366Art | Christine McVie

Today, July 12, is the birthday of Christine McVie, British singer, songwriter, and keyboardist. She is best known as a member of Fleetwood Mac. The edit above and her portrait on the musical reference works/birthday calendars below are made by me. 

Christine McVie, born Christine Anne Perfect on July 12, 1943, in Bouth, Lancashire, England, grew up in a musical family; her father was a concert violinist and music teacher, and her grandfather played the organ at Westminster Abbey. She began playing the piano at the age of four. Before ultimately choosing a career in music, she studied fine arts at the Moseley School of Art in Birmingham. This education influenced her artistic approach to creating album covers and visual concepts for her music projects.

She began her musical career in 1967 with the band Chicken Shack  as a keyboardist and singer. She became known for the legendary song I'd Rather Go Blind.  In 1968, she married John McVie, the bassist of Fleetwood Mac, and joined the band in 1970. She became one of the principal songwriters of Fleetwood Mac and wrote hits such as Over My Head - Say You Love Me - You Make Loving Fun - Little Lies, en Everywhere. Her bluesy voice and melodious songwriting made her an essential member of the band. The album Rumours (1977), to which McVie significantly contributed, is one of the best-selling albums of all time and won a Grammy Award for Album of the Year. McVie wrote the song Don’t Stop during the tumultuous period of her divorce from John McVie. After the release of the album Time in 1995, McVie announced her departure from Fleetwood Mac. She took a break from the music world and retired to England. It wasn't until 2014 that she returned to participate in the Fleetwood Mac reunion tour, On With The Show. The tour began on September 30, 2014, in Minneapolis, Minnesota, and ended on November 22, 2015, in Auckland, New Zealand.

Besides her work with Fleetwood Mac, McVie also released solo albums, including Christine Perfect (1970) and Christine McVie (1984). 

Christine McVie passed away on November 30, 2022, at the age of 79. McVie is remembered as one of the most talented and influential musicians of her time. Her contributions to Fleetwood Mac, both as a songwriter and singer, have had a lasting impact on the music world.