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There was no breaking “The Chain” between Christine McVie and Stevie Nicks in Fleetwood Mac.
Indeed, the two Fleetwood Mac songbirds forged an instant bond when Nicks and Lindsey Buckingham joined the group alongside McVie, her then-husband John McVie and Mick Fleetwood in 1974.
But first, Nicks had to pass a chemistry test with McVie at a New Year’s dinner at the Mexican restaurant El Carmen in Los Angeles that Fleetwood arranged.
According to Lesley-Ann Jones’ new biography “Songbird: An Intimate Biography of Christine McVie, the Black Magic Woman” instantly clicked with her future bandmate over tacos and tequila.
“It was critical that I got on with [Stevie],” McVie says in “Songbird.” “Because I’d never played with another girl. But I liked her instantly. She was funny and nice, but also there was no competition.”
Their connection deepened when they got together again at Fleetwood’s house, with Nicks and Buckingham fitting right into the musical mix.
“I started playing them ‘Say You Love Me’ on the piano, and we got to the chorus and the two of them just chirped into the perfect three-part harmony,” McVie recalls in “Songbird.”
“I just remember thinking, ‘This is it!’ Then Lindsey picked up his guitar, Mick his drumsticks, John his bass and it happened like that …”
But after Nicks and Buckingham joined for 1975’s “Fleetwood Mac” album, Nicks became the group’s de facto frontwoman with 1977’s blockbuster “Rumours” LP. And McVie admitted to feeling some jealousy.
“Sure, I got jealous,” she admits in “Songbird.” “It didn’t last long. You soon realize where your role is … I could no sooner do twirls in chiffon than Stevie could play the piano.”
But Nicks says that McVie would’ve kept those feelings to herself. “She would have known that would have freaked me out,” she says. “She always would say to me, ‘I don’t want to be out in front. I like being over here playing my piano, being one of the men.’”
McVie and Nicks remained close until Christine’s death in November 2022 at 79.
“A few hours ago I was told that my best friend in the whole world since the first day of 1975, had passed away,” Nicks, 76, wrote in an Instagram post. “I didn’t even know she was ill … until late Saturday night. … See you on the other side, my love.”