At the time when British invasion was all the rage, one relatively unknown big-haired, beautiful girl made a name for herself. During the late 1960s, Bobbie Gentry became the girl who was known as the one that knocked The Beatles off the top charts with her “Ode to Billie Joe.” But who exactly is Bobbie Gentry?
Bobbie Gentry, born Roberta Lee Streeter, came to the world on July 27, 1944, in Mississippi. She grew up on her grandparent’s farm in Chickasaw County after her parents divorced and her mother moved to California. Seeing their granddaughter’s musical talent, Bobbie’s grandmother brought her a secondhand piano. At seven-years-old, Bobbie already started composing her own songs. At an early age, she taught herself how to play the piano …show more content…
The album was a narrative of the singer’s childhood in Mississippi. The second album had more range than the first one with songs flowing into the other. It had a combination of bright country soul, bluesy ballads, and mournful folk songs. Her song in the album, “Okolona River Bottom Band,” placed in the Billboard top-sixty hit. Her following album was “Local Gentry”, which had similar styles to “The Delta Sweete.” Within the same year of its release, Bobbie collaborated with Glen Campbell, earning her a gold record certificate.
In 1969, Bobbie released her soulful album “Touch ‘Em With Love”, where she covered Dusty Springfield’s “Son of a Preacher Man.” Her single, “I’ll Never Fall In Love Again” reached the top in the UK singles chart in August 1970. It remained No. 1 for 19 weeks.
Between 1968 and 1969, she hosted “The Bobbie Gentry Show” which aired on BBC-TV London. It was later shown in other countries, including the Netherlands, Germany, and Australia. In 1969, Bobbie wed casino magnate Bill Harrah in a marriage that lasted for four months. Her short-lived relationship became one of the main inspirations for the song “Fancy”. It placed 26th on the U.S. Country Charts and 31st on the pop charts. “Fancy” also gained her a Grammy nomination for “Best Female
Bobbie Gentry, born Roberta Lee Streeter, came to the world on July 27, 1944, in Mississippi. She grew up on her grandparent’s farm in Chickasaw County after her parents divorced and her mother moved to California. Seeing their granddaughter’s musical talent, Bobbie’s grandmother brought her a secondhand piano. At seven-years-old, Bobbie already started composing her own songs. At an early age, she taught herself how to play the piano …show more content…
The album was a narrative of the singer’s childhood in Mississippi. The second album had more range than the first one with songs flowing into the other. It had a combination of bright country soul, bluesy ballads, and mournful folk songs. Her song in the album, “Okolona River Bottom Band,” placed in the Billboard top-sixty hit. Her following album was “Local Gentry”, which had similar styles to “The Delta Sweete.” Within the same year of its release, Bobbie collaborated with Glen Campbell, earning her a gold record certificate.
In 1969, Bobbie released her soulful album “Touch ‘Em With Love”, where she covered Dusty Springfield’s “Son of a Preacher Man.” Her single, “I’ll Never Fall In Love Again” reached the top in the UK singles chart in August 1970. It remained No. 1 for 19 weeks.
Between 1968 and 1969, she hosted “The Bobbie Gentry Show” which aired on BBC-TV London. It was later shown in other countries, including the Netherlands, Germany, and Australia. In 1969, Bobbie wed casino magnate Bill Harrah in a marriage that lasted for four months. Her short-lived relationship became one of the main inspirations for the song “Fancy”. It placed 26th on the U.S. Country Charts and 31st on the pop charts. “Fancy” also gained her a Grammy nomination for “Best Female