Mick Fleetwood: Fleetwood Mac without Christine McVie is "unthinkable"
7 February 2023, 11:47 | Updated: 15 February 2023, 23:18
The legendary drummer believes that the band is "done" following the death of Christine McVie last year.
Mick Fleetwood thinks that Fleetwood Mac is "done", following the death of long-time member Christine McVie in November.
Fleetwood, who co-founded the band in 1967, says he still plans to perform music, but “not as Fleetwood Mac.”
Speaking to the LA Times at the Grammy Awards in Los Angeles on Sunday night (5th February), he said: "I think right now, I truly think the line in the sand has been drawn with the loss of Chris.
“I’d say we’re done, but then we’ve all said that before. It’s sort of unthinkable right now.”
The singer and keyboard player died in hospital in November aged 79, following a brief illness. McVie - then known as Christine Perfect - joined Fleetwood Mac full time in 1970, having married bassist John McVie two years earlier.
Fleetwood says he intends to emulate the former and current members of the band - which includes Stevie Nicks, Mike Campbell, Neil Finn and Lindsey Buckingham – and seek out new projects.
He said: “They all get out and play, so I’m gonna be doing the same thing, finding people to play with. Anyone out there?"
The drummer teamed up with Bonnie Raitt and Sheryl Crow to honour Christine at the Grammy Awards ceremony
Read more: Grammy Awards 2023 - full list of winners
The trio performed the Fleetwood Mac hit Songbird - which was written and sung by Christine - and the icon admitted he was delighted to be able to make "a lot of fuss" about his late bandmate.
He said: "I think it's a moment to accolade the wonder of a hugely talented, lovely, unsuspecting lady known as Christine McVie.
"There is a lot of fuss, but we are really happy to be making a fuss of her.
"It's double edged - it comes with a celebration and a quiet prayer that contains some sadness of loss. But having it be able to come to life with this lovely lady [Sheryl], and Bonnie, is a beautiful thing for me to see happen."
Fleetwood told Mac biographer Stephen Davis in 1990 that McVie was responsible for the band continuing into the 1970s and going onto the huge success of Rumours. He said: ""Christine became the glue. She filled out our sound beautifully."
