THE FLEETWOODS FOUNDER GRETCHEN CHRISTOPHER BIO

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When she reprised her autobiographical show "Come Softly To Me,  Gretchen Christopher" at Hollywood's Cinegrill in '93 and '94, the Music & Performing Arts Angels presented to her, for lifetime achievement, the Angel Victory Award, naming Gretchen Christopher "Inspirational star, singer, composer, artist, dancer, choreographer." The latest in a distinguished line of honorees, from Sammy Davis Jr. in 1979 to Debbie Reynolds in 1993. 

Making her life and living in the arts, Gretchen danced, choreographed, and sang solo on television at age 17, founded The Fleetwoods at age 18, sang lead on more than 20 of their recordings, and wrote 11 of them. 

She's performed and led the vocal arranging on 15 albums, including 11 nationally charted hits ("MR. BLUE",  "TRAGEDY",  "GOODNIGHT MY LOVE", and  "(He's) THE GREAT IMPOSTER",  to name a few), spending a total of 110 weeks on Billboard's Hot 100.

In 1988, delighting the audience by wearing the same gown she'd worn 28 years earlier when Dick Clark presented her with her first gold records, dancer trim, blonde and blue-eyed Gretchen accepted another Gold Record as The Fleetwoods were inducted into the NW MUSIC HALL OF FAME

Kicking off the '90's CD, THE BEST OF THE FLEETWOODS, Gretchen reprised the classics in her concert by the same name.  She then introduced one of her new  up-tempo tunes and wowed the audience with her dancing and an energy only hinted at in the trio's recordings. Result: Two encores, a standing ovation, and an invitation to headline, with her own songs, the Bob Hope USO Show for the "Chosin Few" (2000+)  at the Tropicana in Las Vegas (for survivors of the Battle of the Chosin Reservoir).

Solo, Gretchen has performed her new music and world-renowned hits in London,  Manchester, Paris, Moscow, Helsinki, Brussels, Edinburgh, and from Mexico City to the Worlds Fair in Vancouver, British Columbia. She's sung and danced across Europe and was featured in "Celebrity Corner" on the HAL Scandinavian Symphony Cruise  and First Caribbean Cruise of the New Millennium.

Gretchen Christopher  A resident of her birthplace, Olympia, Washington, "the hippest town in the West" (TIME Magazine, re: Ladyfest), Gretchen Christopher is featured in the documentary film "Go With The Flow".  She paved the way for many artists.  Her trio, The Fleetwoods, were the first Northwest label artists to achieve national #1 Hits and earn Gold Records for millions of sales (now equivalent to Platinum). 

Gretchen's classes in Jazz Dance were part of the nucleus around which The Evergreen State College (TESC) formed its Leisure Education Program, to which she added Disco, A Cappella Doo-Wop Singing, Ballet, and Swing, during her three decades of teaching while performing.  From the mid-Seventies, on into the new millennium, Gretchen and her dancers provided the first and continuing entertainment for TESC Super Saturday, the biggest 1-day festival in Washington. In 1978, appointed to St. Martins College Adjunct Faculty as Sr. Lecturer 1 in the Discipline of Fine Arts (equivalent to Ph.D.) Christopher introduced Jazz Dance into the curriculum and numbered monks among her students. 

In 2000, acknowledged for a lifetime of achievements, Gretchen Christopher and Washington Governor Albert Rosellini were among those honored as "Voices of Washington."Gretchen Christopher continues to be a woman of many "firsts", bridging two centuries.  In Seattle, she performed  for the June 25, 2000, Grand Opening Concert of the Experience Music Project (EMP), which is  exhibiting her first Fleetwoods tour costume and Gold Records, the first earned by a  Northwest artist. 

Her performances of Jazz, Gospel, and Fleetwoods hits followed, in July, at (Ventures Guitarist) Nokie's First Northwest Music Celebration, In August, Gretchen Christopher and the Coasters opened Issaquah's First Full Scale Music Festival, and in November, Gretchen served as Panelist for the first ROCKRGRL Music Convention 2000.  

Always a trouper, the Original Voice of The Fleetwoods, Gretchen Christopher did appear at the Skagit Valley Casino's new Pacific Showroom, despite its being the day after the 6.8 Nisqually Earthquake, February 28, 2001 (bringing to mind her inspirational performances at Hollywood's Cinegrill, after the devastating Northridge Quake). 

Following the  9/11 terrorist attacks on America, Gretchen rededicated her October 13, 2001, booking into a two-hour solo concert of original music, "Come Softly To Me for Peace on Earth", 100% of the proceeds going to benefit survivors of the 9/11 tragedies. Gretchen continues to compose original music and lyrics which, in solo concerts, have brought standing ovations.   

A Leap Year Day Baby, born February 29th, to musical parents, Helen and Ian Christopher, in Olympia, Washington, Gretchen Diane Christopher committed her life to the arts before her fifth birthday. She wrote a high school paper entitled "Give Me Professional Entertainment!" and made her professional debut singing solo, choreographing, and dancing for television. 

A few months later, Gretchen composed "Come Softly" at the piano at Olympia High School. For the Senior Class Talent Assembly, she sang and combined it in counterpoint with the street corner humming and harmony of two classmates, creating what would become the magic of  "Come Softly To Me" and the trio "The Fleetwoods."

Gretchen recorded the song and the trio at home and took the tape to Seattle Record Promoter Bob Reisdorff. He listened, said, "It'll sell a million!" and formed Dolphin (soon changed to Dolton) Records. "Come Softly To Me" became the #1 Record, Best Selling Sheet Music in the U.S. and Britain, a worldwide hit, and the first Gold Record (million-seller) produced on a Northwest label.  Co-written by former-fellow-cheerleaders Gretchen and Barbara for their Senior Class Party, "Graduation's Here," was the second Top 40 Hit (#1 Hit "Come Softly To Me" being the first) on which Gretchen sang lead, with Barbara adding kid-glove harmony, and Gary a doo-wop scat back-up.

When not singing melody, Gretchen led the vocal arranging, harmonizing, and creating the dynamic fills and answer lines that earmarked the "Fleetwoods Sound" -- with the third member following her in close harmony. Such was the case with their third release, "Mr. Blue", which also turned to Gold.

The Fleetwoods became the only group in the world to have two #1 Hits top Billboard in 1959. According to Jerry Osborne's Ask Mr. Music column (6/12/06), "From 1940 through 1969, The Fleetwoods are the only mixed-gender trio to have more than one No 1 hit."

After eleven hit singles on Billboards Hot 100, including nine Top 40, three Top Ten and two Number One Hits, The Fleetwoods chose retirement, and Gretchen continued to write and perform, keeping The Fleetwoods name and music alive. Following the success of her solo concerts, in 1982 the other group members asked Gretchen to reorganize The Fleetwoods and train a replacement for Barbara Ellis, the female member who retired. 

Gretchen Christopher was contracted to serve as Manager, with "the sole authority to bind the Original and Replacement Fleetwoods by contract for any performance commitment as manager deems appropriate to carry out the business of The Fleetwoods."

Serving as choreographer, scriptwriter, graphic designer, publicist, and P.R. person, Gretchen expanded the trio's performance repertoire, from just the usually-requested top three songs to a fully choreographed 20-song, one-hour show, complete with dialogue and costume changes. As Manager, she negotiated bookings for the group, from Southern Cal Expo at Del Mar to Madison Square Garden in New York, from Americana Lake Geneva to the Tropicana in Las Vegas, resulting in the most active period of performing since The Fleetwoods first hit.

Near the end of 1983, Gary Troxel, the male member of the group gave his written resignation and relinquished his right to perform as The Fleetwoods. Gretchen Christopher became the only remaining Original still performing. The sole authority to contract for and carry out the business of the Fleetwoods, Gretchen auditioned and trained Replacements on both coasts, and continued to keep the name and music alive, interspersing group bookings between solo performances, as she does to this day.

THE FLEETWOODS starring GRETCHEN CHRISTOPHER headlined in Las Vegas, November 2007, kicking off the release of GRETCHEN'S SWEET SIXTEEN (SUITE 16), her autobiographical concept album in which The Fleetwoods are included on one track.  Just a month later, they learned that GRETCHEN'S SWEET SIXTEEN (SUITE 16) is among the 2007 BILLBOARD CRITICS' PICKS for 10 BEST ALBUMS of the year!