The song "Ode to Billie Joe" was written and recorded by Bobbie Gentry,
a singer-songwriter from Chickasaw County, Mississippi. The single,
released in late July, was a number-one hit in the U.S. and became a
big international seller. Billboard ranked the record as the No. 3 song for
1967. The song is ranked #412 on Rolling Stone‘s list of "the 500 Greatest
Songs of All Time". It generated eight Grammy nominations, resulting in
three wins for Gentry and one win for arranger Jimmie Haskell.

Bobbie Gentry (Roberta Lee Streeter) will be 73 on July 27.