Bobbie Gentry's Ode to Billie JoeJuly, 1967: It seems the entire country stopped to listen to a husky voice steeped in the simmering secrets of the South tell a tragic tale of teenage suicide. So much for the Summer of Love. “Ode to Billie Joe” knocked the Beatles' “All You Need is Love” off the top of the charts, and Bobbie Gentry became an international star. Almost 50 years later, Gentry is as enigmatic and captivating as her signature song. Of course, fans still want to know why Billie Joe McAllister jumped off the Tallahatchie Bridge. They also wonder: Why did Bobbie Gentry, who has not performed or made a public appearance since the early 1980s, leave it all behind? Through extensive interviews and unprecedented access to career memorabilia, Murtha explores the real-life mysteries ensnarled within the much-disputed origin of Ode to Billie Joe. The result is an investigative pop history that reveals, for the first time, the full breadth of Bobbie Gentry's groundbreaking career-and just may help explain her long silence. Foreword by musician Jill Sobule. |
Contents
1 Out of a Swamp Fog | 1 |
2 Where is Bobbie Gentry? | 10 |
3 The Bobbiebilia | 19 |
4 Chickasaw County Child | 25 |
5 Becoming Bobbie Gentry | 36 |
6 Produced by Kelly Gordon and Bobby Paris | 49 |
7 The Summer of Ode to Billie Joe | 56 |
8 Capitol Preorders Five Timesas Many Records as Meet the Beatles | 71 |
9 The Capitol Years | 88 |
10 Viva Las Vegas | 93 |
11 What the Song Didnt Tell You the Movie Will | 112 |
12 So Im Packin Up and Im Checking Out | 124 |
Notes | 129 |
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Common terms and phrases
album Angeles artist asked audience Axelrod Baer band Billie Joe McAllister Bobbie Gentry Bobbie Lee Bobbie’s Bobbiebilia Bobby Paris Bobby Womack Bradburn Brothers California called Camras Capitol Records career character Chickasaw County Chickasaw County Child Choctaw Ridge Deasy Delta Sweete demo Douglas Elvis Presley Fancy fans film Ford’s Gentry sings Gentry’s girl going guitar Haskell’s heard Holley Jess Rand Jill Sobule Jim Ford Jimmie Haskell Jody Reynolds Joe McAllister jumped Kelly Gordon L-P Anderson listening Llacuna Mansfield Mississippi Delta movie musicians never night Niki Hoeky Ode to Billie Palm Springs Papa Paris’s performance person played player Proby producer radio Raucher released remembers Roger Douglas Ruby sang says scene session song song’s songwriter Southern stage star story Streeter strings studio talk Tallahatchie Bridge tapes television tell There’s told Vegas walked wanted woman writing wrote