Christine McVie, the distinctive, bluesy-voiced singer-songwriter, died today following a "short illness," according to a family announcement posted on Instagram. She was 79. Along with Stevie Nicks, Lindsey Buckingham, former husband John McVie and Mick Fleetwood, she was a core member of Fleetwood Mac during their multiplatinum heyday, writing and co-writing such songs as "Over My Head," "Say You Love Me," "Don't Stop," "You Make Loving Fun," "Hold Me," "Everywhere" and "Little Lies," among others.
Born in the Lake District of northwest England as Christine Perfect in July 1943, McVie didn't begin studying music until age 11. After discovering rock 'n' roll during her teen years, her piano studies shifted toward such early influences as Fats Domino and the Everly Brothers. She studied sculpture at Birmingham's Moseley School of Art. During her college years, she played in a blues group called Sounds of Blue. After graduation, she moved to London, where she worked as a window dresser.
