| John Mcvie |
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| 1945 births | |
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| english rock bass guitarists | |
| fleetwood mac members | |
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John Graham McVie (born November 26 , 1945 ) is a British Bass Guitar ist best known as a member of the rock group Fleetwood Mac . He joined Fleetwood Mac shortly after its formation by guitarist Peter Green in 1967, and, along with Mick Fleetwood , is the only original member still with the band. In 1968 he married blues Pianist and singer Christine Perfect , who became a member of Fleetwood Mac two years later. John and Christine McVie divorced, however, in 1977, about the time the band recorded the album '' Rumours '', a major artistic and commercial success, and which borrowed its title from the turmoils in McVie's and other band members' marriages and relationships. EARLY LIFE John Graham McVie was born on November 26th, 1945, in Ealing , West London , United Kingdom to Reg and Dorothy McVie and attended Walpole Grammar School. Aged 14, McVie began playing the guitar in local bands covering songs by The Shadows .1 However, he soon realized that all of his friends were learning to play lead guitar, so he decided to play the bass guitar instead. Initially, he just removed the top two (E and B) strings from his guitar to play the bass parts. When his parents became aware of his musical abilities, his father bought him a pink Fender bass guitar. Incidentally, this model was the same that The Shadow's bass player, and McVie's major early musical influence, Jet Harris , had played. Soon after leaving school at 17, John started training to be a Tax inspector, which also coincided with the start of his musical career. EARLY MUSIC John McVie’s first job as a bass player was in a band called the "Krewsaders", formed by boys living in the same street as McVie in Ealing, West London. The "Krewsaders" played mainly at weddings and parties covering songs from the " John Mayall Bluesbreakers Around the time of McVie’s tenure as a tax inspector, " Peter Green and Mick Fleetwood In 1967, a young FLEETWOOD MAC With McVie now in Fleetwood Mac , the band recorded its first album, the eponymous ''Fleetwood Mac'' in the following months. The album was released in February 1968, and became an immediate national hit, establishing Fleetwood Mac as a major part in the English Blues movement. Fleetwood Mac started playing live gigs in blues clubs and pubs throughout England, and became a household name in the national blues circuit. In the next three years, the band scored a string of hits in the UK and also enjoyed success in continental Europe. Christine Perfect While on tour, Fleetwood Mac would often share venues with fellow blues band However, following the departure of Peter Green from Fleetwood Mac in 1969, McVie successfully persuaded Christine McVie to join him in Fleetwood Mac. International success and personal life In the years to follow, Fleetwood Mac went through several different line-ups, which occasionally became the source of friction and unease within the band. In addition, frequent touring as well as John McVie’s heavy drinking began to put some strain on his marriage to Christine. In 1974, the McVies, along with the other members of Fleetwood Mac, moved to Los Angeles, where they lived briefly with John Mayall." Rolling Stone (06/07/1984), From British blues with Chicken Shack to soft rock with Fleetwood Mac ", ''Blue Letter Archives''. URL last accessed 2007-02-20 In 1975, Fleetwood Mac achieved enormous worldwide success after recruiting American singer-songwriter duo 2007 . John McVie remarried in 1978 to Julie Ann Reubens, but still continued to drink heavily. An alcohol-induced seizure in 1987 finally prompted him to kick the habit, and he has been sober ever since. In 1989, McVie’s wife gave birth to their first child, a daughter, Molly McVie. In his spare time, McVie is a sailing enthusiast, and he nearly got lost at least once on a Pacific voyage. A naturally reclusive man, his involvement with Fleetwood Mac has been constant but notably low-key, despite the fact that the band takes the 'Mac' part of its name from him. He received co-writer credits for a very small number of tracks throughout the band's existence, including "Station Man" and "The Chain". Compared with many bass players of the British music scene of the Sixties, such as John Entwistle , Jack Bruce , and Paul McCartney , John McVie’s contribution to rock music in general, and Fleetwood Mac in particular, has often been somewhat overlooked. His bass playing is characterized by a warm, full tone, slightly offset with Mick Fleetwood’s beat, and brief melodic and exquisitely phrased runs. His contributions provide an invaluable solid rhythmic-harmonic basis for all of Fleetwood Mac’s songs many of which, such as ‘’Don’t Stop’’ and ‘’Rhiannon’’ went on to become notable international hits. Thanks to his unique feel for melody and tempo, and his soulful phrasing, McVie's bass playing has left an indelible and profound mark on Fleetwood Mac's artistic legacy. DISCOGRAPHY With Fleetwood Mac With John Mayall's Bluesbreakers Solo Albums REFERENCES EXTERNAL LINKS |
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