Comments on: CMT Awards Performers Announced; Rosanne Cash Narrates BBC Radio Program About Bobbie Gentry; Album Releases

By: Daniel

Daniel — Sat, 26 May 2012 03:34:09 +0000

Paul: thanks for believing that Bobbie should be in the Nashville Songwriters hof. Seeing as they prefer the plain vanilla of Amy Grant( who was just nominated with Vince on the board) it might be a while before she gets in. As for her place in music history, I certainly do not place her above Loretta, Jimmie Rogers ect. and I can speak for myself, thank you. It has been a mission of mine to get this grossly underated artist reconized for her significant contributions and I make no apology for it. I have even attempted a 200 page book on her career.. I am passionate about many artists, the American poets, Walt Whitman, Syliva Plath, Ann Sexton, Americana artist, Lucinda Willams, Joni Mitchill, Bob Dylan and as an older American(who might have too much time on his hands) I can assure you I do not engage in idolatry and have a crush on no one.

By: Paul W Dennis

Paul W Dennis — Sat, 26 May 2012 03:00:12 +0000

Bobbie Gentry was a reasonably talented performer (and much more talented songwriter) who deserves induction into the Nashville Songwriter’s Hall of Fame and perhaps some other songwriting Halls of Fame. No way does she belong in the Country Music Hall of Fame or Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

I have all of her albums and they are mostly very good, other than the merely good duet album with Glen Campbell, where it is clear that Glen is holding back – a lot – trying not to overshadow his duet partner. I remember seeing her BBC Television Show first hand while living in London. It was a decent show. I don’t really think Bobbie Gentry conceived of herself as a country singer; I never did – I have her albums filed in with the pop/rock albums.

I would guess that 99% of the readers of this blog have no clue as to Bill Evans. I would guess that most of the younger jazz fans are mostly unaware of him, as well. It’s nice that he recorded one of Gentry’s songs, but I have a bunch of Bill’s recordings and wouldn’t regard that song as one of his stronger efforts.

By the way Daniel has a real crush on Bobbie Gentry and littered the Country Universe blog (under the name Skytorch) with thousands of words on Bobbie Gentry when Kevin ran the ’100 Greatest Women of Country Music’ feature. Kevin had her ranked at #67 which I think was about right

Daniel would have you believe that Gentry was more important than Louis Armstrong, Jimmie Rodgers, Bing Crosby and Loretta Lynn combined and it just isn’t so. She was a successful artist and that’s more than you can say about most artists

By: Daniel

Daniel — Fri, 25 May 2012 04:54:05 +0000

Hello Barry: I always laugh at the idea that Bobbie Gentry was a one hit wonder in some peoples small minds. While she certainly was no hit machine, eleven hot 100 pop singles with four going top forty is a good run in anyones book. Ask Musician Bobby Paris: In 1975, he sued Bobbie for one percent of her Capitol Records royalties based on a verbal agreement. He won the case and Bobbie paid him 35 thousand to settle the judgement. That means between 1967-1974 Bobbie made 3.5 million at Capitol, a staggering sum for the era and for a female recording artist. This amount does not even include her publishing royalties. She had a top tier one contract at the label.

By: nm

nm — Thu, 24 May 2012 16:43:32 +0000

I don’t think it’s exactly mysterious.

By: Barry Mazor

Barry Mazor — Thu, 24 May 2012 12:31:53 +0000

She deserves to be honored in multiple genres; “country” hardly covers her full range. If she hadn’t been a beauty in a two-piece, and the music business what it was then, she might easily have a Dylan-sized rep by now. Her treatment as a one-hit wonder seems to have a lot to do with her revulsion with public life and the music industry..

By: Daniel

Daniel — Thu, 24 May 2012 04:52:21 +0000

The real “mystery” about Bobbie Gentry should be why she has never been inducted or even nominated by The Nashville Songwriters Hall Of Fame.Her Ode to Billie Joe has been covered by scores of Nashville royality. The song has sold 50 million records on over 100 covers and made Rolling Stones top 500 of all time list. Her classic composition, Fancy, has a dozen covers and 20 million in sales and made CMT’S Top 100 Country Songs at #27. Master jazz pianist, Bill Evans, immortalized her lush composition, Mornin’ Glory, on his important “Live In Toyko’ album. Her 1967 southern swamp rocker, Mississippi Delta, helped define the sub genere of Southern Rock. Bobbie published nearly 100 songs 1967-1978. Clearly she deserves the honor.

By: Daniel

Daniel — Wed, 23 May 2012 18:07:47 +0000

Barry: I do fine it quite interesting that her production company( Gentry ltd) that produced her bbc series and U.S specials and her publishing company( Super Darlin Publishing) are still listed as active companies in the state of California. It’s also a myth that Bobbie only had a 5 year career. I saw her in Vegas in the very early 80′s still headlining her fabulous show.

By: Barry Mazor

Barry Mazor — Wed, 23 May 2012 15:42:12 +0000

I’m not sure that the BBC Bobbie doc’s final comments suggesting that nobody’s had a clue where she’s been since she lived on that sea island years ago (something I’ve discussed with Rick Hall myself) are quite right either, Daniel…

By: Daniel

Daniel — Wed, 23 May 2012 15:08:41 +0000

Loved the bbc radio documentary on Bobbie Gentry even with the couple glaring errors. First: how could the bbc researchers ,of all people, not know that her third album ‘Local Gentry’ was recorded at Abby Road studios in London not Nashville as they sited. They also state her bbc variety show started airing after her massive U.K #1 pop single,’I'll Never fall In Love Again’. Wrong again:she started producing the show in 1968, two full years before that big hit. Holly George Warren also keeps printing that Bobbie married Jim Stafford in 1975 and had their son a couple years later. She married Jim in 1978 had their son in 1979, the same year her brief marriage ended. I really enjoyed hearing Rick Hall(of Fame Recording studios) talk about the Fancy recording sessions. He states Fancy ,like O.T.B.J, was originally ten minutes long and had to be edited down to a more friendly radio format. Clearly this hour just breaks the ice on a wealth of information still out there. Members of Elvis’ group ,the Jordinaries, confirm Bobbie and Elvis wer indeed engaged in 1973 and that she ended the romance siting she could never be a domestic wife to him and that she was aware he had kept Linda Thompson on a string in the background. Perhaps Bobbbie’s greatest investment was obtaining a minority ownership stake in the Phoniex Suns basbetball team. She has clearly maintained her wealth for four decades.

By: Barry Mazor

Barry Mazor — Wed, 16 May 2012 03:23:18 +0000

Gentry’s not given an interview or made a public appearance since the mid-80s. For many years, there were only rumors of where she even lived. She is known to have appeared on some obscure records made in L.A.–as a bass player.