The Beauty of British Song: Christine McVie

Although American singer Stevie Nicks got a good deal of attention during Fleetwood Mac's glory days, much of that band's success was due to Christine McVie, its keyboardist, who was an accomplished singer-songwriter in her own right.

Born Christine Perfect, she first achieved fame in the group Chicken Shack, joining Fleetwood Mac in 1970 and first appearing on Kiln House, where her smoky, blue-eyed soul style was a strong foil for Danny Kirwan, then the group's principal frontperson. She later married bassist John McVie, but the marriage didn't last, and the breakup inspired her best-known (and most perversely interpreted) song, "Don't Stop." Her songs would be musical counterpoints to the styles of not just Kirwan and Nicks but also American guitarists/vocalists Bob Welch and Lindsey Buckingham.

Her songs include "Spare Me a Little Of Your Love," "Say You Love Me," "Songbird," and "Everywhere."

Christine McVie no longer participates in Fleetwood Mac reunions and returned to England after being based in California for many years but remained active in music. In 2004, she released her solo album In the Meantime.