Bobbie Gentry - Chickasaw County Child: The Artistry of Bobbie Gentry

Mississippi-born songstress Bobbie Gentry burned up the country and pop Billboard charts in 1967 with her single "Ode To Billie Joe," knocking "All You Need Is Love" out of the prime #1 position, a huge feat for a new artist who had little to no hype preceding her. An astonishing 750,000 copies of the single flew from record store shelves nationally. In 1972, Gentry issued her fifth and final album, with a smattering of individual songs surfacing over the next few years. She spent the remainder of the ‘70s performing in Las Vegas and Reno before turning her back on the music business and disappearing from sight. Although Bobbie Gentry no longer records or performs, her legacy continues to inspire contemporary musicians. Lucinda Williams, Shelby Lynne and Beth Orton are but a few artists who cite Gentry as a major influence on their work.

"‘Ode To Billie Joe’ fit right into this Southern Gothic tradition. It had that mystery, that darkness. It was a different voice, a blend of blues and country and folk that was totally unique." —Lucinda Williams

• Chickasaw County Child: The Artistry Of Bobbie Gentry is the first collection to embrace her unique, complex breadth of work and reveal her as more than a "hit" country artist, casting light on Bobbie as a premiere female rock artist who ventured into uncharted territory.

• Contemporary artists as varied as Sheryl Crow, Reba McEntire and The Geraldine Fibbers have all recorded her songs.

• "Ode To Billie Joe" dethroned The Beatles’ "All You Need Is Love" from Billboard’s #1 position in 1967.

• Disc compiled by noted reissues producer Gary Stewart, with liner notes by Holly George-Warren.

• Winner of three Grammy® awards for her 1967 debut including Best New Artist, plus an Academy of Country Music award. Album Description

rave for bobbie

this amazing and brilliant album convincingly demonstrates the deep talent and stylistic and vocal range of a very underated artist. there is so much more to her than "Ode to Billy Jo". albeit that song is certainly a pop masterpiece.i listened to this record again and again and never grew tired of it.indeed it kept on feeding me with its nutrient rich visuals and poetic mysteries.not only that but it inspired me with alternative perspectives from the rural south so refreshing in this day of corporate farms and pre-packaged lifestyles.it is Faulkererian in its complexity and insight into human nature and its relatinship to the natural world.again i highly reccomend this brilliant album. January 21, 2008

Wonderful writer and singer

What I noticed about Ode to Billie Joe back in 1967, was how hauntingly rich and mature this song and writing was. What an amazing talent in such a young person. She was only about 25 at the time. Britany Spears should take note.

Such social conscientiousness in her songs repeatedly mentioning the Indian tribes from down in Mississippi such as the Choctow and Chickasaw.
And the characters of her songs were from so-called poor backgrounds but their lives were not poor. Bugs and even crawdads are given special attention in her writing. She noticed everything around her and wrote about all of it.

We are all lucky to have been exposed to such a deep thinker and talent and she dropped out way too soon!!! November 9, 2007

happy with the Bobbie Gentry cd

after listening to amy winehouse cd was wanting to listen to more of

the real error of this kind of music . September 13, 2007

Excellent

I was not too familiar with Bobbie, other than her major hits. But I thoroughly enjoy this album. It is really soulful and mellow - good background music during dinner or good for laying on the couch and just listening to every word. June 22, 2007

Great "Ode to Billie Joe"

You'll never be the same if you listen to "Ode to Billie Joe". Warning, it may change you into a very very fascinating human being. February 12, 2007

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