
"One day they were three students singing at their high school
talent assembly. Then, seemingly overnight, they had the No. 1 song in the country and were being
introduced on primetime television by Dick Clark. It was an amazing ride for the vocal group known as
the
Fleetwoods, who first claimed the top
spot on
the Billboard Hot 100 ... (April 13, 1959) with Come Softly To Me.
Seven months later, the trio was back in pole position with Mr. Blue, and making chart history as
the
first group to have two No.1 hits in the same calendar year." -

Gretchen Christopher 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 and a worldwide hit.
From 1959 through 1963, The Fleetwoods charted eleven hit singles on the
Bilboard "Hot
100" for
a total of 110 weeks.
Listen to their hit
singles