"Ode to Billy Joe" was a hit song in August-September 1967 written and performed by Bobbie Gentry, a singer-songwriter from Chickasaw County, Mississippi. 1967 was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Bobbie Gentry - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia /**/ @import /skins-1. ... The term singer-songwriter refers to performers who both write and sing their own material. ... Chickasaw County is a county located in the state of Mississippi. ...

Said to be based on a true story, this Southern Gothic song recounts the night of June 3, 1953, when Billy Joe McAllister committed suicide by jumping off the Tallahatchie Bridge on Choctaw Ridge, Mississippi. The song is noteworthy for the mystery surrounding his reasons for jumping off the bridge, which led to much speculation at the time. In 1975, Ms. Gentry told author Herman Raucher that she hadn't come up with a reason when she wrote the song. "Ode" was so popular in 1967 that Frank Sinatra, who loved it, asked jazz great Ella Fitzgerald to sing a few verses for his TV special. Southern Gothic is a sub-genre of the Gothic writing style, unique to American literature. ... June 3 is the 154th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (155th in leap years), with 211 days remaining. ... 1953 is a common year starting on Thursday. ... The Death of Socrates by Jacques-Louis David, 1787 Suicide (from Latin sui caedere, to kill oneself) is the act of willfully ending ones own life; it is sometimes a noun for one who has committed or attempted the act. ... The Tallahatchie River is located near Money, Mississippi. ... Herman Raucher(born April 13, 1928 in Brooklyn, New York) is an American author who has written several novels and screenplays, among them Summer of 42 and The Great Santini. ... Frank Sinatra in 1947 Francis Albert Sinatra (December 12, 1915 – May 14, 1998) was an American singer who is considered one of the finest vocalists of all time, renowned for his impeccable phrasing and timing. ... Ella Fitzgerald - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia /**/ @import /skins-1. ...

The questions raised by the song were supposedly answered in the 1976 Warner Bros. movie, also titled Ode to Billy Joe, based on the novel by Herman Raucher. The movie starred Robby Benson as Billy Joe, and was produced by Max Baer, Jr. (who played Jethro Bodine on TV's The Beverly Hillbillies). See also: 1975 in film 1976 1977 in film 1970s in film years in film film Events March 22 - Filming begins on George Lucas Star Wars science fiction film. ... Warner Bros. ... Robby Benson (born 21 January 1956) is an American actor. ... Max Baer, Jr. ... The Beverly Hillbillies is a TV sitcom about a hillbilly who strikes oil while hunting on his land, near the fictional Bugtussle, and moves his family to Beverly Hills, California, with the resultant wealth. ...

External links

• Ode to Billy Joe at the Internet Movie Database
• Songfacts.com lyrics and discussion about the song