Christine McVie Cause of Death: Christine McVie of Fleetwood Mac died of an ischemic stroke, according to a death certificate obtained by The Blast. The paper also included a diagnosis of “metastatic malignancy of indeterminate primary origin” or undetectable tumour cancer.
The group’s longtime vocalist, songwriter, and keyboardist died on November 30 at the age of 79 after what was initially believed to be a short illness.
An ischemic stroke occurs when a portion of the brain’s blood supply is cut off or diminished. Cancer was listed as a contributing factor to McVie’s demise.
McVie carved out a niche for herself with compositions such as “Don’t Stop,” “Over My Head,” and “Say You Love Me” during Fleetwood Mac’s 1970s and 1980s heyday, sharing vocal duties and hit-writing duties with Stevie Nicks and Lindsey Buckingham.
She joined John McVie’s band in 1970, as Fleetwood Mac was concluding its initial phase and incarnation under the direction of guitarist Peter Green. Her debut album with the group was Future Games, which also featured Bob Welch and was released in 1971.
In 1975, a revamped version of the band featuring Stevie Nicks and Lindsay Buckingham issued the album Fleetwood Mac, which featured McVie hits such as “Over My Head” and “Say You Love Me.” With its subsequent album, however, the group would become one of the best-selling artists of all time.
Rumours is tied for No. 11 in all-time U.S. album sales with 20 million or more units sold, and it dominated the Billboard 200 for an astounding 31 nonconsecutive weeks. It is a Grammy Hall of Fame member and the 1978 Album of the Year recipient.
In 1998, Fleetwood Mac was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, and later that year Christine McVie announced her departure from the band to pursue semiretirement. After that, the ensemble recorded and toured irregularly.