The “huge mistake” Christine McVie always regretted
Christine McVie lived the dream with Fleetwood Mac, but in her mind during the late 1990s, the band was part of her past, rather than present or future.
In 1997, the Rumours-era line-up of McVie, John McVie, Mick Fleetwood, Stevie Nicks and Lindsey Buckingham found themselves back together, leading to a full-blown arena tour. However, by this stage in her life, McVie’s heart wasn’t wholly in it, eventually leading to her departure.
There was no grand fall-out about money; she simply did not have the interest in continuing to live as a touring musician. Their hiatus prior to the reunion had given McVie a glimpse into what her existence could be if she didn’t spend 200 days a year with her feet glued to the road, which was more alluring than any possible payday.
Around this same time as the huge decision in her professional life, McVie made an equally seismic move personally, too. Despite calling the United States her home for decades, McVie came home to the United Kingdom, putting her on the other side of the world from her bandmates.
While commuting from London to Los Angeles is the equivalent of a Tube journey for a normal citizen, for world-famous musicians, McVie’s scenario was different. She had developed a fear of flying, which made touring impossible.
As much as she still loved Fleetwood Mac, the emergence of the phobia was a sign that her life needed to slow down, and it was time to take her foot off the brakes.
She later explained her decision to Mojo: “I quit the band only because I developed this horrendous fear of flying and was run down and tired of touring. I bought a home in England that was being restored. I wanted to move back closer to my family. It was not out of any lack of love for these guys. They’re my musical family.”
During the extended period that McVie was absent from the Fleetwood Mac line-up, she retained one foot in the music industry and released the solo album, 2004’s In the Meantime. However, the singer didn’t tour the material and chose to live a quiet life away from the public eye.
In 2013, after 15 years of being grounded in the UK, McVie realised it couldn’t go on any longer. With that in mind, she sought out a therapist, who encouraged her to fly to Hawaii to see Mick Fleetwood. The only issue, however, was that he was in London, but this did give them the opportunity to fly out together.
While in Hawaii, she was convinced to join his band for an impromptu performance, which unlocked something inside her that she had allowed to rot for almost two decades. A few months later, McVie appeared with Fleetwood Mac at the O2 Arena in London during two shows in September 2013 to perform ‘Don’t Stop’, further confirming to her that she’d made a huge mistake to walk away.
These concerts affirmed to McVie that she was born to be a member of Fleetwood Mac, leading her to rejoin on a permanent basis.
She admitted to Mojo of her decision to return: “I realised that I made a huge mistake, that’s all. I started missing them and playing with them and the interaction, the chemistry of it all. I started to really desire to start doing something again, and the only people that I would have any desire to do anything with would be Fleetwood Mac.”
The love between McVie and her bandmates was reciprocal, as they welcomed her back with open arms. They may have continued following her departure, but there was always a missing piece, until that wrong was finally put right.
As much as with the benefit of hindsight, McVie viewed the decision to leave the band behind as a mistake, but it likely was what she initially needed. She was burnt out, homesick and needed to put that first. However, allowing that break to turn into 15 years on the shelf was a source of regret for McVie.
Thankfully, there is a happy ending. In her final years, she was able to fly freely across the world with her friends that mattered most for their victory lap and make up for lost time.
