FILE - Christine McVie from the band Fleetwood Mac performs at Madison Square Garden in New York on Oct. 6, 2014. McVie, the soulful British musician who sang lead on many of Fleetwood Mac’s biggest hits, has died at 79. The band announced her death on social media Wednesday. (Photo by Charles Sykes/Invision/AP, File)
NEW YORK (AP) - Christine McVie, the British-born Fleetwood Mac vocalist, songwriter and keyboard player whose cool, soulful contralto helped define such classics as "You Make Loving Fun," "Everywhere" and "Don't Stop," died Wednesday at age 79.
Her death was announced on the band's social media accounts. No cause of death or other details were immediately provided, but a family statement said she "passed away peacefully at hospital this morning" with family around her after a "short illness."
"She was truly one-of-a-kind, special and talented beyond measure," the band's statement reads in part.
McVie was a steady presence and personality in a band known for its frequent lineup changes and volatile personalities - notably fellow singer-songwriters Stevie Nicks and Lindsey Buckingham.
During its peak commercial years, from 1975-80, the band sold tens of millions of records and was an ongoing source of fascination for fans as it transformed personal battles into melodic, compelling songs. McVie herself had been married to bassist John McVie, and their breakup - along with the split of Nicks and Buckingham - was famously documented on the 1977 release "Rumours," among the bestselling albums of all time.
Fleetwood Mac, co-founded by drummer Mick Fleetwood in 1967, was inducted into the Rock 'n' Roll Hall of Fame in 1998. The group's many other hit singles included "Dreams," "Go Your Own Way" and "Little Lies."
FILE - Members of the rock group Fleetwood Mac, from left, Lindsey Buckingham, Stevie Nicks, Christine McVie, Mick Fleetwood, and John McVie pose with their Album of the Year Grammy Award for "Rumours" in Los Angeles, Feb. 23, 1978. Christine McVie, the soulful British musician who sang lead on many of Fleetwood Mac’s biggest hits, has died at 79. The band announced her death on social media Wednesday. (AP Photo/Richard Drew, File)
FILE - Bass guitarist John McVie, of the Fleetwood Mac pop group, right, and Christine Perfect of the Chicken Shack Group appear at a party for Fleetwood Mac, in London, on Feb. 20, 1969. Christine McVie, the soulful British musician who sang lead on many of Fleetwood Mac's biggest hits, has died at 79. The band announced her death on social media Wednesday. (AP Photo/Bob Dear, File)
FILE - Honorees Christine McVie, left, and Stevie Nicks of Fleetwood Mac appear at the 2018 MusiCares Person of the Year tribute honoring Fleetwood Mac in New York on Jan. 26, 2018. McVie, the soulful British musician who sang lead on many of Fleetwood Mac's biggest hits, has died at 79. The band announced her death on social media Wednesday. (Photo by Charles Sykes/Invision/AP, File)
FILE - Members of Fleetwood Mac, from left, Mike Campbell, John McVie, Stevie Nicks, Christine McVie and Mick Fleetwood appear at the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremony in New York on March 29, 2019. Christine McVie, the soulful British musician who sang lead on many of Fleetwood Mac's biggest hits, has died at 79. The band announced her death on social media Wednesday. (Photo by Charles Sykes/Invision/AP, File)
FILE - Musician Christine McVie attends the 2019 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremony in New York on March 29, 2019. McVie, the soulful British musician who sang lead on many of Fleetwood Mac’s biggest hits, has died at 79. The band announced her death on social media Wednesday, (Photo by Evan Agostini/Invision/AP, File)