Fleetwood Mac’s Christine McVie Had a Fear of Flying
Christine McVie toured the world with Fleetwood Mac, although she developed a fear of flying in the 1990s. Thanks to the help of another bandmate, she overcame her phobia and now ālovesā to travel by airplane. Hereās what we know about the āSongbirdā songwriter.
Vocalist and keyboard player Christine McVie wrote songs for Fleetwood Mac
For decades, McVie appeared as a vocalist, keyboard player, and songwriter for Fleetwood Mac. She created āSongbirdā off Rumours, also partnering with bandmates John McVie, Mick Fleetwood, Lindsey Buckingham, and Stevie Nicks for āThe Chain.ā Sheās also a featured vocalist on several Rumours and Tusks tracks.
Fleetwood Macās Christine McVie had a fear of flying ā until she thought āIām actually enjoying thisā
In 1998, McVie officially left Fleetwood Mac after almost 30 years, citing panic attacks and fear of flying. However, she didnāt always have a phobia of flying ā after 1994, though, she began seeking out alternative forms of transportation.Ā
āThe [Northridge, California] earthquake happened in ā94 and I developed a phobia about flying,ā she said during an interview with CBS News (via Express).Ā
āIt was multiple reasons why I thought, āIāve had enough. I wanna go home, and live in the country and get a Range Rover and get the dogs, the wellie [Wellington] boots, and the scarf and cook for the YMCA,ā or whatever,ā she added.
Years later, McVie was asked for an update regarding her fear of flying. The artist explained that she overcame the obstacle thanks to the support of Mick Fleetwood ā and rejoined Fleetwood Mac as a result.
āOne day I just decided not to be afraid of it anymore, and that was it! I felt liberated,ā McVie said during an interview with The Guardian. āThen I thought: āIām actually enjoying this.ā Lifeās too short to be afraid of things like flying. Youād never go anywhere. I love flying now.ā
Fleetwood Macās Stevie Nicks on being āfearlessā in the music industry
As the only two women in Fleetwood Mac (and women in the music industry during the 1970s), McVie and Nicks faced added challenges together. As a result, these two shared a close friendship ā and Nicks described the importance of being fearless.
āI am pretty fearless, and you know why? Because I donāt handle fear very well; Iām not a good terrified person,ā Nicks said to Interview Magazine, according to The Cut. āI learned that a long time ago.āĀ
āYou know when you walk into your house and thereās nobody there and all the lights are out,ā she continued, āitās like I just fearlessly go into the dark, because I know if I start creepinā out that itāll get me.ā
Music by Fleetwood Mac is available on most major streaming platforms.