Entertainment
Harry Styles joins Stevie Nicks for surprise duet in tribute to Christine McVie at BST Hyde Park concert
Harry Styles surprised fans by joining Stevie Nicks on stage at a London concert Friday evening to commemorate the Fleetwood Mac singer’s former bandmate, Christine McVie.
The duo duetted on two of Nicks’ most popular songs, “Stop Draggin’ My Heart Around” and “Landslide,” to celebrate what would have been McVie’s 81st birthday.
“At the end of the show, since the end of last year and since Christine passed away, I would say something about her, and I asked Harry to do this with me and it’s a lot to ask someone to sing a heavy song about a best friend that died so suddenly and so sadly,” Nicks told the diligently listening crowd at BST Hyde Park.
“What I want to say to you is that Christine was Harry’s girl, she was my girl, she was your girl, and she loved all of you, and today would’ve been her birthday.”
Nicks, 76, held the 30-year-old pop singer’s hand as she spoke about McVie. He seemed emotional but kept his composure.
Styles wore a blue suit and an embroidered songbird pin, which paid homage to Fleetwood Mac’s “Songbird,” a track off their hit 1977 album “Rumours.” McVie sang the tune.
Ahead of the performance — for which the British heartthrob played guitar — Nicks also told fans they have helped her cope with the sudden death of McVie by allowing her to perform.
“One thing that my mom used to say to me when I was little was… When I was hurt, she’d go ‘Stevie when you’re hurt, you always run to the stage,’” the singer remembered. “And that’s what I’ve been doing since Chris passed away.”
McVie unexpectedly died in November 2022 at age 79.
Her death certificate was released the following April and revealed she suffered an ischemic stroke, which occurs when certain areas of the brain are subjected to restricted bloodflow.
Cancer was also found in her body but its origin remains unknown.
Following her death, Styles paid tribute to the iconic musician by playing “Songbird” during a December 2022 concert in Chile, which was part of his popular “Love on Tour” tour.
When he finished the ballad, he blew a kiss to the air and said, “Thank you, Christine.”
Nicks called McVie her “best friend in the whole world since the first day of 1975” in a hand-written note she shared online after the news of her death broke.
She expressed regret that she was unable to say goodbye to her pal in person and concluded her letter with lyrics by the band Haim.
“I had a best friend but she has come to pass / One I wish I could see now / You always remind me that memories will last / These arms reach out,” some of the lyrics read.