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.
