Christine McVie's cause of death revealed: Inside Fleetwood Mac singer's battle with health problems
LONDON, UNITED KINGDOM: Christine McVie, the co-lead singer, and composer for Fleetwood Mac, died at age 79 following a "short illness," as per her family. Finally, the official cause of her death has been revealed. According to her death certificate, the singer-songwriter and keyboardist died from a stroke with cancer listed as a secondary cause.
The pop singer, who wrote most of the band's biggest hits, including 'Songbird', 'Little Lies', 'Don't Stop', 'Say You Love Me', and 'You Make Loving Fun', died tragically in a hospital in November 2022. With over 100 million records sold worldwide, her brilliance and warm, soulful vocals contributed to the blues band's transformation into one of the greatest rock bands ever.
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What is Christine McVie's cause of death?
According to the singer-songwriter's death certificate, it is now known that she died from an ischemic stroke, as per The Blast. She had earlier been diagnosed with cancer, her secondary cause of death. As a "metastatic malignancy of unknown primary origin," her cancer had spread throughout her body but its cause was unknown. McVie's family shared the news of her death on social media at the time, stating that she sadly died in the hospital "following a short illness," in the presence of her loved ones.
In a statement at the time, the family said, "On behalf of Christine McVie's family, it is with a heavy heart we are informing you of Christine's death. She passed away peacefully at hospital this morning, Wednesday, November 30th, 2022, following a short illness. She was in the company of her family."
"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," her family continued.
What is an ischemic stroke?
An ischemic stroke "occurs when the blood supply to part of the brain is interrupted or reduced, preventing brain tissue from getting oxygen and nutrients. Brain cells begin to die in minutes," says the Mayo Clinic.
As per the National Cancer Institute, her secondary cause of death was "metastatic malignancy of unknown primary origin," which means that although cancer cells were discovered in her body, they had spread there from a different, unidentified location.
Did Christine McVie have health issues?
In the months preceding her death, McVie revealed that her health problem prevented her from rejoining Fleetwood Mac on the tour. In June 2022, she admitted that while her body was already weak, her mind was ready to go on tour once more, as per Rolling Stone. Several news sources reported that she had scoliosis, however, she did not specify what health issue she had.
McVie also acknowledged doing drugs in the 1970s and 1980s, a time when they were accepted as normal. The late singer said in the book 'Fleetwood Mac on Fleetwood Mac: Interviews and Encounters' that wearing jewelry associated with drugs at the time was not unusual, as per the Music Times.
She continued by saying that she stayed up all night for three days while using cocaine, almost giving her a heart attack. McVie acknowledged that she had stopped using drugs and alcohol in 2004. She stopped smoking as well and switched to chewing nicotine gum.
Other Fleetwood Mac band members who have died
Few musical groups have the longevity of Fleetwood Mac. They have gone through respites, difficulties, and lineup changes, but overall they have managed to preserve the essence of the legendary '70s band for many years. Each band member has enjoyed a wonderfully successful career in music. Sadly, a lot of the band's previous members—including their founder—have died in the past decade. But their legacy is still very much in existence, per TheThings.
When it came to Fleetwood Mac's early years, Bob Brunning was a key component. However, his time with the band was only a short part of his career. He died in 2011.
In 1972, when Fleetwood Mac had been together for nearly five years, Bob Weston joined as a backup guitarist after Danny Kirwan left the group. He co-wrote a few of the tracks and sang a duet with Christine McVie, the band's lead singer. He died in January 2012.
An acquaintance of the group referred them to Bob Welch after guitarist Jeremy Spencer left in 1971. He was the songwriter of the popular song 'Sentimental Lady', which appeared on the Bare Trees CD in 1972. Welch died in 2012 as well.
In 1968, Danny Kirwan was thrilled to accept Peter Green's invitation to try out for Fleetwood Mac. Regrettably, his drinking resulted in conflicts that led to his termination from the band in 1972. Kirwan died in 2018.
The death of Peter Green, the band's founder, and a talented guitarist and songwriter, was one of the many misfortunes that 2020 delivered. Christine McVie, a longtime admirer, became a keyboard player with Fleetwood Mac in 1970. McVie made her departure from Fleetwood Mac official in 1999. She didn't rejoin the band until 2014, even though she had several solo projects out while she was away. McVie died in November of the last year.
