Stevie Nicks Performs A Poignant Tribute To Her Late Bandmate Christine McVie

Stevie Nicks honored her late Fleetwood Mac bandmate and lifelong friend Christine McVie in Los Angeles over the weekend.

Nicks and McVie started their journey in Fleetwood Mac together after joining the band in the mid-seventies, performing live and touring until their quiet breakup last year. McVie passed away in November at the age of 79, after a brief illness.

The "Stand Back" singer initially paid tribute to her close friend with an Instagram post. Nicks, 74, revealed she hadn't known McVie had been ill in her handwritten note. McVie's family announced her passing via statement.

Fleetwood Mac would also release a statement, writing, "She was truly one-of-a-kind, special and talented beyond measure. She was the best musician anyone could have in their band and the best friend anyone could have in their life. We were so lucky to have a life with her. Individually and together, we cherished Christine deeply and are thankful for the amazing memories we have. She will be so very missed."

Nicks performed Fleetwood Mac's introspective 1975 ballad "Landslide" in concert last night, in a joint bill with Billy Joel. She tearfully revealed to the audience how she is "dealing" with her friend's passing after finishing the song; "Landslide" had been the final song of the evening.

The duo's fellow Fleetwood Mac bandmates Lindsey Buckingham and McVie's former husband, John, both paid tribute to McVie. Buckingham and McVie collaborated outside of Fleetwood Mac, releasing an album in 2017.

Buckingham, 73, also posted a handwritten tribute, writing, "Christine McVie's sudden passing is profoundly heartbreaking. Not only were she and I part of the magical family of Fleetwood Mac, to me Christine was a musical comrade, a friend, a soulmate, a sister..."

Nicks also included the lyrics to Haim's 2019 single "Hallelujah" in her tribute, revealing she had been unable to stop thinking of the song after hearing the news. Haim would comment on Nicks' post, writing, "rip beautiful songbird [heart emojis] we love you stevie"

Nicks closed out her March 10th show with Joel in Los Angeles with a performance of "Landslide." Photos of the duo together were shown behind Nicks during her performance.

Footage of the performance was later posted to YouTube by a fan.

Nicks breaks down in tears mid-performance, pausing for a moment to collect herself. When she finishes singing, she tells the audience, "There's really not [inaudible] to say. We just pretend she's still here, that's how I'm trying to deal with it," she concludes before joining her bandmembers for a bow.

Fans took to Twitter to discuss the heartbreaking performance.

"we love and miss you, Christine. You were perfect, Stevie Nicks," a concertgoer tweeted, sharing a photo of the stage; a photo of McVie and Nicks is shown on the monitor behind Nicks as she is performing.

"You can see the pain in her eyes from losing Chris and Tom [Petty]. You know she also grieves the loss of friendship with Lindsey. If you know Stevie at all, you know her emotions produce some of her best music. Maybe she will bless us with another song about the loss of her friends," a fan commented on CONSEQUENCE's thread about her performance.

"Stevie Nicks closed her set tonight with 'Landslide' which she dedicated to Christine McVie," a concertgoer wrote in their tweet about the show. She cried and said, 'I have to imagine she's still here. It's all I can do.' Such a beautiful and powerful moment."

"That rendition was a highlight of the entire night," an attendee tweeted. Just incredible. Wasn't her band fantastic?"

Nicks would also pay tribute to her late friend Tom Petty with a performance of his 1989 solo hit, "Free Fallin'." Petty passed away from an accidental overdose in October 2017.

Fleetwood Mac's landmark album "Rumours" continues to break sales records. The album, which was originally released in February of 1977, was the fifth best-selling album on vinyl in 2022.