[updated 6:00pm Monday, Jan 13th]
It's Official:
Christine McVie is back with Fleetwood Mac
The band's publicist, Liz Rosenberg, has confirmed to Billboard that McVie has rejoined the band after departing the group in 1998.
Rosenberg says that McVie "has indeed re-joined Fleetwood Mac and we are hoping to make an announcement about a possible tour for the full tilt Macsters some time in 2014."
Billboard
Original Post:
It's no secret that something has been brewing with Christine McVie and the possibility of her return to Fleetwood Mac. If you're a fan of the band and have been following along this past year, it's clear Christine underwent some sort of transformation and a big shift in terms of mindset. She's kind of been everywhere (no pun intended) when you consider Christine's basically been out of the spotlight since 2004 after her last solo album was released and hasn't performed with Fleetwood Mac since she retired from the group, sold her piano and her house, and packed her bags and moved back to England in 1998. Except for a couple of public appearances in London over the years at one or two award ceremonies, she's been completely under the radar.
Well this past year Christine put travel anxiety aside and returned to the stage for the first time in 15 years, visiting with Mick and John in Hawaii she performed with Mick and his blues band on Maui (
Maui in February, 2013) and again appeared with Fleetwood Mac live in London in September, 2013), plus she traveled to Dublin for rehearsals and also to Amsterdam, although she did not perform. She also granted new interviews to the british press and BBC radio indicating that she's had a change of heart (and possibly some therapy) and
would like to rejoin her band mates, if they'll have her. This news was huge and made headlines around the world and made fans extremely happy and hopeful! Subsequent interviews with Mick, Lindsey and Stevie haven't been so clear on the subject with all three hesitant in saying whether this was a definite go or not - only indicating it was Christine's decision and that she is more than welcome to return and that they were looking forward to the year ahead and what the possibilities could bring.
Both Stevie and Lindsey made it clear in Las Vegas in December that Fleetwood Mac will be going back out on the road in 2014 with Lindsey being a little more specific telling people in the front row they'll be touring this Summer. Prior to this, Rumours producer, Ken Caillat also indicated in a 2013 radio interview that it looked like Christine would be joining the band for more tour dates on the summer leg (2014).
From my point of view, if the band and more specifically Christine is going to go through all this effort of putting this type of information out there to begin with to a fan base that has largely been begging for her return, and with Fleetwood Mac adding more dates this year (yet to be announced), then it's basically going to happen and everything else from here on out is just formality.
MICK FLEETWOOD - January 11, 2014
During last nights
Uncle Willie K's BBQ Blues Fest on Maui at the Maui Tropical Plantation, Mick Fleetwood and Willie K. performed an acoustic version of Christine's "Songbird". Following the performance, Mick apparently let the audience, and essentially the world know, that Christine will be rejoining Fleetwood Mac! His exact phrase below, was from
someone in attendance. Obviously something a little more official will eventually be provided... but this is probably the clearest sign the Rumours line-up has reformed:
"This is the worst kept secret there is,
but Christine McVie will be rejoining Fleetwood Mac!"
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by Kevin Hackett
