The Fleetwoods
| Company type | Vocal ensemble |
|---|---|
| Industry | Music |
| Founded | 1958 in Olympia, Washington, United States |
| Founder | Gary Troxel, Gretchen Christopher, Barbara Ellis |
| Headquarters | Olympia , United States |
Area served | United States |
Key people | Gary Troxel, Gretchen Christopher, Barbara Ellis |
| Products | Vocal music recordings and performances |
The Fleetwoods were a vocal ensemble originating from Olympia, Washington, consisting of Gary Troxel (born November 28, 1939), Gretchen Christopher (born February 29, 1940), and Barbara Ellis (born February 20, 1940). In 1959, they achieved the top position on the Billboard Hot 100 twice with their hits "Come Softly to Me" and "Mr. Blue".
Early history
The trio first connected during their high school years in Olympia. Initially formed as a duo with Gretchen Christopher and Barbara Ellis, Gary Troxel later joined, initially contributing jazz trumpet before transitioning to vocal duties. They began performing in 1958 under the name "Two Girls and a Guy," eventually adopting the name The Fleetwoods, inspired by the local Fleetwood telephone exchange.
In 1959, Bob Reisdorff, the producer and founder of Dolton Records, signed them. Their debut single, "Come Softly to Me," which they wrote themselves, climbed to No. 1 on the Billboard charts and was covered by numerous artists. Remarkably, Christopher stands as the only songwriter born on leap day to have penned a number-one hit. The track also reached the UK top five, surpassing versions by Frankie Vaughan and the Kaye Sisters. Subsequent releases included "Graduation's Here," co-written by Ellis and Christopher with Troxel contributing a scat segment, and "Mr. Blue," which also secured the top spot on the US pop charts.
Throughout the early '60s, The Fleetwoods continued recording and scored a Top 10 hit in 1961 with their rendition of Thomas Wayne's "Tragedy." In total, they achieved eleven entries on the Hot 100 chart. However, Troxel's enlistment in the United States Navy during the early 1960s combined with the rise of the British Invasion altered popular music tastes away from their sound. Their last charting single was 1963's "Goodnight My Love," featuring Ellis as lead vocalist. While Troxel served in the Navy, Vic Dana substituted for live shows before embarking on his own successful solo career.
Later years
By the late 1970s, Troxel was employed at a plywood factory in Washington; Ellis was managing a trailer park in California, and Christopher balanced life as a homemaker while teaching modern jazz dance at St. Martin's College and Evergreen State College. Ellis has since retired from performing. In 1983, Troxel departed from The Fleetwoods, leaving Christopher as manager with exclusive authority to contract for both original and replacement lineups. During the 1980s, Troxel established a new Fleetwoods group that regularly appeared at "oldies" concerts and featured on PBS’s Doo Wop, Pop and Soul Generations (My Music).
Christopher trained subsequent Fleetwoods ensembles while continuing her solo work under "Gretchen Christopher of the Fleetwoods." Both she and Troxel remain active performers who occasionally release new material. A fresh version of "Graduation's Here" by The Fleetwoods appeared on Christopher’s 2007 solo album Gretchen's Sweet Sixteen (Suite 16), which was recognized by Billboard critics among the Best Albums of the Year. This album also includes their acclaimed arrangement of "Come Softly To Me" along with an a cappella rendition featuring Christopher performing all vocal parts.
Following their induction into the Northwest Area Music Association Hall of Fame in 1988 and into the Olympia High School Alumni Association Hall of Fame in 2005, The Fleetwoods were honored in 2006 by induction into both the Vocal Group Hall of Fame and the Doo-Wop Hall of Fame of America.
The release of Gretchen's Sweet Sixteen (Suite 16) in November 2007 coincided with its launch at Las Vegas’s second Annual Cool Bobby B Doo Wop Convention and Grand Finale Concert, headlined by 'The Fleetwoods starring Gretchen Christopher.' One year later, all three original members were inducted into the Vocal Group Hall of Fame; only Christopher attended and performed live, dedicating songs to her absent bandmates while Troxel remained with his wife during her breast cancer treatment.
In 2000, Troxel and his wife Jenifer were involved in Troxel v. Granville, a landmark grandparents' rights case decided by the Supreme Court of the United States. The ruling established that non-parents seeking visitation or custody must demonstrate that parental decisions are not aligned with the child's best interests.
During 2008 and 2009, Christopher provided testimony before the Washington State Senate advocating for the Truth in Music Advertising Bill. This legislation passed unanimously and was signed into law by Governor Chris Gregoire. It prohibits groups from using a recording group's name unless at least one original member authorized to do so is present; authorization rights rest solely with Christopher according to contractual agreements.
To date, The Fleetwoods hold distinction as the earliest vocal group to have a No. 1 hit on the Billboard Hot 100 with all original members still living.
Studio albums
- Mr. Blue (1959)
- The Fleetwoods (1960)
- Softly (1961)
- Deep in a Dream (1961)
- The Best Goodies of the Oldies (1961)
- For Lovers by Night (1963)
- Goodnight My Love (1963)
- Before and After (1964)
- Folk Rock (1965)
Compilation albums
- The Fleetwoods' Greatest Hits (1962)
- In a Mellow Mood (1966)
- The Very Best of the Fleetwoods (1974)
- Buried Treasure (1983)
- Come Softly to Me: The Very Best of the Fleetwoods (1993)
Singles
| A-Side | B-Side Except where noted, from the same album as A-side |
Year | Label + Catalog No. | Chart rankings | Album | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| US Hot 100 | US R&B | CAN | UK | |||||
| "Come Softly to Me" | "I Care So Much" | 1959 | Dolphin 1 Liberty 55188 |
1 | 5 | 1 | 6 | Mr. Blue |
| "Graduation's Here" | "Oh Lord Let It Be" (from Mr. Blue) | Dolton 3 | 39 | — | 38 | — | The Fleetwoods' Greatest Hits | |
| "Mr. Blue" | Dolton 5 | 1 | 3 | 1 | — | Mr. Blue | ||
| "You Mean Everything to Me" | 84 | — | — | — | ||||
| "Outside My Window" | "Magic Star" (from Goodnight My Love) | 1960 | Dolton 15 | 28 | — | — | — | The Fleetwoods: Gretchen, Gary and Barbara |
| "Runaround" | "Truly Do" | Dolton 22 | 23 | — | 25 | — | ||
| "The Last One to Know" | "Dormilona" | Dolton 27 | 96 | — | — | — | Softly | |
| "Confidential" | "I Love You So" (from Softly) | Dolton 30 | Mr. Blue | |||||