Bobbie Gentry

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BobbieGentry

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Biography

Bobbie Gentry (born July 27, 1944) is an American singer-songwriter. She was born Roberta Lee Streeter to Portuguese parents in Chickasaw County, Mississippi. She shot to international fame in the summer of 1967 with the quirky and intriguing Ode To Billie Joe, written by Gentry and sung in her warm, captivating style. “Ode” was listed as the most popular single of the year in many U.S. record surveys and was admired by Frank Sinatra and other singers.

Early years

Gentry spent her childhood living with her father in Greenwood, Mississippi, where she attended elementary school and began teaching herself to play the guitar, the bass guitar, and the banjo. In her early teens, she moved to Palm Springs, California, to live with her mother, Ruby Bullington Streeter, graduating from Palm Springs High School in 1962. It was during this time that the teenage Roberta settled on the stage name “Bobbie Gentry,” and began performing at local country clubs, encouraged by no less a Palm Springs celebrity than Bob Hope.

After a short career as a Las Vegas showgirl, Gentry moved to Los Angeles, attended UCLA (where she was a philosophy major) and worked clerical jobs while occasionally performing in local nightclubs. She later transferred to the Los Angeles Conservatory of Music to hone her composition and performing skills.

Rise to fame
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  • 2ShyDawg

    Good song like that bring it in...

    26 Mar 9:45pm Reply

  • Charade

    I'm falling in love with you, Bobbie ... for various reasons.

    21 Jan 2:34pm Reply

  • ritesofspring

    she blows minds

    5 Jun 2012 Reply

  • rainy-dog

    hey look it's me with the DDT

    28 May 2011 Reply

  • idkmon

    still hotter and more talented than your favorites

    20 May 2011 Reply

  • VernianProcess

    She is jaw dropping...

    27 Jan 2011 Reply

  • Kamikaze_Heart

    I wish she'd hook up with a producer like Jack White and do one last album, something like Loretta Lynn's Van Lear Rose.

    24 Jan 2011 Reply

  • richardneal

    Imagine - if she had married Tony Joe White instead of Jim Stafford (musically speaking)

    28 Oct 2010 Reply

  • ArcticCorsair

    so........ just what did they throw off of Tallahatchee Bridge?

    3 Jun 2010 Reply

  • ArcticCorsair

    Wonderful singer. Saw her on a documentary recently from the BBC and decided to take a listen. A wonderful talent. Just thinking though, she is tagged with a 'Country singer' name but from what i've heard she's anything but. What really caught my attention was how beautiful she looks. Very sexy and sultry yet sophisticated at the same time!

    3 Jun 2010 Reply

  • farmolio

    The artist description says that "Ode To Billie Joe" is "quirky and intriguing"... makes it sound like it's an episode of 30 Rock.

    20 Mar 2010 Reply

  • A9999A

    she is so nice

    14 Nov 2009 Reply

  • lawrencefelt

    zupezupe said : Amazing ass ! <====== HAHA ! :D Truly !

    18 Mar 2009 Reply

  • cnwb

    Wow. I can't believe it's taken me so long to discover Ms. Gentry.

    12 Mar 2009 Reply

  • notoire

    Lovely.

    1 Mar 2009 Reply

  • philmfan

    So much great music could have existed if the show biz industry didn't suck so bad and chase good people like Bobbie away. I'd like to think that she didn't give up writing songs. Great voice. Great looks. Outstanding writer. The genuine article.

    20 Feb 2009 Reply

  • SaraReno

    love the voice.

    28 Jan 2009 Reply

  • FunkyLad

    superb singer Ode to billy joe

    15 Dec 2008 Reply

  • massamuttti

    i love u billie joe

    12 Dec 2008 Reply

  • notoire

    She's lovely.

    6 Dec 2008 Reply
    • All 37 shouts

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