Newer material is on the CD, GRETCHEN’S SWEET SIXTEEN (SUITE 16), one of the 2007 Billboard Critics’ Picks for 10 Best Albums of the Year, available at http://www.GoldCupMusic.com . I think a musician sincerely interested in preparing and auditioning will show their commitment by purchasing the album and learning it on their own. This will give them an advantage, musically, and also provide them with the 16 page booklet of liner notes that outline the story expressed by the songs – like the sound track of a musical – so they’ll have a greater understanding of the show we’ll be presenting.

I’ve told those who want to sing with The Fleetwoods and me, “Don’t do this because you think you’ll get rich and famous, because you probably won’t. Do it because you love the music, creating the harmonies, and truly enjoy learning and singing the songs. That way, if you’re not called upon to do a paid gig, you won’t resent it, because you’ll have enjoyed the process. If you do get called upon, you will be ready! This has led to fabulous opportunities:

One replacement made her Fleetwoods debut at the World’s Fair, Expo 86, when an original walked out, the week before the show. We made lemonade out of lemons, and twenty one years later she is still performing with me. A male replacement made his big time debut with us in a Las Vegas concert, headlined by ‘The Fleetwoods starring Gretchen Christopher.’ That was November 2007. He had been rehearsing with me, honing his skills with occasional smaller benefit gigs, and when Las Vegas came through, he was the heir apparent. I also provided an online link to his solo album on CDbaby.com from which he enjoyed some additional income and it introduced him to a whole new audience of Fleetwoods fans.

For my performance at the Vocal Group Hall of Fame 10th Anniversary Inductions Concert, November 2008, I was backed by two members of the already-inducted Modernaires, an opportunity they loved and I greatly appreciated, in the absence of my original Fleetwoods partners.

As teenagers, we had made our trio debut as Two Girls ‘n’ a Guy singing my original song, “Come Softly”, in counterpoint to a vocal background, a cappella, in a high school talent assembly. The students loved it and begged us to record it so they could buy it. We recorded our first hits, “Come Softly To Me”, “Graduation’s Here”, “Mr. Blue” and our entire first album, a cappella, with the producers later overdubbing just guitar and bass, and sometimes an additional instrument for sweetening .

For the first tour, we performed with our record or lip-synched, including our national TV appearances on The Dick Clark Show, in New York in April, and again in November when we became the first group in the world to have two #1 Records top the Billboard Hot 100 in a single year (1959). The Ed Sullivan Show had its own house band and, since then, for personal appearances, bands have been provided for us by the shows’ producers, from our early tours in the Fifties and Sixties to Las Vegas and Halls of Fame in the New Millennium.

Now, however, a year after the latest Billboard Critic’s honor, I’m interested in performing in support of the new album GRETCHEN’S SWEET SIXTEEN (SUITE 16) – 16 original songs, including the first two self-penned hits, “Come Softly to Me” and “Graduation’s Here”, and I would like to have individual musicians or a band present themselves, prepared to audition and perform with me in the Northwest, first, focusing on greater Seattle/Olympia/Portland areas, and then be available for opportunities such as those described above.

My ideal would be multi-talented instrumentalists (keyboard,guitar, bass, drums, sax, flute; doubling would be great) who can also sing mellow, blending harmony or even a lead, like “Mr. Blue”, if called upon to do so. They might even have the opportunity to be the opening act and professionally showcase themselves in a class environment, to an audience who appreciate memorable melodies, beautiful harmonies and meaningful lyrics.

If interested, take a listen to the sound clips at http://www.GretchenChristopher.com and http://www.TheFleetwoods.com – and get in touch through the “Contact Us” links there, or email bookings@TheFleetwoods.com.

Wishing you all the success you seek and with which we’ve been blessed. Good works in strange and wonderful ways. Let’s enjoy and create while we can! The pleasure we give others with our art creates a little piece of immortality for as long as it is remembered by those we’ve touched, for as long as those people live – and through others who are born and rediscover it.

Enjoy each rehearsal (it’s still making–music, just without an audience), make each performance your best, and be ready for the opportunities that arise!

Gretchen Christopher © 2009 Gold Cup Music (permission granted to Discmakers to reproduce on this site).

Thank you!