SINGER Christine McVie opened champagne for me when I visited her house in the Hollywood Hills on February 21, 1978.
She was celebrating her divorce from bass guitarist John just three weeks before — and told how she had put their band Fleetwood Mac ahead of her personal life.
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She was 34 years old at the time and was a millionaire.
Rumours was the American #1 Album for six months.
It had not left Britain’s top ten for 55 consecutive weeks.
It has been sold worldwide in excess of 40 million copies, making it one the most successful albums ever.
At that point, Christine was part of one of the biggest success stories in rock ’n’ roll.
But it had not been a simple rise to the top for one of the most controversial — and chaotic — bands in rock history, with a string of cocaine-fuelled affairs.
Christine’s ex-husband John once joked that the only members of the band who had not had an affair were himself and guitarist Lindsey Buckingham.
When they recorded Rumours, Christine wasn’t talking to John. She had begun an affair with Curry Grant, the lighting director.
The long-term couple Lindsey Nicks and Stevie Nicks had broken up, adding tension to their recordings.
Stevie was in love with Mick Fleetwood drummer, whose wife Jenny Boyd had previously had an affair with Bob Weston, making matters worse.
After Mick and Jenny’s divorce, he ditched Stevie for her good friend Sara Recor.
But it was not until Christine’s marriage broke down that she really came into her own professionally.
In 1977 she wrote her biggest hits, Don’t Stop, Songbird and You Make Loving Fun, which were all highlights on Rumours.
She opened up about the mix talent, rows and breakups that kept the band of five together.
She told me: “When Lindsey and Stevie joined us they’d been living happily together for about eight years. After six months, they broke up with the band.
“Fleetwood Mac seems infectious like that. Breakups can be a serious disease. Mick Fleetwood even divorced Jenny. But they remarried and are now very happy.”
Mick actually dumped Jenny six months after the interview.
Christine added: “The band’s special magic was enhanced by all the tension and personal issues they had with one another.”
We had first met ten years before, when she was belting out the blues around Birmingham’s clubs under her maiden name, Christine Perfect.
She had been just 16 when she first appeared on stage at the Dudley Liberal Club in my native Black Country, for which she was paid £3.
All the personal problems with each other and all that tension seemed to help the special magic of the band.
Christine McVie
She and Fleetwood Mac were now filling stadiums of 50,000, and she could afford a Cotswold-style home furnished with antiques e oil paintings as though she was still living in England.
Even though it was a hot California afternoon, there was a roaring log fireplace.
And Christine spelled out just how important her life in music had become: “John and I broke up three years ago, but we had two altern-atives — go our separate ways and see the band collapse, or grit our teeth and carry on playing together.
“Normally, when couples split up they don’t have to see each other ever again. We had to deal with those problems.
“There was no doubt that the band just pulled our marriage apart.
“We saw so many of each other at work and at play that it became very tiring for the relationship.
I used to believe that it put more strain on a marriage to be away from home. But not many relationships could survive if they saw each other every hour of every day.”
She added: “There was a lot of awkwardness, as you can imagine, particularly in the early days after we stopped living together.
“It was a matter of trying to be super-mature about it and we had to keep our finer feelings covered up.
“We never actually got around to making our divorce final until now, although it was reported we had divorced two years ago.
“John started going out with a girl called Julie, who used to work for our former business manager. They are getting married on April 16 (1978) and that’s why John wanted an official divorce.
“I now live with a guy called Curry Grant, who is a Texas lighting engineer. He is bored to death sitting in his house all day.
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“So he’s out now acting as road manager for a singer called Bob Welch, who used to be in Fleetwood Mac.”
Christine was so passionate about music and the band that she decided not to have children.
She said: “I had the the big slice and dice (sterilisation) four months ago. I am at the point in my life where my mindset and lifestyle are not suitable for children. How would they fit in?
“I have two godchildren, a half brother and a half sister who is 11. It’s great to have them around the house when they visit from England.
“I can always wave them goodbye at the end of the visit and it makes me realise that I could not take kids on now. With my career, there’s no place for them.”
Christine was interviewed and married again in 1986. She had previously been with Curry and Brian Wilson.
For 17 years, she was with Eddie Quintela (Portuguese keyboard player and writer)
They co-wrote songs, including Little Lies, which was on Fleetwood Mac’s 1987 album Tango In The Night.
In 2003, they were divorcing, but they still worked together. Eddie passed away in 2020.
Christine was born in Bouth, Lake District in 1943 to Cyril Perfect (concert violinist) and Beatrice Perfect (faith healer).
She was initially determined to be an artist and trained in cello and classical piano.
Birmingham Art College awarded her a diploma in sculpture. However, her passion for music led her to join Chicken Shack, her first band.
English-speaking Englishmen have a particular sense of humor that can be helpful when driving. It’s based on constant p***-take. Stevie and Lindsey are Californians and take every threat seriously.
Christine McVie
In 1968, she married John McVie and became a homemaker for a short time.
Just two years later, Christine Perfect was her solo album. Soon, she was playing keyboards and backing vocals in Fleetwood Mac.
The band relocated to America in 1974. Stevie and Lindsey joined the group.
The mix of Brits and the American newcomers worked well — apart from the obvious cultural differences.
Christine said: “We have a specific sense of humour between the three of us who are English, which keeps us going when we’re out on the road.
“It is based loosely on a constant p***-take. Lindsey is a Californian and Stevie takes everything seriously.
“They can never really tell when you are teasing or pulling their leg.”
Christine quit the band in 1999, and she moved back to England with her family.
She moved into The Quaives in Kent, a charming Grade II listed house.
There, she recorded two solo albums — one in 2013 which was never released.
She also joined Fleetwood Mac that year, surprising fans.
2018 was controversially Lindsey was expelled from the band, forcing them into a settlement out of court.
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Mick Fleetwood did however, offer one final farewell tour for his fans last year.
Christine had said: “If we do it, it’ll be without John and without Stevie, I think. I’m getting a bit old for it now. I don’t know if I can get myself back into it.”
Christine was friendly, warm, and open to conversation. She was also well aware of her blessings.
She said: “We are pretty spoilt now. We have private planes and limousines. It’s a long way from small clubs and pubs.”
After our talk, she led me through the house.
She still longed for England, even though she had all the luxury of a heated pool in her garden.
She said: “I miss the cheese, the bread, the way milk comes in bottles, the nice fat sausages and the sense of humour.”
As we finished the champagne, she added: “But what I miss most is the conversation in a good English pub with a glass of beer.”
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