Christine McVie estate sells her rights to Fleetwood Mac music

By Laura Harding, PA Deputy Entertainment Editor

The estate of late Fleetwood Mac star Christine McVie has sold the rights to her music to an acquisition firm.

The sale, to assessment management company HarbourView Equity Partners, includes shares in Fleetwood Mac hits, which include Go Your Own Way, Landslide, The Chain and Dreams.

McVie died of an ischemic stroke in November 2022 at the age of 79.

The rights to her music were sold by her estate for an undisclosed sum in the latest in a string of high-profile sales, as musicians cash in on the lucrative rights to their back catalogues.

The Ivor Novello Awards – London
Christine McVie in 2013 (Ian West/PA) Photo by Ian West

Bruce Springsteen sold the rights to his extensive back catalogue to Sony Music Group in December last year in a deal reportedly worth $500 million (€475 million), making it one of the biggest single-artist catalogue deals to date.

McVie’s bandmate Mick Fleetwood sold his interests in his band’s recordings in 2021 to Germany-based BMG, one of the largest global music publishers.

The deal included royalty interests in more than 300 songs including Fleetwood Mac’s biggest hits, and covered his interests in all of the band’s recorded work apart from their first two albums.

British-American rock band Fleetwood Mac were founded in London in 1967 and went on to become one of the most successful groups ever.

McVie was a later addition to the line-up and performed alongside Fleetwood, Stevie Nicks, Lindsey Buckingham, and her husband John McVie.

Harbourview chief executive Sherrese Clarke Soares said: “Christine’s remarkable talents played an integral role in shaping Fleetwood Mac’s sound.

 

“The band’s timeless music and worldwide influence continues to captivate all generations of listeners today.

“We are honoured to uphold that legacy as we welcome Christine’s lifetime of work with the band into HarbourView.

“Christine is a decorated and iconic legend in the history of rock ‘n’ roll. She is a global treasure. We hold her works with pride.”

In 1970, McVie released her first solo album, Christine Perfect, after her maiden name, following it up 14 years later with the self-titled Christine McVie, and In The Meantime in 2004.

In June last year she released another album titled Songbird, a collection of songs drawn from two of her previous solo albums.

McVie left Fleetwood Mac in 1998 after almost three decades but rejoined in 2014 when a one-off appearance at the O2 reignited her love of performing.

She was among the eight members of the band who were inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 1998.