FLEETWOOD Mac star Christine McVie has opened up on nearly drowning while growing up in a Furness village.

The singer and keyboard player, who was behind a number of the band's biggest hits, was born in Greenodd.

In an interview coinciding with the release of a new solo album, she revealed details of her early childhood in Cumbria.

The musician lived in the village near Ulverston for the first years of her life before moving away.

The 78-year-old praised Cumbria as 'a beautiful part of the world'.

She also described an incident in which she nearly drowned after falling in a river.

She told a national newspaper: "I was born in Greenodd and we lived there for three or four years before moving to Birmingham, where my father was a music teacher.

"Cumbria is a beautiful part of the world and we had a good time, but my distinct memory is of nearly drowning.

"I slipped in the mud and fell in the river, and they had to get me out using a fishing net."

She opened up about her upbringing in response to a question about whether she still considers herself Cumbrian or whether growing up in Greenodd was a 'distant memory'.

Born Christine Perfect, she married Fleetwood Mac bass player John McVie and joined the band in 1970.

Her new album Songbird, a compilation of her music, is due to be released later this month.

A description of the album said: "Christine McVie was not only the songwriter and vocalist for many of Fleetwood Mac’s biggest hits ('Don’t Stop',' 'Everywhere', and 'Little Lies'), but she also released some stunning solo albums during her Rock and Roll Hall of Fame career. 

"The collection features songs remastered by legendary producer Glyn Johns, who worked closely with McVie on the project. 

"Songbird includes a selection of songs from two of her solo albums – 1984’s Christine McVie and 2004’s In The Meantime – plus two previously unreleased studio recordings, including 'Slowdown', which was originally written for the 1985 film American Flyers."