Inside Christine McVie's Relationship With Stevie Nicks

On November 30, Fleetwood Mac musician Christine McVie died at age 79 after being hospitalized for an unspecified illness (per TMZ). Her family broke the sad news on Instagram, and Stevie Nicks also used the platform to share a joint message from the surviving members of Fleetwood Mac. "She was truly one-of-a-kind, special and talented beyond measure. She was the best musician anyone could have in their band and the best friend anyone could have in their life," the statement read in part.

As Fleetwood Mac's only female members, it was impossible for Nicks and McVie to avoid comparison. Both women were gifted songwriters with distinctive voices, but each artist brought something different to the table. Among McVie's many contributions to the band are several uplifting songs. "Don't Stop" is a motivational tune about moving on with a sunnier outlook on life, and "You Make Loving Fun" captures the pure bliss of a blossoming romance. However, while the latter mentions magic and falling under a spell, it's Nicks who was often associated with witchcraft, according to Yahoo!. This was thanks in part to Nicks's more mysterious, mystical lyrics in songs such as "Rhiannon" and "Sisters of the Moon."

Nicks's witchy role in "American Horror Story: Coven" was proof of her pop culture staying power, while McVie suggested that she never got the credit she was due. "Not too many women have said, 'Thanks for groundbreaking,' to be honest," she told The Guardian in June 2022. However, she never viewed Nicks as a rival.

Christine McVie was a member of Fleetwood Mac for a few years before Stevie Nicks joined the group in 1974, and the British songstress welcomed the American newcomer with open arms. Instead of seeing McVie as a rival, Nicks viewed her as an ally. "We made a pact, probably in our first rehearsal, that we would never accept being treated as second-class citizens in the music business," Nicks recalled in a 2013 interview with The Guardian. "That when we walked into a room we would be so fantastic and so strong and so smart that none of the uber-rockstar group of men would look through us."

In 1984, McVie told Rolling Stone she and Nicks had drifted apart and were barely speaking to one another. They both left Fleetwood Mac in 1990, though the tempestuous band reunited years later. However, McVie decided to make a permanent exit in 1998, telling The New Yorker she'd become terrified of flying. The group took McVie's words to heart, though they made plans to reunite in 2013. McVie was the holdout, and Nicks told The Guardian that she begged her bandmate to come back, saying, "I miss her like flowers need the rain."

McVie finally gave in. Speaking to The New Yorker, she described a meaningful gift that she received from Nicks. "Stevie gave me this chain," she said. "It's a metaphor, you know. That the chain of the band will never be broken. Not by me, anyways."