Christine McVie’s estate sells the late Fleetwood Mac star’s stake in the band’s hit records
The estate of the late Christine McVie has sold its share of Fleetwood Mac’s hits.
The singer-songwriter died in hospital last November at the age of 79, after suffering a stroke while battling the cancer that had spread through her body.
Nearly a year after her death, Christine and her bandmates’ shares in her songs were sold after her estate struck a deal with HarbourView Equity Partners.
The acquisition includes hits Songbird and Say You Love Me, as well as Fleetwood classics Go Your Own Way, The Chain and Dreams.
The total amount of shares acquired was not disclosed, but it was previously reported that Christine was left behind a staggering fortune of £70 million – including her estate in Britain, worth £57 million.
Stake sold: Nearly a year after her death, Christine McVie’s shares in her songs have been sold after her estate struck a deal with HarbourView Equity Partners (pictured in 2019)
Gold hits: The acquisition includes hits Songbird and Say You Love Me, as well as Fleetwood classics Go Your Own Way, The Chain and Dreams (photo: from left to right: Mick Fleetwood, Stevie Nicks, Lindsey Buckingham, Christine McVie and Jon McVie, in 1975)
At the time, probate documents showed her former manager Martin Wyatt and American-based businessman Paul Glass were listed as executors of the estate.
Newly appointed CEO Sherrese Clarke Soares did speak Rolling stone yesterday, saying: ‘She’s iconic.’
She added: “Christine wrote those beautiful, melodic pop songs, and it was Christine who really held them together as the leading star of Fleetwood Mac.”
The CEO continued: “The opportunity to participate in the legacy of Fleetwood Mac, but also to join a female rock icon as a female-owned company doesn’t happen every day, it’s special.
“Christine is no longer with us, but she was clearly such a big and important force in the world of rock ‘n’ roll.”
In 2021, Mick Fleetwood similarly sold his shares in the group’s songs to BMG, while ousted guitarist Lindsey Buckingham sold his publishing catalog to Hipgnosis.
Stevie Nicks also sold a majority stake in her publishing catalog to Primary Wave in 2020.
Previously, in October, Stevie Nicks revealed that the death of her beloved bandmate after fifty years was the final nail in the coffin of their legendary rock band.
Tragic: The singer-songwriter died in hospital last November at the age of 79, after suffering a stroke while battling cancer that had spread through her body
The classic lineup – including John McVie, Lindsey Buckingham and Mick Fleetwood – performed together for the final time during their MusiCares tribute at Radio City Music Hall in Manhattan in 2018.
Shortly afterwards, Buckingham was fired and replaced by singer-guitarist Mike Campbell and musician Neil Finn, who joined Fleetwood Mac for their 88-date An Evening With Fleetwood Mac tour in 2018–2019.
Stevie, 75, said at the time that there was “no reason” to continue the band without their beloved keyboardist and singer because they “can’t continue.”
Speak with Vulture, she said, “When Christine died, I felt like you couldn’t replace her. You just can’t do that.
‘What is it without her? You know what I mean? She was like my soulmate, my musical soulmate and my best friend who I spent more time with than any of my other best friends outside of Fleetwood Mac. Christine was my best friend.’
Big loss: Frontwoman Stevie Nicks (photo: right in 2018) admitted there is ‘no reason’ to continue the band without Christine (left), who she described as her ‘soulmate’
Stevie continued, “When I think of the song You’re on Your Own, Kid by Taylor Swift and the line ‘you always been,’ it was like that was Christine and me. We were on our own in that band. We always were. We protected each other.
‘Who should I look at on the right so they’re not standing behind that Hammond organ? When she died, I thought we really couldn’t continue with this. There’s no reason for that.’
Christine was also the band’s main songwriter and Stevie claims the rest of the band couldn’t write a pop hit like her.
She added: “Christine was the pop star. She wrote all those really super pop hits.
“None of us could write those songs. What would happen is we would have to take the numbers out, like we did when she retired for 18 years. We couldn’t recreate those songs. So we have become a much harder rock band.’
Mick Fleetwood echoed Stevie’s sentiment in an interview earlier this year Los Angeles Times: ‘I’d say we’re done, but we’ve all said that before. It’s a bit unthinkable at this point.”