“Everyone is good to a dying man – how good we would be to each other if we fully realized that we were all dying.” ~ Rabbi Shraga Silverstein
2022 dealt another blow today when Christine McVie died. Fleetwood Mac has long been a favorite band, and I have dreaded seeing the chain break (fans will get the reference.) Yes, there was Rumours, but I dove into the early stuff 30 years ago with Peter Green, Jeremy Spencer, and Bob Welch. Christine was always there even before she joined the band. She was the most consistent writer and singer through all their ups and downs. Not to take anything away from the dynamic duo Buckingham Nicks (whose album before Fleetwood Mac is one of the most underrated pieces of music), but Christine was always the songbird, the constant, the unflappable. Even her worst songs were good; I can’t say that about Buckingham or Nicks. I had the good fortune to see Fleetwood Mac several times but did not have the good fortune to photograph them. I did, however, have the good fortune to photograph Maggie Lander (fiddle) and Joanna James (guitar) at the recent Dolly Parton Tribute show. I thought of them as I ruminated over Christine’s passing. I’ve seen Joanna several times in different ensembles, but her teaming with Lander was a big step forward. Beautiful harmonies laced with delicate musicianship, subtle tones and brilliant melodies. So very Christine McVie. The members of Fleetwood Mac, Christine’s former band Chicken Shack, and all the other people she’s held the stage with are incredibly lucky to have played with her.
Karen Scalf
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