It was wonderful to reread this classic of my time. Download and print ode to billy joe sheet music for voice, piano or guitar by bobbie gentry. Ode to billy joe written by bobb harpin an a whinin. Gentry ode to billy joe sheet music for voice, piano or guitar. Ode to billie joe tends to be grouped into a category known as southern. Ode to billie joe was a surprise hit that prompted dozens of jazz versions fifty years ago, singer songwriter bobbie gentry released a song that described a slice of life in rural mississippi. Why did billie joe mcallister jump off the tallahatchie bridge. It was covered by jimmy dempsey, curfew, wendy ellison mullen, erin. But around water coolers, the hot topic was what billie joe mcallister and his. Jul 27, 20 billy joe mcallister jumped off the bridge because he was struggling with the fact that he was in love with a young girl, but physically attracted to a man. Country singer songwriter bobbie gentry was born roberta lee streeter on july 27, 1944 in chickasaw county, mississippi. After numerous tours and a friendship going back over.
Its breezy bluegrass melody and catchy chorus made for an instant hit, and billie joe leapt to the top of the charts. To wonder what billie joe mcallister was throwing off. Ode to billie joe is a song written and recorded by bobbie gentry, a singer songwriter from chickasaw county, mississippi. The film was based on this song, with a fictionalized gentry named bobbie lee hartley played by glynnis oconnor. Is bobbie gentrys ode to billie joe based on a true story. Ode to billie joe singer songwriter bobbie gentry was a celebrity owner of the phoenix suns. The song ode to billie joe was written by bobbie gentry and was first recorded and released by bobbie gentry in 1967. New 33 book explores life of mysterious chanteuse.
In the summer of 1967 country singer bobbie gentry b. Jul 01, 2016 in 1976, a movie, ode to billy joe, had the titular character making his jump after a gay sexual experience. And i agree ode to billy joe is up there, with the classic and funny song harper valley pta by jeannie c riley. Why did billie joe mcallister jump off the tallahatchie. Billy joe mcallister jumped off the bridge because he was struggling with the fact that he was in love with a young girl, but physically attracted to a man. Trying to unearth the story behind the reclusive bobbie. Not the nancy wilson from heart, who laughed at judge reinhold in fast times at ridgemont high, but nancy wilson the jazz singer she prefers song stylist and threetime grammy winner. A movie with the title spelled ode to billy joe was released in 1976.
Ode to billie joe tallahatchie bridge, choctaw ridge. Jul 27, 2016 the 5th dimensions cover takes that reading a step further, turning the song into a oneact play, with different members handling the vocals of each character in the song. What happened to bobbie gentry who sang the beautiful. Bobbie lee had strict parents she was only a teenager, so they couldnt see each other that much. Bobby gentry won a grammy for best female vocal performance with ode to billie joe in march 1968. The secret life of bobbie gentry, pioneering artist behind ode to billie joe. The song has remained popular for another reason, however. Today, billy joe mcallister jumped off the tallahachee briidge. Bobbie gentry ode to billy joe sheet music in d major. There really was a tallahatchie bridge in greenwood, mississippi, but gentry made up the story. The ode to billie joe songfacts reports that this song tells the story of a guy who kills himself by jumping off the tallahatchie bridge. Mississippi mystery the 50yearold enigma of bobbie gentrys ode to billie joe.
The song is meant to juxtapose the tragedy of suicide with the trivialities of everyday life. She was born roberta lee streeter to portuguese parents in chickasaw county, mississippi. How the singersongwriter who knocked the beatles out of the. The song describes a family having dinner while the discussing the suicide of billie joe mcallister which occurred earlier that summer day. Ode to billie joe was a surprise hit that prompted dozens. John butler released it on the album come again in 1997.
Ode to billie joe gentry recorded a 12song demo at whitney recording studio in glendale, california, in february and march 1967. Bobbie gentrys famous song, on which ode to billy joe is based, found much of its haunting effect in its refusal to reveal why billy joe killed himself. Mississippi mystery the 50yearold enigma of bobbie gentry. On grand blvd, on the edge of greenwood, ms there is a bridge over the tallahatchie river that has a very nice and comprehensive twosided historical marker regarding singer bobbie gentry, her general career, and the 1967 song and subsequent movie, ode to billie joe.
Lyrics to ode to billie joe by bobbie gentry from the great records of the decade. Today billie joe mcallister jumped off the tallahatchie bridge. I really liked her peculiar fusion of country and soul. Even though people know the story is fake, people still insist on. This song tells the story of the fictional billie joe mcallister, who kills himself by jumping off the tallahatchie bridge. Its a good song that tells an intriguing story, yes but bobbie gentrys ode to billie joe is also missing a key detail. Gentrys debut lp, which went to number one on the pop charts, was a promising but not wholly satisfying disc, with the singer penning all but one of the songs.
Ode to billie joe youtube allen hinds with maxayn lewis ode to billy jo duration. Bobby gentry won a grammy for best female vocal performance with ode to. The movie promised that what the song didnt tell you, the movie will show you, but it took a surprisingly different turn and changed the spelling of billies name to billy. Print and download ode to billy joe sheet music by bobbie gentry. It really explained what was happening in the bobbie gentry song and turned out to be a pretty good book. 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 to billie joe is a critically acclaimed volume in bloomsburys 33 series by tara murtha. Amid ornate psychedelic pop sounding a little like strawberry fields forever, this tale of suicide, loneliness and familial. It was covered by erin hay, jesper thilo finn otto hansen sextet, melveen leed, kathy shannon and other artists. Philomena begley, irelands queen of country music, has recorded a song about her friend billie jo spears, who passed away in december 2011. Cover versions of ode to billie joe by john butler. The same river where the famous and original reallife tallahatchie bridge mentioned in ode to billie joe was located.
Trying to unearth the story behind the reclusive bobbie gentrys ode to billie joe the singer s silence amplifies the mystery behind the song that made her a star, now the subject of a book of. Print and download ode to billy joe sheet music by bobbie gentry in d major. It examines our indifferent, desensitized and callused attitude towards. A 1976 film adaptation of the story with the title changed to billy joe, stars robby benson and glynnis oconnor and set the suicide event in the 50s. T he first time i heard ode to billie joe was on a 1967 radio 1 special. Bobbie was briefly married to both desert inn hotel manager bill harrah and fellow country singer songwriter jim stafford. Now that i know why billy joe mcallister jumped off the tallahatchie bridge, i almost wish i didnt. In gentrys song ode to billie joe, a hit single that knocked the. Her book, then, is a reporters quest that takes her across america to find. Rolling stone s definitive list of the 500 greatest songs of all time. Ode to billy joe sound track from max baers motion picture is the soundtrack album to the 1976 film ode to billy joe. The secret life of bobbie gentry, pioneering artist behind ode to billie joe how the singer songwriter who knocked the beatles out of the number one spot 50. Bobbie gentry ode to billy joe sheet music in f major.
The songs breezy bluegrass tune and memorable chorus made it an instant hit, and today it remains one of the most popular country songs of all time. Trying to unearth the story behind the reclusive bobbie gentrys ode. In 1976, a movie, ode to billy joe, had the titular character making his jump after a gay sexual experience. The secret life of bobbie gentry, pioneering artist behind ode to billie joe how the singer songwriter who knocked the beatles out of the number one spot 50 years ago quietly revolutionized.
Ode to billie joe is the classic debut 1967 album by singer songwriter bobbie gentry. Peppers lonely hearts club band from its 15week reign at the top. In 1976, the song was adapted to a screenplay and made into the film ode to billy joe. One story has it that a 15yearold billy joel played piano on the. Theres an entire book devoted to ode, written by tara murtha and published in 2015. Gentrys original demo of mississippi delta was the version issued, but ode to billie joe had a string arrangement by jimmie haskell dubbed onto the original recording at capitol. Tara murtha examines that song and the rest of bobbi gentrys career in ode to billie joe, the latest release in the 33 series of books.
The album was issued on cd for the first time in 2017 by californiabased label kritzerland. Ode to billie joe is a song written and recorded by bobbie gentry, a singer songwriter from. However, billy joe had an experience with another man and then convinced he was gay, and killed himself by throwing himself off the bridge. Her cover of ode to billie joe contrasts a cool vocal with a forceful arrangement that only gets more powerful as it progresses. The single, released on july 10, 1967, was a numberone hit in the us within three weeks of release and a big international seller.
Inevitably, the title track dwarfed everything else by comparison, but a greater problem was that several of the other tunes recycled variations of the ode to. Philadelphia journalist tara murtha has dug deep into the story behind gentrys song with the latest entry in the 33. The short answer is that she left the music business. Bobby gentry won a grammy for best female vocal performance with ode to billie joe in. He realized that he loved the girl but could not be with her in the way they both wanted him to be. Buy ode to billy joe dell by raucher from amazons fiction books store. The book, ode to billy joe, arrived in wonderful condition despite its age. It was the third of june, another sleepy, dusty delta day i was out choppin cotton, and my brother was balin hay and at dinner time we stopped and walked back to. Ode to billy joe by herman raucher goodreads share book. Appropriately enough, their performance adds a new dimension to ode. Today it remains one of the most popular country songs of all time. Ode to billie joe was adapted into a movie in 1976.
Her hit song, meanwhile, long ago took on a life of its own. Bobbie gentry born july 27, 1944 is an american singer songwriter. The singer helen reddy sung songs like ode to billy joe. What happened to bobbie gentry who sang the beautiful, ode.
He realized that he loved the girl but could not be with. Bobbie gentry ode to billie joe lyrics genius lyrics. His death was seen as sad, and long ago, and unnecessary, and the singer recalled it as a key event in an unhappy time. Ode to billy joe sheet music for voice, piano or guitar. On june 3, 1953, billy joe mcallister jumped off the tallahatchie. Ode to billie joe by john butler was written by bobbie gentry and was first recorded and released by bobbie gentry in 1967. In this song, a family finds out about the death of billie joe and shares gossip about him at the dinner table along with their other mundane concerns. She learned to play piano by watching the church pianist. Ode to billie joe was a surprise hit that prompted. Cover versions of ode to billie joe written by bobbie gentry. Jul 14, 2017 ode to billie joe was a surprise hit that prompted dozens of jazz versions fifty years ago, singer songwriter bobbie gentry released a song that described a slice of life in rural mississippi. Mississippi mystery the 50yearold enigma of bobbie.
Gentry was not in the film, but rerecorded ode to billie joe for the soundtrack. Ode to billie joe is a song written and recorded by bobbie gentry, a singersongwriter from. Her sole ambition originally was to write songs to sell to other artists, telling the washington post that she only sang on the recording of ode to billie joe that she took to capitol because it was cheaper than hiring someone to sing it. The lyrics to the bobbie gentry song ode to billie joe have mystified listeners. Gentry grew up in poverty on her grandparents farm after her parents divorced when she was a little girl. Inevitably, the title track dwarfed everything else by comparison, but a greater problem was that several of the other tunes recycled variations of the ode to billie joe riff. Cover versions of ode to billie joe written by bobbie. Sinead oconnor ode to billie joe bobbie gentry cover. Her grandmother traded a milk cow for a piano so bobbie could. It was covered by jimmy dempsey, curfew, wendy ellison mullen, erin hay and other artists. Sep 19, 2019 most folks will say the know the ode to billy joe song by bobbie gentry, a number 1 hit in 1967. As gentry told fred bronson, the song is sort of a study in unconscious cruelty. In 1967 she became an overnight sensation with her release of ode to billie joe. Ode to billie joe eventually found its way to a 1976 movie, directed by max baer, best known as jethro on the beverly hillbillies.
In rauchers novel and screenplay, billy joe kills himself after a drunken homosexual experience, and the object thrown from the bridge is the. Ode to billie joe 1968 bbc session video a recently released eightdisc box set, the girl from chickasaw county, covers the bulk of her recording career. Sheet music arranged for pianovocalguitar in f major. Note that the track sequence on the cover is different from that on the label. Ode to billie joe singers secret life rolling stone. In 1967 country singer bobbie gentry released a single entitled ode to billy joe. People have been debating the meaning of ode to billie joe for over 40 years, but a recent new piece of evidence that got uncovered is a sheet from a yellow legal pad with bobbie gentrys original song lyrics for ode to billie joe. Perhaps this hollywood cliche was too much for the poor fella. Aug 21, 2017 the secret life of bobbie gentry, pioneering artist behind ode to billie joe how the singer songwriter who knocked the beatles out of the number one spot 50 years ago quietly revolutionized. Everyday low prices on a huge range of new releases and classic fiction. In accordance with the directives of government and health authorities, we have temporarily suspended operations.