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mahatmakanejeeves

(65,909 posts)
Sun Jul 27, 2025, 11:30 AM Sunday

On this day, July 27, 1942, Bobbie Lee Gentry was born.

Singer Bobbie Gentry was #BornOnThisDay, July 27, 1942. Known for her #Southern #Gothic narrative "Ode to Billie Joe" (1967), 4 weeks at No. 1 on the Billboard's Hot 100 chart. In all Gentry charted 11 singles on the #Billboard Hot 100. #birthday 80 yrs YOUNG #birthday #BOTD










Bobbie Gentry


Gentry in a publicity photo for Capitol Records in 1969

Born: Roberta Lee Streeter; July 27, 1942 (age 83); near Woodland, Mississippi, U.S.

Bobbie Lee Gentry (born Roberta Lee Streeter; July 27, 1942) is a retired American singer-songwriter who was one of the first female artists to compose and produce her own material.

Gentry rose to international fame in 1967 with her Southern Gothic narrative "Ode to Billie Joe". The track spent four weeks at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart and was third in the Billboard year-end chart of 1967, earning Gentry Grammy awards for Best New Artist and Best Female Pop Vocal Performance in 1968.

Gentry charted 11 singles on the Billboard Hot 100 and four singles on the United Kingdom Top 40. Her album Fancy brought her a Grammy nomination for Best Female Pop Vocal Performance. After her first albums, she had a successful run of variety shows on the Las Vegas Strip. In the late 1970s Gentry lost interest in performing, and subsequently retired from the music industry. News reports conflict on the subject of where she currently lives.

{snip}

Ode to Billie Joe



Single by Bobbie Gentry
from the album Ode to Billie Joe
B-side "Mississippi Delta"
Released: July 10, 1967
Recorded: March 1967

"Ode to Billie Joe" is a song written and recorded by Bobbie Gentry, a singer-songwriter from Chickasaw County, Mississippi. The single, released on July 10, 1967, was a number-one hit in the US within three weeks of release and a big international seller. Billboard ranked the record as the No. 3 song of the year. The recording remained on the Billboard chart for 20 weeks and was the Number 1 song for four weeks.

{snip}

I heard that song everywhere that summer.


Ode to Billie Joe - Bobbie Gentry (BBC Live 1968)
4,198,902 views Aug 7, 2011

BarnstoneworthTown
5.9K subscribers
Ode to Billie Joe - Bobbie Gentry (BBC Live 1968)

Here is Bobbie's own delicate rendering of perhaps her best known song. Lost in the BBC archives since 1968, and looking and sounding just as good as the day when this version was first laid down.

Thu Jul 27, 2023: On this day, July 27, 1942, Bobbie Lee Gentry was born.

Wed Jul 27, 2022: On this day, July 27, 1942, Bobbie Lee Gentry was born.

Tue Jul 27, 2021: On this day, July 27, 1942, Bobbie Lee Gentry was born.
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