Dear Friends,

I am so very sad to have to tell you that an original member of The New Christy Minstrels® and my dear friend, Gayle Caldwell, has passed away. 

Gayle was one of the most gifted vocal talents I have ever personally known and worked with.  Her full and rich voice spanned from the classical style that she was trained in, to the sultry and sexy delivery of a bluesy jazz singer.  Without a doubt, her vocal stylings contributed greatly to the unique and exciting sound of the early NCM recordings.  It was that original sound that brought us our recognition and success.  Gayle was also an extremely talented songwriter. 

Among her many works, she penned the hit song, " Cycles."  It was recorded and made famous by Frank Sinatra and became the title of one of his albums. 

After leaving the NCM, Gayle joined forces with her friend and teammate in the NCM, Jackie Miller Davidson.  They became a duo and called themselves Jackie and Gayle.  The two of them appeared in several movies and on many national television shows of the day, including the Carol Burnette Show and the Red Skelton Show.  

Just prior to Gayle's passing, she completed and released a new CD album, "All is One." It was pure Gayle and one of the most beautiful and creative recordings of her career.  Gayle has lived the last few decades near Fort Bragg, on the North Coast of California.  There, among the majestic redwoods and beautiful pacific shoreline, she found the peace, quiet, and creative spirituality that was so important to her.  All of us in The New Christy Minstrels® will miss Gayle dearly.  We were all young together and climbed to the top of the show business mountain together.  When that kind of life experience is shared, it brings a bond as close and as deep as that of "family".  Yes, Gayle will be deeply missed by each and every one of us.  I know that her fans will miss her too. 

May she rest in peace.

Dolan Ellis
Arizona's Official State Balladeer