Mississippi-born songstress Bobbie Gentry burned up the country and pop Billboard charts in 1967 with her single “Ode To Billie Joe,” knocking “All You Need Is Love” out of the prime Number 1 position, a huge feat for a new artist who had little-to-no hype preceding her. An astonishing 750,000 copies of the single flew from record store shelves nationally. In 1972, Gentry issued her fifth and final album with a smattering of individual songs surfacing over the next few years. She spent the remainder of the ’70s performing in Las Vegas and Reno, NV before turning her back on the music business and disappearing from sight. Although Bobbie Gentry no longer records or performs, her legacy continues to inspire contemporary musicians. Lucinda Williams, Shelby Lynne and Beth Orton are but a few artists who cite Gentry as a major influence on their work.