In Memoriam: Christine McVie, Irene Cara and more

Christine McVie Fleetwood Mac’s Christine McVie passed away November 30 at age 79. The British singer-songwriter and keyboardist Christine Perfect was a member of the group Chicken Shack in the late 1960s, married Fleetwood Mac’s bassist John McVie in 1968 and joined Fleetwood Mac in 1970, after releasing her self-titled debut solo album earlier that year. Beginning with Fleetwood Mac’s 1971 Future Games album, she was credited with her married name Christine McVie, and her songwriting contributions continued to grow with the group.

After Fleetwood Mac’s 1974 album Heroes are Hard to Find, Bob Welch left the group, and the following year fans heard the addition of Lindsay Buckingham and Stevie Nicks for the quintet’s self-titled No. 1 album including their U.S. Top 40 singles debut “Over My Head” written and sung by Christine McVie.

The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame band’s most successful album followed in 1977, Rumours, which included McVie’s highest charting single as a composer, “Don’t Stop” spending two weeks at No. 3 that year.

In 1984, McVie tied a record set by Ringo Starr in 1971 for a band having four of its members as solo acts in the U.S. singles Top 40 chart. Between 1969 and 1971 The Beatles became the first group to achieve that status. Beginning in 1977, Bob Welch, Stevie Nicks, Lindsay Buckingham and then Christine McVie accomplished that same milestone as members of Fleetwood Mac. McVie’s second solo album, simply titled Christine McVie, contained two Top 40 hits beginning with the Top 10 “Got a Hold on Me.” 

In 1997, for the twentieth anniversary of Rumours, the classic lineup of Fleetwood Mac reunited for the very successful live concert and album The Dance which included a half-dozen of McVie’s compositions.

As a member of Fleetwood Mac and as a solo performer, McVie’s compositions reached the U.S. Top 40 a dozen times between 1975 and 1990 with songs highlighted above and “Say You Love Me,” “You Make Loving Fun,” “Think About Me,” “Hold Me,” “Love in Store,” “Love Will Show Us How,” “Little Lies,” and “Save Me.” In 2017, for the fortieth anniversary of Rumours, McVie teamed up with a fellow Fleetwood Mac member for the album Lindsay Buckingham Christine McVie. 

In 2022, McVie released her final solo album Songbird, which concluded with an orchestrated version of the tender title song first heard on Rumours 45 years prior.

Irene Cara Singer-songwriter and actress Irene Cara passed away November 25 at age 63. Cara first gained recognition portraying the character Coco in the musical film Fame. Her exciting delivery of the title song, written by Michael Gore and Dean Pitchford, reached No. 4 in 1980 and received a best song Oscar Award and she won Grammy Awards for best new artist and best female pop artist.

Cara’s second Top 40 single was also from the film Fame, the tender ballad “Out Here on My Own,” co-written by Michael Gore and his older sister, pop singer Lesley Gore. The A side had full orchestration and the flip side was the piano and vocal rendition from the soundtrack, even further showcasing the emotion heard in Cara’s voice.

In late 1981, the ballad “Anyone Can See,” which Cara co-wrote with Bruce Roberts, just missed reaching the Top 40, stalling at No. 42. In 1983, not only did Cara return to the Top 40, but went all the way to the top with the No. 1 single “Flashdance…What a Feeling” from the film Flashdance, a song she co-wrote with music producer Giorgio Moroder and Keith Forsey. The gold single won multiple awards including a Grammy for pop female vocal. The multi-platinum selling soundtrack spent six weeks at No. 1, included “Maniac” by Michael Sembello and songs by Laura Branigan, Donna Summer, Kim Carnes and Joe Esposito who told Goldmine, “I was in Irene’s company during the recording of ‘Flashdance…What a Feeling.’ She was a very talented artist and very down to earth. I enjoyed being in her company. I also remember the Academy Awards when ‘Flashdance…What a Feeling’ won the Academy Award. She was so excited. I was so sorry to hear of her passing. Her music will live forever.” 

Cara continued in the Top 40 over the next year with three more dance records, “Why Me?,” “The Dream (Hold On to Your Dream)” from the movie D.C. Cab which she co-starred in with Mr. T, and “Breakdance,” her third Top 10 hit. Her final Top 100 charting single happened in the summer of 1984 with the beautiful ballad she co-wrote with Eddie Brown “You Were Made for Me.” The single was a Top 10 adult contemporary chart hit.

In addition to recordings and films, Cara also performed on stage in musicals including portraying Mary Magdalene in Jesus Christ Superstar. At the time of her death, she was working on new music which is planned for a 2023 release.

Dan McCafferty Nazareth’s founding vocalist Dan McCafferty passed away November 8 at age 76. McCafferty is the second member of Nazareth to pass away this year, following guitarist Manny Charlton’s passing in July. McCafferty was a member of Nazareth from 1968 through 2013, when he left the group for health reasons. In the early 1970s, Nazareth was heard on FM radio with their songs “Razamanaz” and “This Flight Tonight.” In 1975, the Scottish band achieved their U.S. Top 40 debut with Cafferty’s emotional delivery of The Everly Brothers’ 1960 album cut “Love Hurts.” Nazareth’s cover became a gold single and reached No. 8 in the U.S. and No. 1 in five countries. The flip side of Nazareth’s “Love Hurts” was the guitar driven title song from their Hair of the Dog album which achieved extensive FM radio airplay.

Goldmine Top 20 howling Dan McCafferty performances

Jeff Cook Guitarist, keyboardist and fiddler Jeff Cook of the country quartet Alabama passed away November 7 at age 73. Alabama have reached No. 1 on the country chart over thirty times, beginning with “Tennessee River” in 1980. 

Garry Roberts The Boomtown Rats’ guitarist Garry Roberts passed away November 8 at age 72. The Irish band, led by Bob Geldof, is best known for their single “I Don’t Like Mondays.”

Tyrone Downie Keyboardist Tyrone Downie of Bob Marley & the Wailers passed away November 5 at age 66. Downie joined the reggae group in 1974 and stayed with them until Marley’s passing in 1981. 

Danny Kalb The Blues Project’s guitarist Danny Kalb passed away November 19 at age 80. The New York City’s 1960s lineup also included Steve Katz on guitar and Al Kooper on organ, who went on to form Blood, Sweat & Tears. The group’s single “No Time Like the Right Time” spent two weeks in the Top 100 in 1967.

Wilko Johnson Guitarist Wilko Johnson passed away November 21 at age 75. After his time in the 1970s with the British band Dr. Feelgood, he joined Ian Dury & the Blockheads for the 1980 album Laughter. For years he focused on The Wilko Johnson Band with several albums in the 1980s and beyond. In 2014, he recorded the album Going Back Home with Roger Daltrey who said, “More than anything Wilko wanted to be a poet. I was lucky to have known him and have him as a friend.”

Nik Turner Saxophonist, flautist and vocalist Nik Turner of Hawkwind passed away November 10 at age 82. Turner was with the British group for their first seven albums. Their song “Silver Machine” reached No. 3 in England sung by bassist Lemmy Kilmister who went on to form Motorhead.

Aaron Carter Singer and rapper Aaron Carter passed away November 5 at age 34. The title song from his 2000 multi-platinum album Aaron’s Party (Come Get It) was his sole U.S. Top 40 hit single. Aaron Carter was the younger brother of Backstreet Boys’ Nick Carter.

Charles Koppelman Music executive Charles Koppelman passed away November 25 at age 82. In the 1960s, he ran Don Kirshner’s Aldon Music, which merged with Screen Gems/Columbia Music and produced hits for The Monkees and others. In 1971, he joined CBS’ music division and he worked closely with Billy Joel, Dave Mason, Janis Ian and Journey. Koppelman then co-founded SBK Entertainment which began as a publishing company, playing a key role in the careers of Tracy Chapman and New Kids on the Block. By the end of the 1980s, SBK Records was formed and achieved major hits by Wilson Phillips as the 1990s began.

Joseph Tarsia Recording engineer Joseph Tarsia passed away November 1 at age 88. Tarsia’s Sigma Sound Studios was known for creating “The Sound of Philadelphia” in the 1970s and 1980 with groups recording there including Harold Melvin & The Blue Notes, The O’Jays, The Three Degrees and many more.