On This Day
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Bobby Gentry releases her hit "Ode to Billie Joe"

Bobbie Gentry is an American retired singer-songwriter. She was one of the first female artists in the United States to compose and produce their own material. Gentry rose to international fame in...

Bobbie Gentry is an American retired singer-songwriter. She was one of the first female artists in the United States to compose and produce their own material.

Gentry rose to international fame in 1967 with her Southern Gothic narrative "Ode to Billie Joe". The track spent four weeks at number one on the Billboard Hot 100 chart and was third in the Billboard year-end chart of 1967, earning Gentry the Grammy Awards for Best New Artist and Best Female Pop Vocal Performance in 1968.

Gentry charted 11 singles on the Billboard Hot 100 and four singles on the United Kingdom top 40. Her album Fancy brought her a Grammy nomination for Best Female Pop Vocal Performance. After her first albums, she had a successful run of variety shows in Las Vegas.

Historical Significance

Bobbie Gentry is an American retired singer-songwriter.

Events Before

  1. 12-day New York City transit worker strike halts subway and bus services

    A 1980 transit strike in New York City halted service on the New York City Transit Authority (a subsidiary of the Metropolitan Transportation Authority) for the first time since 1966.

  2. The Beatles' album "Rubber Soul" goes to #1 and stays there for six weeks, while the single "We Can Work It Out" also ch

    The Beatles' album "Rubber Soul" goes to #1 and stays there for six weeks, while the single "We Can Work It Out" also charts at #1 for three weeks

  3. "Batman", starring Adam West as Batman, Burt Ward as Robin, and Cesar Romero as the Joker, debuts on ABC

    Batman is an American comedy television series based on the DC Comics character of the same name.

  4. Indira Gandhi is elected India's first female prime minister

    Indira Gandhi was an Indian stateswoman who served as the prime minister of India from 1966 to 1977 and again from 1980 until her assassination in 1984.

  5. Quiet Beatle George Harrison (22) weds British model Pattie Boyd (21) at the registry office in Epsom, Surrey, England,

    Quiet Beatle George Harrison (22) weds British model Pattie Boyd (21) at the registry office in Epsom, Surrey, England, Paul serves as best man; divorce in 1977

Events After

  1. Cuba Gooding Jr. is born

    Cuba Gooding Jr., American actor, known for american actor, was born on 1968-01-02. Cuba Mark Gooding Jr. is an American actor.

  2. ABC Radio splits into four networks: Info, Entertainment, Contemporary, and FM

    ABC Radio splits into four networks: Info, Entertainment, Contemporary, and FM

  3. Actress Sharon Tate (24) weds actor and director Roman Polanski (34) in Chelsea, London

    Actress Sharon Tate (24) weds actor and director Roman Polanski (34) in Chelsea, London

  4. Battle of Khe Sanh begins at Khe Sanh Combat Base, one of the most publicized and controversial battles of the Vietnam W

    Battle of Khe Sanh begins at Khe Sanh Combat Base, one of the most publicized and controversial battles of the Vietnam War

  5. Aretha Franklin's 14th studio album "Lady Soul" is released (Billboard Album of the Year, 1968)

    Aretha Franklin's 14th studio album "Lady Soul" is released (Billboard Album of the Year, 1968)

More from the 1960s

Apollo 11 Moon Landing

NASA's Apollo 11 mission successfully lands the first humans on the Moon. Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin become the first people to walk on the lunar surface.

space exploration

Martin Luther King Jr.'s "I Have a Dream" Speech

Martin Luther King Jr. delivers his iconic "I Have a Dream" speech during the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom, calling for an end to racism in the United States.

civil rightspolitics government
birth

Tommy Morrison is born

Tommy Morrison, American professional boxer, known for american boxer, was born on 1969-01-02.

birth

Gabrielle Carteris is born

Gabrielle Carteris is born

Frequently Asked Questions

What happened on August 5, 1967?
Bobbie Gentry is an American retired singer-songwriter. She was one of the first female artists in the United States to compose and produce their own material. Gentry rose to international fame in 1967 with her Southern Gothic narrative "Ode to Billie Joe".
Why is Bobby Gentry releases her hit "Ode to Billie Joe" significant?
Bobbie Gentry is an American retired singer-songwriter.

Explore More

August 5 in HistoryYear 1967