” as the two traded soft, tender vocals. Raitt’s voice was strong and steady, capturing the emotion of the song. The performance ended with Fleetwood taking his hat off in salute to his collaborators.
Photo: Amanda Demme / Courtesy of BMG
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