Bobbie Gentry

Roberta Lee Streeter (born July 27, 1942) used the pseudonym “Bobbie Gentry”, and was one of the first female country artists to compose and produce her material. Her songs drew on her Mississippi roots and she composed Southern Gothic story songs.

Gentry rose to fame with her song, “Ode to Billie Joe” in 1967. The song spent four weeks at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. The song earned her Grammy awards for Best New Artist and Best Female Pop Vocal Performance in 1968. Her album, Fancy brought her a Grammy nomination for Best Female Pop Vocal Performance. She lost interest in performing in the late 1970s, and now lives a private life in Los Angeles.