It was the 3rd of June...

[peteg59]

51 years ago Bobbie Gentry's "Ode to Billie Joe" captured the imagination of the world with the clear spoken words from her light raspy voice only accompanied with her guitar and violins in the background describing in just over 4 minutes country living in the summer in Mississippi that ended in the tragic suicide of Billie Joe Mcallister from jumping off the Tallahatchie Bridge. And the song does not answer why and to this day Bobby Gentry has let us figure it out on our own. It is one of the best written compositions ever with it's well thought out simple easy to understand lyrics.

Gentry was an up and coming 23 year old wanna-be country singer when she recorded it in July 1967 but the song just made the Country Top 20 Charts with a best of 16th. But the Pop Charts is where it made it's impact going all the way to #1 and staying there 4 weeks. It was the most played song that summer. Within a year Gentry was an international star.

50 years later I still find myself humming this song every 3rd of June. Maybe you do too...

[paws]

Back then people who were unhappy just killed themselves rather than everybody else. That is, except for the University of Texas Tower sniper.... maybe he started it all... bunch of copy cats since.

[Peter A.]

Ahhhh back to what appears to be the simpler times!

Thanks for the excellent film clip..........brings many memories ........

[FRR]

They were throwing a fetus off the bridge. To this day Gentry refuses to discuss the song or even give interviews.