MOJO Nicks on McVie's death

[jbrownsjr]

I tried to get as much of it as I could. (around the ads and paywall)

Stevie Nicks: “Without Christine there is no chance of putting Fleetwood Mac back together.”

Stevie Nicks speaks exclusively to MOJO about the “devastating” loss of her Fleetwood Mac bandmate Christine McVie and what it means for the future of the group.

“It was all stunningly strange, because there wasn’t any lead up to it,” says Nicks of McVie’s death following a stroke in Autumn 2022. “We got a call, and I was going to rent a plane and go see her, but her family said, ‘Don’t come, because she may not be here tomorrow.’ And the next day, she passed away.

“I wanted to go there and sit on her bed and sing to her – which definitely would have made her pass away faster,” jokes Nicks to MOJO’s Bob Mehr through tears. “But I needed to be with her. And I didn’t get to do that. So that was very hard for me. I didn’t get to say goodbye.”

Since McVie’s death Nicks has been adamant that she no longer considers Fleetwood Mac a going concern. “Without Christine, no can do,” she says. “There is no chance of putting Fleetwood Mac back together in any way. Without her, it just couldn’t work.”

While Fleetwood Mac operated successfully between 1998 and 2014 largely without McVie, her absence heaped more onus on Nicks and Buckingham to front the band in tandem. But, as she explains, a détente between her and Buckingham – following the guitarist’s exit from the band in 2018, the two last crossed paths at a memorial service for McVie in early 2023 – wouldn’t necessarily clear the way to a final tour.

“Even if I thought I could work with Lindsey again, he’s had some health problems,” says Nicks, referring to Buckingham’s emergency open heart surgery in 2019. “It’s not for me to say, but I’m not sure if Lindsey could do the kind of touring that Fleetwood Mac does, where you go out for a year and half. It’s so demanding.”

“I do [Landslide] and we have beautiful video montage of me and Chris,” says Nicks of her current set. “I can never look at it, though, when I’m singing, because I’ll just get hysterical and sob. The world is a little bit of an empty place without her.”

Although she’s lost several musical comrades in recent years, including Tom Petty, Nicks continues to find connection in her band, which includes decades-long collaborators Sharon Celani and Waddy Wachtel.

“When I walk on stage, I couldn’t be prouder of my band,” says Nicks. “I mean, I would rather not be freed up from Fleetwood Mac, because of Christine. But I’m in a place where I can concentrate on my solo work. I can do anything I want now, and not have to worry about stopping and going back to Fleetwood Mac.”

At the same time, Nicks admits that “Fleetwood Mac is all over my set. Now that there is no more Fleetwood Mac, that opens the door for me to do other songs, like The Chain, that I’ve never done [solo]. I will keep the music of Fleetwood Mac alive, for as long as I can.”

[Straightback]

Originally Posted by jbrownsjr

Now that there is no more Fleetwood Mac, that opens the door for me to do other songs, like The Chain, that I’ve never done [solo].

Um...except you did perform The Chain solo in 1994.

As for the rest...the excuses are endless with this woman. Shoulda, woulda, coulda.

[jbrownsjr]

Originally Posted by Straightback

Um...except you did perform The Chain solo in 1994.

I don't think I've ever seen that performance.

[BigAl84]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=emV0ekFnuQE

[jbrownsjr]

Originally Posted by BigAl84

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=emV0ekFnuQE

Do I want to watch this, Big Al?

[jmn3]

Originally Posted by jbrownsjr

Do I want to watch this, Big Al?

It’s not the worst thing. If I’m not mistaken she only did this a few times at some 1994 shows and I believe Rick Vito was in her band at the time.

[UnwindedDreams]

Originally Posted by jbrownsjr

“Even if I thought I could work with Lindsey again, he’s had some health problems,” says Nicks, referring to Buckingham’s emergency open heart surgery in 2019. “It’s not for me to say, but I’m not sure if Lindsey could do the kind of touring that Fleetwood Mac does, where you go out for a year and half. It’s so demanding.”

That says she can't and doesn't want to be on a stage with Lindsey EVER again. She doesn't think she could, she doesn't want to, and she wants to be in her non-challenged zone where there's no debate. That's the final delivery there. The door is not open. And I think like bombaysaffires said, she's flexing her health muscles. Not only does she want to close the door but she wants to take a hit on the way out where she's essentially saying Lindsey's not in shape and not in good health. Though she just postponed two concerts of her own and again as bombaysaffires says, requires days of rest in between shows.

This interview was the last answer. MusiCares was the last time The Rumours lineup performed and will have been the final time the SYW lineup performed.

[BigAl84]

Originally Posted by UnwindedDreams

That says she can't and doesn't want to be on a stage with Lindsey EVER again. She doesn't think she could, she doesn't want to, and she wants to be in her non-challenged zone where there's no debate. That's the final delivery there. The door is not open. And I think like bombaysaffires said, she's flexing her health muscles. Not only does she want to close the door but she wants to take a hit on the way out where she's essentially saying Lindsey's not in shape and not in good health. Though she just postponed two concerts of her own and again as bombaysaffires says, requires days of rest in between shows.

This interview was the last answer. MusiCares was the last time The Rumours lineup performed and will have been the final time the SYW lineup performed.

Well she had the opportunity to say those exact words and *shocker* she didn’t.

[UnwindedDreams]

Originally Posted by BigAl84

Well she had the opportunity to say those exact words and *shocker* she didn’t.

Sorry Al, which words? About Lindsey's health?

[BigAl84]

Originally Posted by UnwindedDreams

Sorry Al, which words? About Lindsey's health?

She could have said she doesn’t want to work with Lindsey period, but instead she used speculation about his health instead.

I love how she’s always got “solo plans” to rush back to, which usually amounts to a pot of beans. Oh, another boring hits tour that’s the same tour she did a year or two before.

I’ve said this before, she could have refused to do the 2014/2015 tour if she resented it that much, but then she would have nothing to complain about or anyone to deflect to.

The idiot that she is said the quiet part out loud. Her solo set is packed with Fleetwood Mac songs. She’s largely marketed by her Fleetwood Mac material. 90% of the folks packing into Mohegan Sun last week wouldn’t be able to tell you a single track off of TOSOTM, Rock a Little, or TISL.

[Mr Scarrott]

Originally Posted by jbrownsjr

“It was all stunningly strange, because there wasn’t any lead up to it,” says Nicks of McVie’s death following a stroke in Autumn 2022. “We got a call, and I was going to rent a plane and go see her, but her family said, ‘Don’t come, because she may not be here tomorrow.’ And the next day, she passed away.

This part seems odd, although it's hard to know what time-frame Stevie was thinking of, but it was clear in June 2022 that Christine was not very well according to the Rolling Stone interview. Having said that it doesn't look as if Christine and Stevie were in touch much, if at all, after the final tour in 2019.

When we caught up with Christine McVie in June 2022, she had severe doubts about the viability of such a tour. “I don’t feel physically up for it,” she said. “I’m in quite bad health. I’ve got a chronic back problem which debilitates me. I stand up to play the piano, so I don’t know if I could actually physically do it. What’s that saying? The mind is willing, but the flesh is weak.”

https://www.rollingstone.com/music/m...19-1235041807/

[Penguin Emeritus]

Originally Posted by Mr Scarrott

This part seems odd, although it's hard to know what time-frame Stevie was thinking of, but it was clear in June 2022 that Christine was not very well according to the Rolling Stone interview. Having said that it doesn't look as if Christine and Stevie were in touch much, if at all, after the final tour in 2019.

When we caught up with Christine McVie in June 2022, she had severe doubts about the viability of such a tour. “I don’t feel physically up for it,” she said. “I’m in quite bad health. I’ve got a chronic back problem which debilitates me. I stand up to play the piano, so I don’t know if I could actually physically do it. What’s that saying? The mind is willing, but the flesh is weak.”

https://www.rollingstone.com/music/m...19-1235041807/

Chris had said they hadn't been in touch at all since the tour ended. and while i don't know if chris's back pain/health issues were in any way related to the cancer that eventually spread, stevie didn't seem to know about either one.

it just annoys me how all you see since chris died is pictures/articles saying how close and tight they were, 'best friends', 'they made a pact' blah blah, give me a break. And the phone goes both ways, so it was on both of them-- they lost touch with each other. that's just how life is sometimes. but for stevie to keep harping on the best friend thing-- and then to use it as an excuse for FMac not continuing! -- just seems very disingenuous at this point.

--Lis

[SteveMacD]

Originally Posted by Penguin Emeritus

Chris had said they hadn't been in touch at all since the tour ended. and while i don't know if chris's back pain/health issues were in any way related to the cancer that eventually spread, stevie didn't seem to know about either one.

it just annoys me how all you see since chris died is pictures/articles saying how close and tight they were, 'best friends', 'they made a pact' blah blah, give me a break. And the phone goes both ways, so it was on both of them-- they lost touch with each other. that's just how life is sometimes. but for stevie to keep harping on the best friend thing-- and then to use it as an excuse for FMac not continuing! -- just seems very disingenuousy at this point.

--Lis

The Pact story has never not been funny to me since it first popped up before Christine returned.

Christine had been one of the guys since 1964. She wasn’t getting left out of parties.

[Penguin Emeritus]

Originally Posted by SteveMacD

The Pact story has never not been funny to me since it first popped up before Christine returned.

Christine had been one of the guys since 1964. She wasn’t getting left out of parties.

very true. Thank you.

[bombaysaffires]

Originally Posted by Penguin Emeritus

Chris had said they hadn't been in touch at all since the tour ended. and while i don't know if chris's back pain/health issues were in any way related to the cancer that eventually spread, stevie didn't seem to know about either one.

it just annoys me how all you see since chris died is pictures/articles saying how close and tight they were, 'best friends', 'they made a pact' blah blah, give me a break. And the phone goes both ways, so it was on both of them-- they lost touch with each other. that's just how life is sometimes. but for stevie to keep harping on the best friend thing-- and then to use it as an excuse for FMac not continuing! -- just seems very disingenuous at this point.

--Lis

I think for a lot of bands, the members see sooooooo much of each other on the road and in the studio that once they aren't working they just need a friggin' break from each other. I think by the end of a tour they are just either on each other's nerves or so bored with each other they need time away. With Stevie though, it's "out of sight, out of mind". She always has such a posse around her, whereas Chris really sounded like she was kind of lost and alone for a big chunk of time back in England.
Chris always always considered John and Mick like family.... Stevie and Lindsey floated in and out and really were more work mates. I think in the beginning Chris and Stevie did actually forge a close relationship, and supported each other through their respective break ups. And as Chris noted many times, Stevie "really had her feet on the ground" in those early years. Then fame went to her head, and Chris described it as Stevie "living in her own world that I'm not really part of". Stevie became all-consumed with Stevie. I don't doubt her affection for Christine, but...Stevie would run over her own grandmother for success.