Happy Birthday Bobbie Gentry

Bobbie Gentry turns 70 today.

 

what is she up to?

 

I remember buying that 45 of hers- "Ode to Billy Joe" just after school got out for the summer. Got it at Arlan's Discount for 59 cents plus tax. It wasn't your basic tear jerking country song. This one weaved a tale, it told a story. I appreciate those times now more than ever before. IIRC it was a top 5 hit on Billboard, certainly was top 5 in my area. It wasn't all that common for a lady to hit that high on chart position on top 40, next thing ya know, over the next year several of the Country ladies were going top ten--such as Tammy Wynette's "Stand By Your Man," Jeanie C. Riley's "Harper Valley P.T.A.", Loretta Lynn's "Coal Miner's Daughter." That next Spring she charted another good one--"Louisiana Man." I also enjoyed her duet stuff with Glenn Campbell. Charted another song "Fancy" in 1970 (?)

Somewhat sadly her career was short, from what I remember she did some tv work in the 1970's, and then sort of disappeared by 1980. I don't remember any albums released from the early 70's onward. But she was a talent, she was among the first Country lady's to write her own material AND produce it! For some reason after "Ode To Billy Joe" she was more popular in the UK and other European countries than here in the States.

 

she took part in that ode to billie joe made for tv movie in the 70s, and later worked in the industry behind the scenes. she was married to the guy who did the spiders and snakes song for a bit. shes around, from what im told, but not quite with the same look.
i liked that album she made with glen campbell. they had a hit i think with a burt bacharach song forget now.

 

She had a tv show in the UK in the late 60s. Here is the beginning of an episode. I can't find the rest.

 

I love this lady and her songs to death, a very happy birthday wish.

 

Damn - she looks amazing for her age!

 

Definitely one of the pioneering female singer/songwriters, along with Gale Garnett. Her last album was Patchwork (1971), a simply brilliant concept album and her only album with all originals and no covers. It's a true lost classic, well worth seeking out. After that, like Joe South and several others, she got fed up with the music business and got out of it. She's been rather reclusive for the past 30 years or so. I don't think she even gives interviews anymore.

 

My knowledge of her work is very limited, but if you're going to be famous for only one song----that's certainly one to be proud of. I thought "Fancy" was a cool song too. I'm afraid that's where my knowledge of her work ends.

 

wow proof positive that Donovan should be in the Hall Of Fame

 

Bobbie Gentry made about 6 solo albums for Capitol, and the duet album with Glen Campbell. My parents played that duet album over and over..a perfect soundtrack memory of when I was 5 years old and moving to a new small western town every year for my fathers jobs in construction.

Bobbie's first album and the duet with Glen are pretty easy to find in used vinyl bins. The rest of her solo albums are not easy to find, unless you look online. My interest in Bobbie was renewed last year, and I picked up all her albums, which are all good to great.

There are numerous examples of time capsule artists that left the earth too young. Bobbie Gentry's time capsule story is more enigmatic, and affirming...she did it her way and did not look back.

 

Jazz pianist Bill Evans lifted Bobbie's "Morning Glory" to instrumental jazz trio standard status for a while.I suspect many a jazz fan would not have recognized the original source(I certainly didn't).When Bill picked up something like this,there was no atempt to sound "up to date" by tackling something from the current pop hits of the day(indeed,Bobbie's own version of Morning Glory,a duet with Glen Campbell, pretty much flew under the radar of the pop & country charts).I think it called to Bill for exploration and he certainly seemed to enjoy excavating this.