Two-time Grammy Award winner Christine McVie passed away in November after a brief illness. The singer, songwriter and musician enjoyed widespread critical acclaim and commercial success for her work with Fleetwood Mac. Her original compositions \u2013 including but not limited to \u201cDon\u2019t Stop,\u201d \u201cYou Make Loving Fun\u201d and \u201cSongbird,\u201d all from the 1977 mega-hit album Rumour<\/i>s<\/i> \u2013 rank among the best-loved of that band\u2019s many hits.<\/p>\n
Born Christine Perfect, McVie would marry Fleetwood Mac bassist John McVie in 1968. But she honed her musical skills and creative abilities long before joining that band in 1970. As a keyboardist, composer and vocalist, she turned in powerful and memorable performances with her first band (Chicken Shack), on a superb solo debut and as a session player. Here are five standout tracks from her bluesy pre-Fleetwood Mac years.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhen the Train Comes Back\u201d (from <\/b>40 Blue Fingers Freshly Packed & Ready to Serve<\/b><\/i> by Chicken Shack, 1968)<\/b><\/p>\n
Along with a clutch of classic blues covers (B.B. King, John Lee Hooker, Freddie King), the debut album from British blues outfit Chicken Shack featured four original songs. Two of those were written by the group\u2019s 25-year-old classically-trained pianist Christine Perfect.<\/p>\n