Fleetwood Mac's Lindsey Buckingham pens Christine McVie tribute

Fleetwood Mac’s Lindsey Buckingham says bandmate Christine McVie’s passing is ‘profoundly heartbreaking’ but he believes her ‘spirit will live on’ through their music as he pens touching handwritten tribute

Fleetwood Mac’s Christine McVie died this week at 79 after a ‘sudden illness’
Her bandmate Lindsey Buckingham published a handwritten tribute Thursday
He called his ‘soulmate’ and ‘sister’ McVie’s passing ‘profoundly heartbreaking’
Buckingham believes her spirit will live on’ through the legendary band’s music
Stevie Nicks and Mick Fleetwood also penned homages to the late musician
Fleetwood Mac is one of the biggest musical acts in music history

Fleetwood Mac’s Lindsey Buckingham said late bandmate Christine McVie’s ‘spirit will live on’ through the legendary rock group’s music in a handwritten tribute shared Thursday to Instagram.

It was announced by McVie’s family earlier this week that she passed away following a ‘short illness’ at the age of 79.

The British rockstar lent her singing and songwriting to many of Fleetwood Mac’s greatest hits through the 70s and 80s, including Don’t Stop and Little Lies.

Buckingham, 73 – who is the band’s lead guitarist and lead male vocalist – began his post by calling McVie’s sudden death ‘profoundly heartbreaking.’

Tribute post: Fleetwood Mac’s Lindsey Buckingham said late bandmate Christine McVie ‘s ‘spirit will live on’ through the legendary rock group’s music in a handwritten tribute shared Thursday to Instagram; Buckingham seen in 2018

‘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,’ penned the musician.

‘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,’ Buckingham concluded.

Similarly, Buckingham’s ex-girlfriend and the band’s lead female vocalist, Stevie Nicks, penned a handwritten homage to McVie on Wednesday which was also uploaded to Instagram.

RIP: It was announced by McVie’s family earlier this week that she passed away following a ‘short illness’ at the age of 79; (L-R) Mick Fleetwood, Stevie Nicks, Lindsey Buckingham, Christine McVie and John McVie in 1975

‘Profoundly heartbreaking’: Buckingham, 73 – who is the band’s lead guitarist and lead male vocalist – began his post by calling McVie’s sudden death ‘profoundly heartbreaking’

Nicks, 74, expressed heartbreak over her ‘best friend’ McVie’s sudden death while revealing that she’d only learned the singer was ill on Saturday evening. She added that she’d wanted to visit her in London after learning the state of McVie’s health.

‘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 to Instagram.

‘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 explained.

‘So, since Saturday, one song has been swirling around 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. I always knew I would need these words one day… It’s all I can do now.’

Legacy: ‘For over four decades, we helped each other create a beautiful body of work and a lasting legacy that continues to resonate today,’ he continued; McVie and Buckingham performing in Los Angeles in 2017

Immortalized: ‘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,’ Buckingham concluded; (L-R) John McVie, Christine McVie, Lindsey Buckingham, Stevie Nicks and Mick Fleetwood in the 1970s

To close out the touching tribute, Nicks shared lyrics to the song Hallelujah by Haim, handwritten, writing: ‘See you on the other side my love. Don’t forget me. Always, Stevie.’

The band published a statement to Twitter describing McVie as ‘truly one-of-a-kind, special and talented beyond measure’.

‘There are no words to describe our sadness at the passing of Christine McVie. She was truly one-of-a-kind, special and talented beyond measure,’ it began.

‘She was the best musician anyone could have in their band and the best friend anyone could have in their life.

‘Best friend’: Nicks, 74, expressed heartbreak over her ‘best friend’ McVie’s sudden death while revealing that she’d only learned the singer was ill on Saturday evening. She added that she’d wanted to visit her in London after learning the state of McVie’s health; the pair seen in 2018

‘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 to Instagram. ‘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 explained. ‘So, since Saturday, one song has been swirling around 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. I always knew I would need these words one day… It’s all I can do now’; McVie and Nicks in 1987

‘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.’

McVie’s family were the ones to announced her death Tuesday.

‘She passed away peacefully at hospital this morning following a short illness. She was in the company of her family,’ the statement began.

‘We would like everyone to keep Christine in their hearts and remember the life of an incredible human being, and revered musician who was loved universally.’

McVie’s family were the ones to announced her death Tuesday; McVie seen in 2017

Despite its tumultuous history, Fleetwood Mac became one of the best-known rock bands of the 1970s and 80s, comprising Mick Fleetwood, Christine and John McVie, as well as Lindsey Buckingham and Stevie Nicks

McVie famously left Fleetwood Mac after 28 years in 1998 following years of rumored turmoil between band members, but returned in 2014.

Her genius and warm, soulful vocals helped to turn the one-time blues band into one of the most successful rock groups of all time, with more than 100million record sold worldwide.

Perhaps their best known album Rumours, released in 1977, became one of the best-selling albums of all time and included hits such as Second Hand News and You Make Loving Fun.

In addition to several multi-platinum tracks, the record sold more than 40 million copies worldwide.

Departure: McVie famously left Fleetwood Mac after 28 years in 1998 following years of rumored turmoil between band members, but returned in 2014

Genius: Her genius and warm, soulful vocals helped to turn the one-time blues band into one of the most successful rock groups of all time, with more than 100million record sold worldwide; seen in 1969

Many of her songs featured on Rumours, their best-known work from 1977 which chronicled the group’s drug use and affairs and is regularly cited as one of rock’s greatest albums.

Born Christine Perfect in the Lake District village of Bouth, Cumbria, in 1943, she grew up near Birmingham. She studied at art school and qualified as an art teacher – but instead became one of the few women involved in the British blues boom of the late 1960s, joining a band called Chicken Shack and also releasing a solo album. She married Fleetwood Mac bassist John McVie in 1968 and by 1970 was an integral part of Fleetwood Mac.

When Americans Stevie Nicks and Lindsey Buckingham joined drummer Mick Fleetwood and the McVies in 1974, the band’s style was transformed, with Miss McVie, Nicks and Buckingham all contributing songs to their eponymous first album together and to Rumours, which sold more than 40million copies worldwide.

Further albums followed, including Tusk, Mirage and Tango in the Night. All three songwriters also released solo albums and in 1998 Miss McVie left Fleetwood Mac after the death of her father but eventually returned to tour alongside her bandmates in 2014.

Songwriting: Many of her songs featured on Rumours, their best-known work from 1977 which chronicled the group’s drug use and affairs and is regularly cited as one of rock’s greatest albums; McVie seen in 1987

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