The REAL MUSIC Agency 

Gary was born in London in the early '50s and is probably best known as the bass player in The Blues Band, although his songwriting talent is respected by many. The band’s encore anthem, his song Green Stuff, has been a constant in their live set since the Ready album was released in 1980, and has been covered by bands throughout Europe. The band’s 17th album, Stepping Out, features Gary’s song Stepping Out On Main, another big winner with audiences.

Although he bought the With The Beatles album when it first came out in '63, Gary’s preoccupation with cars, trains & other Boys’ Own hobbies meant that it wasn’t until the later years of the Sixties that he made his next album acquisitions – notably Eddie Boyd with Fleetwood Mac and Cream’s Wheels of Fire double album. Exposure to these blues-oriented records sowed the seeds of his musical aspirations and he gradually began to play around with his sister’s humble Spanish guitar. Though left handed, he didn’t let the fact that the instrument was a right handed one stand in his way, and to this day plays a guitar strung for normal right hand use - left handed, ie upside down. Few others play this way although the late, great, blues player Albert King was similarly afflicted.

On the basis of knowing no more than the riff to Willie Dixon’s Spoonful, Gary got the job in his first band, The Breath Of Life.  Together with a bunch of local Streatham musicians, his next band, Garfield Row, was formed …. a semi-acoustic folk rock band who played regularly in a local pub owned by the father of Jethro Tull’s bassist, Glenn Cornick.  Glen gave the band much encouragement, lending them some top class amps & guitars.  They eventually went their separate ways and Gary went on to sustain work as a musician in a variety of bands from Blues/Rock to Folk/Rock to Soul, to playing in a Country band at Wembley Arena, to writing/performing in Rock band Panama Scandal. 

In the mid '70s he joined long running Blues/Rock band, Sam Apple Pie, later known as The Vipers.  Alongside this, Gary and his old mate and songwriting partner, Steve Gurl, landed a separate recording contract and together with the third partner in the songwriting team, Hilary – Gary’s wife, a publishing contract.

Gary met Dave Kelly in late '78 when they both played in a band put together by Wilgar Campbell, the ex Rory Gallagher drummer, called The Wildcats.  He then played bass on a track on Dave’s Willing album and was suggested by Dave for the bass job when, together with Paul Jones & Tom McGuinness (ex of Manfred Mann), plus ex John Mayall drummer Hughie Flint, The Blues Band first got together.  The success of The Blues Band was almost instantaneous and they were soon playing to packed houses, releasing their first album, appearing on TV and radio regularly, including the celebrated Euro-wide Rockpalast, and headlining at Glastonbury.  Seventeen albums, two DVDs & countless tours later the demand continues to grow for their special & personal interpretation of the blues, thousands of excellent reviews have appeared in a variety of publications - The Times referring to them as a 'top flight group of seasoned professionals' - and early editions of their first album are now collector’s items. As the band enjoy the celebrations for their 25^th anniversary in 2004, new chapters are still being added to their story.

Concurrent with The Blues Band during the past 25 or so years Gary has continued to write and record his own material, and has contributed songs to records by other artists.  His 'pop' side project, The Relatives, released the Feud of Love album in 1997 although the record had been in the making since the early '90s.  He is also currently performing with and has written for The Dave Kelly Band. It is only in the past year or two that Gary has started to perform solo after receiving encouragement to do so from positive audience reaction to the tracks on recent Blues Band albums on which he has sung lead.  A couple of songs sung by Gary are now a regular feature of The Blues Band’s shows. To step forward to the lead vocal microphone after so many years working behind the band’s legendary two principal voices, ie Paul Jones and Dave Kelly, was a daunting task but the strength of good original songs sung by their writer has proved an audience pleaser, and Gary has been enjoying the opportunity to stake his claim as a singer-songwriter in his own right.

His The Official Gary Fletcher Bootleg Album CD (on the Hypertension Music label ref HYP4227) features 16 tracks, a full one-hour running time plus a Friedel Muder designed 20-page booklet, which includes extensive background notes and the full lyrics to each track. Many of the tracks are the original writer's versions of songs which have been recorded by The Blues Band during the band's career. 

Gary's current studio project is the recording of an album featuring a collection of his latest songs performed by his eclectic new semi-acoustic band, The Gary Fletcher Band, which features Gary on acoustic & electric guitars, his son Jack primarily on bass, his fellow Blues Band rhythm section partner, the superb Rob Townsend, on congas (and full kit as required), and new to the wider blues scene, the sublime John Evans on lead guitar, with additional contributions, either already recorded or about to be, from Micky Moody, Bernie Marsden, Mark Feltham & Steve Simpson, plus the other BB members.

As at autumn 2004, the sessions are going very well indeed and it's hoped to have the CD finished and released shortly.  The band, Blues Band commitments permitting, will be working extensively in the UK, Europe & beyond. 

Gary has his own website at www.garyfletchermusic.co.uk