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A Loving Tribute to Those Who Contributed to Our Music & Our Memories |
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born May 26, 1914, died April 27, 2009 |
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born January 16, 1934, died June 14, 2009 |
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born July
30, 1909, died Sept 19, 2008 There is so much to celebrate: That she lived to see the 2003 Salute to the Arts Award for her "numerous and outstanding contributions to the arts in the South Sound area", just a few of which were co-founding both the Olympia Little Theater and Olympia Junior Programs (acting in and directing musicals, dramas and children's theater - The latter now serving 30,000 school children per year); co-founding ASCM ("Ask'em" - Associates of the State Capital Museum); participating in Fine Arts Guild, Orthopedic Guild, Eenati, and in support of Olympia Symphony, in which her husband of 63 years, Ian Christopher (1900-1997) played flute and cello for 33 years. She played piano and sang, and they hosted chamber music, jam sessions and musical soirees in their home on Henderson Inlet, even as he supported her theater, cultural and civic activities. A gracious, relentless arts activist, Helen spearheaded, chaired and served numerous organizations, working with others to create a (Washington) center for the performing arts. Eldon Marshall, Supervisor of the City of Olympia
over 25 years, wrote in a personal note of congratulations to Helen,
"I just want to express my thanks for your leadership in achieving
the 'Performing Arts Center' for our community. If not for
your efforts and persistence I doubt that we would have it today,"
Chairman of the Auditorium Committee of the Sixties;
she was the only woman appointed to
the Mayor's Committee of the Sixties, and really
"Mother of the Auditorium", wrote Marshall. Ever an inspiration, at age 88, Helen wrote an autobiographical book, DOUBLE ENTRY, published 1997. Copies reside in libraries, including Whitman College, where she pledged KKG and, in 1931, earned her teaching credentials and Bachelor of Arts degree. DOUBLE ENTRY documents a family life, valuing love and service to community, from the time she was born, in Wilbur, WA. There, her ashes will be laid to rest with her twin brother, William Price Gray, Jr. (Editor of LIFE Magazine International Editions, upon his death in 1962), their mother, Della Wray Green Gray (a certified, fully accredited teacher from the age of fifteen) and father (former Wilbur Mayor and State Senator) W.P. Gray, Sr., who died within seven months of each other, in 1957, after 52 years of marriage. Helen wished that, in lieu of flowers, memorial contributions be made to the Washington Center for the Performing Arts, 512 Washington St. SE, Olympia, WA 98501. The family deeply appreciates the loving care by Hospice and caregivers, all of whom are welcome to speak at the Celebration of Helen's Life, 2:00 p.m., Saturday, October 4, 2008, at Panorama City Chapel, with reception following at 3:30 p.m., below, in the Coffee Bar across from the Auditorium, all in the Quinault, Lacey, WA. For printed program, "Celebration of A Life Well-Lived" - designed by Gretchen, performed by all - click here. For Photos & Journal of 2nd Celebration of Life on Helen's Hundredth, click here. |
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born March 8, 1922, died June 17, 2008
Cyd Charisse, my dance mentor and idol since the 1950s, made
her transition, Tuesday, June 17, 2008, at age 86, another
Pisces, born March 8, 1922 (or '21). The year doesn't
matter, for she was forever both elegant and youthful beyond
limitations of years, including the last 60, in marriage
with singer Tony Martin.
What a role model! When Cyd
Charisse was no longer making films, she and handsome
husband-singer Tony Martin toured, doing their night club
act together, he singing, she dancing. How I wish I could
have seen that!
I don't say Cyd Charisse died, because as long as I'm alive
and sharing dance with others (as I am now, twice a week), a
part of her is expressed. As a teenager, with a ballet
barre in my bedroom, and taking dance classes five days a
week, I would come home, lie on my back on the bed and
extend one leg overhead, toes pointed, the other
doing a
passé,
practicing to imitate those long beautiful legs, that
sultry, sophisticated vamp of jazz and ballet. Cyd Charisse.
She was IT. The epitome of all I wanted to be, in dance.
Of course, I had other talents, and they took me far beyond
the world of Dance, to Singing, Songwriting, Gold Records,
Radio and Television (and even Movie Sound Tracks). As The Fleetwoods, our music became known throughout the world,
especially our self-penned "Come
Softly To Me" - and "Mr. Blue",
our #1 Hits in 1959, still
the Golden Age of Hollywood musicals.
A string of nine Top 40 Hits,
kept us in the minds and memories of those who loved
our heartfelt arrangements,
smooth harmonies and counterpoint, expressing the sincerity
of the lyrics. When
I performed solo,
I would often include a dance.
Last year,
I received a letter
from businessman Bob Brakeman,
documenting that
the legendary dancer/choreographer
Gene Kelly (one of Ms. Charisse's finest partners, her other
being the legendary
Fred Astaire) was a personal acquaintance
of Mr. Brakeman, who said
that Gene Kelly was a fan of The Fleetwoods!
He regretted that we
had not been introduced, as they had discussed; for I'm told
Mr. Kelly and I surely
would have been friends, with much to talk about.
According to Mr. Brakeman,
Gene
Kelly loved our music and ordered his assistant to buy every Fleetwoods
record he could find. And I
certainly loved
Gene Kelly's dancing
and choreography. Oh, to have been his partner, even for a
moment!
But now it's too late to meet Gene Kelly, or Fred Astaire,
or the most beautifully talented dancer they ever partnered,
Cyd Charisse. May she not just rest in peace, but continue
to light up the heavens with her dancing. How blessed we are
to have her on film, :in
"Silk
Stockings", "Singin'
in the Rain", on "The
Band Wagon", in
"Brigadoon". Picture it!.
And, yes, one of the most
memorable was the Broadway Melody Ballet (pictured above).
There is so much more, but you need only Google Cyd
Charisse, and you will find many details and videos, to be
treasured. These are just my personal memories.
At nearly 99, my mother lies on the bed each morning, doing her daily exercise, one leg pointed toward the ceiling, pulling on her long black stockings in what I call "doing your Cyd Charisse." I am so proud of her.
Ms. Charisse made her belated Broadway debut in 1992, at the
age of 70, playing an aging ballerina in "Grand Hotel" and,
judging from photos, was still
ravishingly beautiful and with the classic poise and
elegance of her ballet beginnings.
Wow, that gives me
just two years to follow in her footsteps and make my
Broadway debut! I've got the soundtrack of a musical all
written; now to finish the script of "Gretchen's Sweet
Sixteen". But which part would I play? Oh, I could play
myself, now, but who would play me as a teenager? Hmmm,
could I play that, too? Having had only 17 leap year
birthdays; perhaps I could! (:o),
Cyd Charisse, you are such an inspiration!
With deepest admiration,
Gretchen Christopher
PS: To (above) Zola Taylor's
great niece, Cherisse,
If you've never seen the dancing of the woman for whom you
are named, you must find a way to see her now, drink in the
beauty and elegance of your most talented and remarkable
namesake.
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Luciano Pavarotti
born October 12, 1935, died September 6, 2007 The death of LUCIANO PAVAROTTI has touched not just a nation (Italy) but the world. He opened the door for so many to love and appreciate opera, as never before, and paved the way for others to succeed (including Andrea Bocelli, who sang at his funeral). Pavarotti was the best selling classical artist of all time, with over 100 million record sales since the 1960s. He had the first classical album to reach #1 on the Pop charts. In addition, he dared to cross over to pop including a video of "Your The First, The Last, My Everything," with hit-making soul artist Barry White, singing the song White co- wrote with Songwriter Sterling Radcliffe, arranged by Gene Page. Page died in 1998, White died 5 years later, in 2003. Three and a half years after that Radcliffe died, this January 22, 2007 and now Pavarroti (who needed no first name, so great was his fame) is gone, having lived just short of 72 years (October 12, 1935 to September 6, 2007), but fully, reaching millions. With the treasures of recordings, his magnificent voice live on. For a video of "Your The First, The Last, My Everything," with Barry White and Luciano Pavarotti go to: http://aimini.net/view/?fid=vFDD0yhjPjbH3c2liwrM |
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born March 18, 1934 or 38, died April 30, 2007
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born September 5, 1921, died April 26, 2007 2007 has been my most startling year of loss of lives of Special Friends (mentioned above): STERLING RADCLIFFE (Songwriter, "You're the First, the Last, My Everything") died January 18. A month later, JOSIE WILSON (Ventures' producer, mother of Founder Don Wilson) died February 19. Four days after that, DANIEL SCHWARTZ (my favorite touring/dance partner for 8 years of jazz festivals) died February 23. And now, JACK VALENTI (Former Special Assistant to President Lyndon Johnson, Author of books he gifted to me, and long-time President of the Motion Picture Association of America, in the midst of which we met at The Beverly Hills, where I had been honored at the BMI Million Airs Luncheon. Invitations and phone calls followed. Back in Olympia, WA, I was touched at his Special Delivery remembrance of my 12th Leap Year Birthday, February 29, 1988. Nicknamed "the Czar of Motion Pictures," (MPAA President, 1966-2004), he died April 26, of complications following a stroke in March. He is survived by Mary Margaret Valenti, his wife since 1962, and their three children, John, Alexandra, and Courtenay Valenti. My daughter, having heard on television the news of Jack Valenti's passing, said, "He's a friend of my mom," and called my cell phone immediately. The cumulative shock of that fourth loss sent me unconsciously driving through a red light, momentarily seeing, through my tears, only the series of friends, so quickly departed this year. I was en route from Seattle and a farewell party for Heart's Founding Guitarist Roger Fisher and his wife. (Rog and Eve, and their six year old son Rogie, are moving to the Czech Republic to be near her family.) But at least that loss to us is only temporary: we're invited to visit them in Prague, and we feel certain they'll come back. I suppose it's human nature to wish my other friends could come back. Sterling, Josie, Daniel and Jack; I think of you every day. For the interweaving of your lives with mine added so much to the richness of the tapestry. Now, for as long as I live, a part of you will be alive, too; for, In some miniscule way, you're a part of all I do. |
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Daniel Schwartz born February 27, 1922, died February 23, 2007
DANIEL SCHWARTZ (Feb 27, 1922 -
Feb 23, 2007), Gretchen's
favorite dance
partner and fellow-Pisces
Daniel, suffered a stroke on the weekend of 2/17/07, in his
apartment in North Seattle, was discovered on 2/20 by his older
daughter and rushed to hospital. Paralyzed and unable to speak,
Dan had previously requested no heroic lifesaving measures. Dan
died peacefully in Northwest Hospital, at 1:25AM, 2/23/07, with
family at his side, just four days before his 85th birthday. A
Dixieland Jazz celebration of his life will be held at a later
date.
An avid trad jazz listener for decades, it was not until Daniel Schwartz was age 60 that he learned to dance. To his amazement, he discovered and declared, "For a man, being a good dancer is the greatest way to attract beautiful women; more important than wealth or good looks."
Gretchen Christopher's
response, "Dear, dear Dan; how we will miss you."
As Dixieland Jazz Festival regulars, Daniel Schwartz and
Gretchen Christopher were known up and down the West Coast,
and further, for their constant dancing and her occasional
singing at Jazz Festivals from California to Canada, and
even overseas. At Dan's introduction, Gretchen sat in with
several bands in 1997 and 1998; then, in 1999, the
Chilliwack International Dixieland Festival booked Gretchen
Christopher as Special Guest Artist, and she performed with
7 bands in 4 days, to the delight of jazz lovers,
self-professed "Gretchen Groupies", and Dan, with whom she
danced in between sets, delighting their own fans.
Their travels and
performances included Jazz Cruises to the Caribbean and
Baltic Sea (Russia, Finland, Sweden, Denmark, Norway,
Germany, etc.),
as well as The 500 Club in London, The Slow Club in Paris,
The Follies Bergere in Paris, The Mayor ________ in
Brussels, and cruising the River Rhine, from Strasbourg to
Cologne, plus memorable weekends in New York for the
American Swing Dance Championships, and
the grand surprise of Las Vegas for Celine Dion's opening
week.
Born 17 years and two days
after Daniel Schwartz, Gretchen Christopher had a true
birthday anniversary only once every four years, on February
29th. To celebrate her 15th leap year birthday, Dan
surprised Gretchen with a pre-paid two week trip to St.
Petersburg, Russia, to extend her studies of ballet, at
Vaganova, arguably the most famous ballet academy, counting
among its graduates such legendary names as Anna Pavlova,
Vaslav Nijinsky, George Balanchine, Galina Ulanova, Michel
Fokine, Rudolf Nureyev, Natalia Makarova, and Mikhail
Baryshnikov. But the grand opening of the Experience Music
Project (EMP), where Gretchen's Gold Records and first
Fleetwoods tour costume were to be exhibited, took priority,
and Gretchen stayed in Seattle to perform "Come Softly To
Me" a cappella, for the EMP Grand Opening concert. Daniel
insisted the birthday girl deserved a consolation prize, and
later sent her to Montreal, Canada, to study Argentine
Tango, in a nine day intensive.
Though Dan did not care to
dance tango, himself, he and Gretchen were swing dancing
spontaneously, outside a sidewalk cafe in Brussels, Belgium,
to the music of an accordion player serenading the diners.
At the musician's request,
Dan led Gretchen in an American Tango that had the audience
cheering and the musician passing the hat!
Upon breaking the news of his death to Gretchen, Dan's daughters said, "We want to thank you for all you did for Dad. You gave him a new lease on life."
Gretchen replied, "And he gave
me a new lease on life. I was married 14 years to a man who
didn't dance. When we divorced and I discovered the joy of
dancing to Dixieland jazz with Dan , I was in heaven! Couldn't stop smiling. Thanks
to Dan, the most wonderful age of my social life began in my
fifties!"
Gretchen later observed. "I
need no reminders. He's with me all the time. We did so
much, made so many good memories. Thoughts of Dan just pass
through my mind every day."
Gretchen Christopher has committed to sing Dan's favorites, including
"St. Louis Blues", which he
taught her from a Bessie Smith recording, and Gretchen's
special renditions of
"Bye Bye Blackbird" and "Hard Hearted Hannah", at a
Dixieland Jazz memorial celebration of Daniel Schwartz's
life, to be arranged by his daughters, (TBA). Please check back here for further details.
A celebration of the life of Dan Schwartz will be hosted by
his daughters, at 4PM, Friday, September 21, at the Ballard
Elks Lodge, |
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From the Guestbook for Josie L. Wilson
Services for JOSIE WILSON, Founder of Blue Horizon Records and The Ventures,10AM, February 26, 2007, at the Aspen Chapel, Mountain View Funeral Home at 4100 Steilacoom Blvd., Tacoma, WA 98499.
Entering the foyer of the
chapel, I was greeted by the happy sound of The
Ventures music. I slipped
into the sanctuary and saw that the music was
recorded and accompanying a video collection of still
pictures of Josie Wilson and her family through her
lifetime. The last showed a very frail but still
smiling Josie Wilson, holding what's probably the latest model of The Ventures guitar.
Then,
Josie's granddaughters read appropriate poems,
effectively, including
one Josie had written, "Grandmother's Favorite",
whose surprise ending brought a chuckle
from the otherwise somber
congregation.
After the minister spoke and
invited us to view the briefly-opened casket, I was not sure
I wanted to. I like my memories of the vibrant Josie Wilson
I described in her Guest Book, online. They opened the
casket and, sitting in the second row, I could see her face
in profile, waxen and unfamiliarly gaunt. l let row after
row of others pass before me, unsure if I wanted to view,
but wondering if the starkness of looking on her lifeless
form would somehow jolt and spur me to finish that which was
so difficult for me, before I lost other friends or even my
own life.
All others but the family had
gone before me, and the usher gently urged me. I was fine
until I viewed the open casket. "Josie," I said to her in
my mind, "You're so much more than that lifeless form!"
Now the tears
came, silently, as I exited.
I was surprised; had thought, as I drove up from Olympia,
how unmoved I seemed, in the face of losing three friends in
a little more than a month (two in the last few days).
Now, in the foyer as I
dried my tears, someone spoke to me. She was a large,
friendly woman I didn't know, but we shared our feelings,
and it comforted me, and I was eventually able to move on
into the large room of the
Reception.
At the entrance, I visited
with Josie's daughter Sally and thanked her for her email
keeping me in the loop. "Josie loved and appreciated you so
much," she said.
I told Sally I hoped it had
brought Josie piece of mind when I answered her plea for me
to get her the information about Virginia Boles' service
(upon the recent passing of
the widow of Engineer Joe Boles, who had recorded the first
hits of The Fleetwoods and The Ventures; now even that link
was gone). Josie had
wanted to send flowers from herself and the
Ventures. Sally said it did bring her peace of mind, and we
hugged.
I had no appetite for the lavish buffet but visited with
Josie's son Don Wilson and wife Dory, Venture Bob Bogle,
Secretary of State Brad Owen and wife Linda
(Washington),
Venture's Manager Fiona Taylor,
widow of former Ventures'
drummer, Mel Taylor (California), Josie's
granddaughter Jill and grandson Tim Wilson (his significant
other and her daughter and mother, 3 lovely generations) and
their mom Karen Wilson (another Pisces). I was happy to see
friends to whom I'd extended the invitation, KK. Ryder and
Sky Benson. I missed visiting with you
Wailers, Buck Ormsby
and Kent Morrill; so my greetings to you, now, "Hi, Guys."
May we all share more good music, before it's our time to
rest in peace. Gretchen Christopher
The family would like to thank the Franciscan Hospice team
and all the family and friends who have helped and shown so
much love during these difficult times. In lieu of
flowers, donations may be made to
Franciscan Hospice P.O. Box 1502, Tacoma, WA 98401.
Please sign the online guest book at
www.mountainviewtacoma.com
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Robert "Bob" Reisdorff, 6/24/1922 - 6/15/2002, Founder/President
of Dolphin/Dolton Records, first Northwest label to produce
national #1 Hits and Gold Records -- with millions of sales of
The Fleetwoods' self-penned "Come Softly To Me" plus "Mr. Blue"
(both now exhibited at Seattle Center's Experience Music Project
with a video narrated by Reisdorff), following a series of
strokes, died of aspiration pneumonia, in a hospital in Modesto,
CA, near his niece Charlene, just nine days before his 80th
birthday. |
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Songwriter Sharon Sheeley, born April 4, 1940,
died May 17, 2002, of a cerebral hemorrhage that occurred on
Mother's Day. Her death on May 17 was 42 years and one month
after the tragic car crash in England that killed the love of
her life, Eddie Cochran ("Summertime Blues"), and massively
injured Sharon. |
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Treble clef image courtesy of Lisabeth's Music Images at http://www.gymell.com/doc/musicimages.shtml |
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