Bobbie Gentry was born today, January 27, 1944.

She was a US singer, songwriter, notable as one of the first female country artists to compose and produce her own material. ‘Ode to Billie Joe’ brought her international fame. The 1967 song was an intriguing Southern Gothic narrative. The track saw four weeks at No.1 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart selling over three million copies worldwide. Gentry received a Grammy nomination for her album Fancy for Best Female Pop Vocal Performance.