Christine McVie of Fleetwood Mac dead at 79

Christine McVie, the singer-songwriter behind some of Fleetwood Mac’s biggest hits, died Wednesday following a brief illness, according to a statement posted by her family on her verified Instagram account.

She was 79.

McVie was one of the founding members of Fleetwood Mac and helped write classics like “Don’t Stop,” “Dreams” and “Go Your Own Way.” While she may be best known for her work with the band, she also released several solo albums throughout her career.

Christine McVie, the singer-songwriter behind some of Fleetwood Mac’s biggest hits, died Wednesday following a brief illness, according to a statement posted by her family on her verified Instagram account. She was 79 years old.

McVie joined Fleetwood Mac in 1975, when she replaced Mick Fleetwood in the band. The group went on to achieve international success with their albums Rumours (1977), Tusk (1979), Mirage (1980), and Behind the Mask (1981). The band announced last month that they would be going on hiatus due to McVie’s health issues; however, they have not yet given an official reason for why they split up.

McVie was born May 6th, 1949 in Scotland and grew up in Glasgow before moving to England. She studied at the Royal Academy of Music and then moved to London where she met John McVie while working as a session drummer. The pair married shortly after meeting each other and had two children together—Rhianna and Zakk Roy McVey—before divorcing in 1988.