Known worldwide for 1967’s haunting ‘Ode To Billie Joe’, Bobbie Gentry’s career amounted to so much more. I was delighted to be asked to compile a Best Of... She was a unique, one-woman talent, writing and producing her own material. Hers was a sultry blend of Delta blues and mournful country, but with a good pop sensibility.

Bobbie hosted three series of her own TV show on the BBC, with guests including Elton John and James Taylor. However, she remains one of the true mysteries of popular music. By the mid-70s she decided she’d had enough, and by 1982 had withdrawn completely from the public eye. Unlike the bulk of these retirements, nobody has seen hide nor hair of her since.

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