Fleetwood Mac, whose name was inspired by the surnames of its founders - bassist John McVie and drummer Mick Fleetwood - formed in 1967 but had many members come and go over the years.
"We would like everyone to keep Christine in their hearts and remember the life of an incredible human being, and revered musician who was loved universally," the statement said.
Fleetwood Mac, in a separate statement, said that there were "no words" to describe the band's sadness at McVie's passing.
Members of Fleetwood Mac including Mick Fleetwood and Stevie Nicks posted the statement on social media as well as their own tributes.
Born Christine Perfect in northwest England on July 12, 1943, McVie started making music while in art school and was playing with a band called Chicken Shack before joining Fleetwood Mac in 1970 and marrying its bassist, John McVie.
It was two of her songs, Over My Head and Say You Love Me, that first saw the band, which started as a blues outfit, getting featured on radio stations in the United States.
The band relocated to California and soon made key additions in 1975, bringing in Americans Lindsey Buckingham and Nicks and turning it into an Anglo-American pop juggernaut.
Their 1977 album Rumours, recorded as John and Christine McVie were divorcing, sold more than 40 million copies and became one of the best-selling albums of all time.
Rumours, which featured vocals from both Christine McVie and Stevie Nicks, included such hits as Don't Stop (Thinking About Tomorrow) , Go Your Own Way, The Chain, You Make Loving Fun and Gold Dust Woman, and was a fixture on the charts for 134 weeks, spending 31 weeks at No 1.
In a statement posted on Twitter, Fleetwood Mac said she was "truly one-of-a-kind, special and talented beyond measure".
"She was the best musician anyone could have in their band and the best friend anyone could have in their life. We were so lucky to have a life with her. She will be so very missed."
Eight of her songs appeared on the band’s 1988 Greatest Hits album.
That year, McVie was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as a member of Fleetwood Mac.
Neil Finn pays tribute
Christine McVie left Fleetwood Mac in 1998 and largely stayed out of the public eye. However, she rejoined the band for world tours that included New Zealand concerts in Auckland and Dunedin in 2015 and 2019.
Kiwi singer-songwriter Neil Finn joined Fleetwood Mac in 2018 and toured with the band during their An Evening with Fleetwood Mac tour from October that year to November 2019.
Today he paid tribute to McVie, a “warm and wonderful friend”.
Taking to Instagram, the star posted a photo of McVie playing on an electronic keyboard and expressed his upset at the “very sad day”.
- Reuters and NZ Herald
