There are several artists with the name Gretchen: 1) A Brazillian singer. 2) A Christian female-fronted Gothic metal band 3) A German duo founded in 1998 in Berlin. 4) A Canadian surf/noise band from Calgary. http://gretchen.bandcamp.com/ 1) Maria Odete Brito de Miranda, known as Gretchen (born on May 29, 1959 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil) became notorious as the "Rainha do Bumbum" ("Butt Queen") in the late 1970s when, after doing backing vocals for years, she appeared on a TV show and soon recorded her debut album, "Dance With Me", released in 1978. In 1980, 1981 and 1982, she released her three most successful albums: My Name Is Gretchen, You and Me, and Lonely. These three albums featured songs that became hallmarks in her career, such as "Freak Le Boom Boom", "Melô do Piripipi" and "Conga Conga Conga". Between 1980 and 1982, she grabbed the media's attention by making "sexy" music, while still enjoying popularity among children. After Lonely in 1982, she went on a downward spiral while trying to remain on the charts. Born as a Roman Catholic, she embraced the Protestant faith in the 1990s, and began singing Gospel music. By the end of the 1990s, her hits had returned to dance floors. With the emergence of Butt Music stars like Carla Perez, Gretchen was eventually recognized as a forerunner of the hip shakers. The compilation 20 Super Sucessos came out in 1998 on Copacabana/EMI. 2) The gothic band Gretchen's sound has a somewhat ethereal but upbeat rock sound described as a cross between several different artists. However, they excel with a style all their own, balancing heavy guitar tones and ethereal melodic melodies with mature song writing and catchy hooks. Originally from Tennessee, Gretchen has played shows in 28 US states and in Canada and currently have radio airplay in 70 cities in 25 different states. Gretchen has shared the stage with Crossbreed, Ever Clear, Copper, Flyleaf, The Showdown, Thousand Foot Krutch, Disciple, Pillar, and Stryper just to name a few. Both of the first two singles "Fading" and "Passion" (from the CD In the Mean Time) were top 20 hits on with Radio and Records Christian Rock charts. "In the Mean Time" was produced by three time Dove Award winner Travis Wyrick. Wyrick is highly acclaimed for his production with the bands P.O.D., PILLAR, DISCIPLE, & 10 years Gretchen was featured on the cover of Heaven's Metal Magazine Jan/Feb. 2005. Gretchen was one of six finalist winners (out of 1000 entries) who competed in the 2005 IMWS Competition sponsored by Billboard Magazine. Four songs from Gretchen's first CD "Mouth Full of Nails" have also received national recognition. The song "Star" was used in a Ford Motor Company Ford Ranger promotion and 3 other songs have received an honorable mention in the 12th annual Billboard International Songwriting Contest (rock/alternative category). Currently Gretchen is recording their third album, Ritual. Read more on Last.fm. User-contributed text is available under the Creative Commons By-SA License; additional terms may apply.