John McVie
b. 26 November 1945, London, England. Having served his musical apprenticeship in an amateur group inspired by the Shadows, bassist McVie joined John Mayall's Bluesbreakers in 1963. Barring interludes during which he was suspended for over-indulging in alcohol—Mayall was a notorious teetotaller—this excellent musician provided the backbone to one of the era's most influential acts. He appeared on releases such as JOHN MAYALL'S BLUEBREAKERS WITH ERIC CLAPTON (1966), A HARD ROAD (1967) and CRUSADE (1967), and despite repeated overtures, initially preferred to remain in the group rather than join ex-members Peter Green and Mick Fleetwood in Fleetwood Mac. However, the temptation became too strong to resist and, in September 1967, he joined the new venture. Despite the interminable changes which have afflicted this band, the bassist is still an integral part of its line-up. This position has been maintained despite considerable personal difficulties, in particular his battle against alcoholism and his divorce from Christine McVie, who was added to the line-up in 1970. The latter chronicled their marital problems on RUMOURS (1977). John McVie has yet to record as a solo act and has deferred a compositional role within the group. However, his interest in penguins inspired the title of their 1973 release and a recurrent motif which has appeared on each subsequent album.