Just a couple of days ago, I wrote about the unexpected death of Irene Cara. And now, I'm writing about the wonderful and incomparable Christine McVie, who passed away in a hospital yesterday at age 79 after a "short illness". At this time, the actual cause of death hasn't been officially announced, but I did read that Christine was in "poor health" over the summer and was having trouble with her back.
I just want to take a short moment to post about how much I've admired Christine McVie's incredible contributions to popular music. There's never been a time in my life when her songs haven't touched me in some way. When Fleetwood Mac was white hot, I was a small child living in England. I can't listen to songs like "Over My Head" or "You Make Loving Fun" without thinking of the woman who wrote them and remembering my sojourn living in her native country.
I've always felt that Christine McVie was extremely underrated. Stevie Nicks got a lot more attention, because she was pretty much the front woman of Fleetwood Mac, wearing outlandish Welsh "witch" costumes, dancing, and and singing out in front of the crowds. Christine, by contrast, was always behind her keyboards, quieter, more reserved, understated, but always impeccable and classy. She was a songwriting powerhouse, and always willing to chip in on projects with other musicians.
It's funny, because yesterday, I posted a review of Stephen Bishop's autobiography, On and Off, on my main blog. Bishop can always be counted on to post on the social media accounts of other celebrities. It was because of his condolences on Christine McVie's Facebook page that I "heard" about her passing so quickly.
Christine McVie was certainly old enough to pass naturally... but that doesn't mean that anyone was ready for her to go. I was shocked when I read the news, and genuinely saddened, even though I know this is a part of life. I guess reading about the heroes of my youth passing the bar is a reminder that my time is coming. But I do feel so fortunate that I was around when Christine McVie was at the top of her game. She has left an indelible mark on music that won't fade for many generations. That is extraordinary. Her death was announced about twelve hours ago, and YouTube is already flooded with tributes.
Songbird...
You Make Loving Fun
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