Born on May 18, 1930 in Santa Monica, California, Gail was the daughter of film actress Irene Hervey and musician Bill Fenderson. Her parents divorced when Gail was a small child; Irene later married actor and singer Allan Jones, who adopted Gail as his own daughter.
Gail attended University High School, and shortly after graduating married Charles “Chic” Parnell. Chic became the bass player for the Page Cavanaugh Trio, and when Page decided to add female singers to the group he asked Gail to audition. Though she had never sung publicly, Gail nailed that audition and toured the US and Canada with the Trio (using the name Gail Allen) until 1952. She temporarily gave up life on the road when she gave birth to her first child, Kevin. Gail and Chic divorced in 1954, though they remained amicable and even collaborated on songs in later years. Gail continued to pursue a career in show business, performing for a time with her father Allan and her brother, the renowned singer Jack Jones. In the late 1950s, she joined the popular Billy Barnes Revue and performed with the show in Hollywood and Miami.
Finding that her desire to be more available as a parent far outweighed her desire for a show business career, Gail decided to get off the road once and for all, and found a job at Bill Burrud Productions. There she met her second husband, James R. Christensen, known to almost everyone as “Chris.” The two married in 1962, and Gail gave birth to their daughter Karen in 1963.
Gail’s deep love of music and keen wit combined with her gift for writing to propel her into the next phase of her multi-faceted career - writing lyrics. Her song “Pretty” was recorded by her brother Jack as well as other artists; “Touch the Earth” was recorded by Tony Bennett and Peggy Lee. Gail worked with such notable collaborators as Bob Florence, Jeri Southern, and Joyce Collins. She also explored writing for television, and along with Chris received a story credit for an episode of the hit TV program “Honey West.”
During the early 1970s, while still writing lyrics and being a full time mom, Gail lived in the mountain community of Running Springs. A passionate liberal and a lifelong animal lover, Gail campaigned for George McGovern and spearheaded the founding of a humane society for the mountain communities. Later she worked as a radio news director and on-air reporter at stations in San Bernardino and Ontario, California.
After leaving the mountains, Gail became the public information officer for the Los Angeles County Department of Animal Care and Control. The job provided the perfect environment for her creativity, writing talent, and fierce love of all living creatures. While there, she was instrumental in helping to educate the public about proper care for companion animals, the importance of adopting from a shelter, and especially the need to spay and neuter.
In the early 1980s, Gail also began volunteering with the West Coast office of the Fund for Animals, led by the late Gretchen Wyler. In this capacity, Gail worked on campaigns for local and state legislation to better the lives of animals. She also proposed the idea of an awards ceremony to honor the work of people in the media who have shined a light on animal issues - and The Genesis Awards was born. From the ceremony’s inaugural luncheon in 1986 until 2010, Gail served as a producer of the awards event - overseeing the production of an opening clip montage, writing presenter speeches, and selecting clips that would represent each winner. At an age when most folks grow wary of any technology more complicated than an alarm clock, Gail even embraced the challenge of learning to do rough edits of video clips using Final Cut software.
In addition to her work in show business, news, and the animal rights movement, Gail was also a devoted member of the Christian Science church in Studio City. She put her talents to work organizing interfaith events, instigating the church’s participation in the Valley Interfaith Council’s food pantry program, and helping to educate the public about Christian Science. She served as the librarian of the church’s reading room for several years until her retirement in 2011.
A celebration of life will be held at a date to be determined. In lieu of flowers, Gail’s family requests that you make a contribution to the environmental or animal welfare organization of your choice.
Fond memories and expressions of sympathy may be shared at www.valleyfuneralhomeburbank.com for the Christensen family.
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