Fleetwood Mac singer Christine McVie’s heartbreaking cause of death revealed

One of the most beloved voices in music passed away in November: Christine McVie, the 79-year-old singer-songwriter behind many of Fleetwood Mac’s best hits, passed away.

The musician’s family said at the time that she passed away after a “short illness,” but they did not provide any other information. Her cause of death has now been made public.

Christine McVie death

At the age of 79, McVie—born Christine Perfect—passed away on November 30, 2022. After a “short illness,” she passed away “in the company of her family,” according to her family’s announcement.

According to their statement, “We would like everyone to keep Christine in their hearts and remember the life of an incredible human being, and revered musician who was loved universally.”

In a statement of their own, Fleetwood Mac described her as “truly one-of-a-kind, special, and talented beyond measure.”

She was the greatest friend someone could have in life and the best musician one could have in a band. It was truly an honor to share a life with her. We all loved Christine very much, both individually and collectively, and we are grateful for the incredible memories we have. We shall really miss her.

Each member of the band gave a tribute to McVie on their own. On January 9, Mick Fleetwood gave a eulogy at her memorial.

“When we first learned that we might be losing Christine, there was an immediate coming together of everyone in the band and the Fleetwood Mac family with the hope and possibility that we would not lose Chris,” the drummer said, according to his Instagram post. “Since the loss of Christine, we are still trying to come to terms with the fact she has really flown away.”

“I think she would have been truly amazed at all the attention and celebrations of her music around the world in total disbelief at the fact they were closing down sporting events to pay tribute to her. But that was our Christine – she was a North country girl from beginning to end never caring about the fluff. Once more, Christing gave millions of people worldwide such a great gift.

“Like her song says, ‘I want to be with you everywhere,’ she is remembered everywhere.”

During her first performance with Billy Joel since McVie’s passing on March 10, Stevie Nicks also honored her late bandmate. Nicks performed her well-known song “Landslide” while McVie’s stunning slideshow played.

At the conclusion of the show, Nicks remarked, “There’s really not much to say.” “I’m trying to deal with it by just pretending that she’s here.”

Although the musician did mention that McVie was not in good health, no other information was provided at the time regarding the cause of her death or the health issues she was facing.

McVie stated that Fleetwood Mac had no plans for another reunion and that she would not “physically be up for it” if they did in an interview with Rolling Stone from the previous year.

“I have pretty poor health. She told Rolling Stone, “I have a chronic back problem that debilitates me.” To play the piano, I get up, so I’m not sure if I could do it physically. What does that say? Though the body is weak, the mind is willing.

Cause of death revealed

Months after McVie passed away, her cause of death was ultimately discovered.

The Blast was able to obtain the singer’s death certificate, and they have reported that she passed away from an aggressive form of cancer following a “massive stroke.”

Her cancer was mentioned as a secondary cause of death on the certificate, along with a diagnosis of “ischaemic stroke” and “metastatic malignancy of unknown primary origin.”

The singer’s death certificate was made public in court filings related to her estate settlement, according to The Blast. According to the documents, she possessed a fortune exceeding $50 million. McVie left her brother and his children as her only heirs because she was single and had no children of her own.

Christine McVie – life and career

On July 12, 1943, McVie was born in Lancashire, England. She started learning the piano at a young age and decided to switch from classical to rock and roll music when she was a teenager.

As the pianist and backup vocalist for Chicken Shack, McVie started her career in blues music.

She left Chicken Shack to join her husband’s band, Fleetwood Mac, which was established in 1967, after being married to bassist John McVie in 1969. With the release of the group’s 1971 album Future Games, Christine was admitted as a full member.

The band experienced several lineup changes, although McVie remained a key creative influence. But Fleetwood Mac was headed to become one of the seminal bands of its time, especially after Lindsey Buckingham and Stevie Nicks joined the band and they relocated to the United States.

The first album with this lineup, Fleetwood Mac (1975), was a hit, and two of McVie’s songs, “Over My Head” and “Say You Love Me,” made it to the charts.

Their following album, Rumours, is considered a popular music classic and is among the best-selling albums ever. The hits from McVie’s album include “Songbird,” “Don’t Stop,” and “You Make Loving Fun.”

Fleetwood Mac experienced intense internal strife and turmoil during their artistic and financial zenith, and the McVies separated in 1976.

Despite this, McVie continued to be the band’s creative force and won praise for her effortless singing and compositional abilities. Two more of McVie’s well-known successes are “Everywhere” and “Little Lies,” both from Tango in the Night.

Three solo albums were also released by her. McVie left Fleetwood Mac in 1998 after 30 years of service, although she later joined the group again for a tour in 2014.

She received two Grammy Awards and was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1999 while she was a member of Fleetwood Mac.

May the amazing Christine McVie, who had such a lovely voice and gift for songwriting, rest in peace. Her songs will live on forever as a tribute to her.