Джон МакВи: Басист Fleetwood Mac и John Mayall & the Bluesbreakers

British bass guitarist (born 1945)

John Graham McVie (born 26 November 1945) is a British bass guitarist. He is best known as a member of the rock bands John Mayall & the Bluesbreakers from 1964 to 1967 and Fleetwood Mac since 1967. His surname, combined with that of drummer Mick Fleetwood, was the source for the band's name. He joined Fleetwood Mac shortly after its formation by guitarist Peter Green in 1967, replacing temporary bass guitarist Bob Brunning. McVie and Fleetwood are the only two members of the group to appear on every Fleetwood Mac release, and for over fifty years have been the group's last remaining original (or almost original in McVie's case) members. In 1968, McVie married blues pianist and singer Christine Perfect, who became a member of Fleetwood Mac two years later. John and Christine McVie divorced in 1976, but continued working together professionally. During this time the band recorded the album Rumours, a major artistic and commercial success that borrowed its title from the turmoil in McVie's and other band members' marriages and relationships. McVie was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1998 as a member of Fleetwood Mac.

John Graham McVie was born in Ealing, west London, to Reg and Dorothy McVie and attended Walpole Grammar School. He says that he did have a sister, but she died when she was very young. John McVie started playing the trumpet at an early age then, at age 14, he began playing the guitar in local bands, covering songs by The Shadows. He soon realised that his friends were learning lead guitar so he decided to play the bass guitar instead. Initially he just removed the top two (B and E) strings from his guitar to play the bass parts until his father bought him a pink Fender bass guitar,

McVie's first experience making music with a group of like minds was in the back room of a house in Lammas Park Road, Ealing, with his long term friends John Barnes and Peter Barnes who later went on to form a group called The Strangers performing Shadows covers. 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 Shadows. McVie is listed at number 37 on Rolling Stone list of 50 greatest bassists.

Around the time of McVie's tenure as a tax inspector, John Mayall began forming a Chicago style blues band, John Mayall and the Bluesbreakers. Initially Mayall wanted to recruit bass player Cliff Barton of the Cyril Davies All Stars for the rhythm section of his new band. Barton declined, however, but gave him McVie's phone number, urging Mayall to give the talented young bass player a chance in the Bluesbreakers. Under Mayall's tutelage, McVie, not having had any formal training in music, learned to play the blues mainly by listening to B. B. King and Willie Dixon records given to him by Mayall. McVie was the band's bassist for four and a half years. During that time he was fired and re hired several times. One of his temporary replacements was Jack Bruce. Later the same year, after having been replaced by Mick Taylor in the Bluesbreakers, Green opted to form his own band, which he called "Fleetwood Mac" after his preferred rhythm section (Fleetwood and McVie). Mick Fleetwood immediately joined Green's new band, having been dismissed earlier from the Bluesbreakers for drunkenness. However, McVie initially was reluctant to join Fleetwood Mac, not wanting to leave the security and well paid job in the Bluesbreakers, forcing Green to temporarily hire a bassist named Bob Brunning. A few weeks later McVie changed his mind, however, as he felt that The Bluesbreakers musical direction were shifting too much towards jazz, and he joined Fleetwood Mac in September 1967.

With McVie now in Fleetwood Mac, the band recorded its first album, 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. However, following the departure of Peter Green from Fleetwood Mac in 1970, McVie successfully persuaded Christine to join him in Fleetwood Mac.

After 1970, 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 his 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. In 1975, Fleetwood Mac achieved enormous worldwide success after recruiting American singer songwriter duo Stevie Nicks and Lindsey Buckingham. However, on the heels of the band's success followed serious marital problems for the McVies, and in 1976, during the recording of Rumours, John and Christine McVie's marriage unravelled and the couple divorced the same year. As a way to put behind the hurt and final dissolution, several of Christine's songs on this album were about John McVie, particularly "Don't Stop". John McVie remarried in 1978 to Julie Ann Reubens, but still continued to drink heavily. In 1981, McVie agreed to go on the road with the Bluesbreakers again for their reunion tour with John Mayall, Mick Taylor, and Colin Allen. During 1982 the band toured America, Asia and Australia (John McVie did not take part in the European Tour in 1983 and was replaced by Steve Thompson). An alcohol induced seizure in 1987 finally prompted McVie to stop drinking altogether and he has been sober ever since. In 1989, McVie's wife Julie Ann gave birth to their first child, a daughter, Molly Elizabeth McVie. In his spare time, McVie is a sailing enthusiast, and he nearly got lost at least once on a Pacific voyage. He continued to play with the band during their 2014 On With The Show tour following an improvement in his condition. In 2017, it was reported that McVie's colon cancer was completely cleared.

YearAlbumUSUKAdditional information1968Fleetwood Mac1984Plays bass on all tracks except "Long Grey Mare"1968Mr. Wonderful 10 1969Then Play On1926credited for the instrumental "Searching For Madge"1970Kiln House6939co wrote "Station Man" and "Jewel Eyed Judy"1971Future Games91 1972Bare Trees70 The cover photo was taken by McVie1973Penguin49 Plays bass on all tracks except "Revelation" and "The Derelict"1973Mystery to Me68 co wrote "Forever"1974Heroes Are Hard to Find34 1975Fleetwood Mac123Appears on album cover with Mick Fleetwood1977Rumours11Co Wrote "The Chain"1979Tusk41 –1980Live1431 1982Mirage15Backing vocals on Gypsy B Side "Cool Water"1987Tango in the Night 71 1988Greatest Hits143 1990Behind the Mask181 1995Time 47 1997The Dance115featured on background vocals on "Say You Love Me"2003Say You Will36

YearAlbumU. S. Billboard 200UK Albums ChartAdditional information2017Lindsey Buckingham/Christine McVie175

Year SongNetherlands Singles ChartU. S. Mainstream Rock 1969 "Searching For Madge" (John McVie) 1970 (1985) "On We Jam" (McVie, Jeremy Spencer, Danny Kirwan, Peter Green, Mick Fleetwood) 1970 "Station Man" (McVie, Spencer, Kirwan) 1970 "Jewel Eyed Judy" (McVie, Fleetwood, Kirwan) 1971 "The Purple Dancer" (McVie, Kirwan, Fleetwood) 1971 "What A Shame" (McVie, Fleetwood, Kirwan, Christine McVie, Bob Welch) 1973 "Forever" (McVie, Bob Weston, Welch) 1975 (2004) "Jam No.2" (McVie, Fleetwood, C. McVie, Lindsey Buckingham) 1977 "The Chain" (McVie, Fleetwood, Buckingham, Stevie Nicks, C. McVie) 30 1977 (2004) "For Duster (The Blues)" (McVie, Fleetwood, Buckingham, C. McVie) 1995 "Winds of Change" (McVie, Fleetwood, Kit Hain)