Bobbie Gentry Biography, Husband, Son, Net Worth, Where is she now, is she alive?

In the 1960s, female artists were generally unaware or at least not allowed by their record companies to compose and produce material on their own. It was the norm of the time until Bobbie Gentry was one of the first female artists to break this trend, thanks to her exceptional talent which led to the creation of songs like “Ode to Billie Joe” and “Fancy”, among others. Join us to take a look at the person behind the talent, their accomplishments, personal life and other projects.

the biography

On July 27, 1942, in Chickasaw County, Mississippi, Bobbie Gentry, whose birth name is Roberta Lee Streeter, was born to Ruby Lee (née Shipman) and Robert Harrison Streeter. Shortly after she was born, her parents divorced, leaving Gentry raised primarily by her paternal grandparents on their farm as her mother moved to California.

From an early age, Gentry was said to have shown a love for music. For this reason, his grandmother traded one of the family’s cash cows for a piano belonging to her neighbour. Thanks to this, Gentry was able to compose his first song at the age of 7. She then learned to play other musical instruments such as bass, banjo and guitar while attending elementary school.

At around age 13, Bobbie Gentry reunited with her mother when she moved to Arcadia, California to live with her. Here she attended Palm Valley School, graduating in 1960, before embarking on a music career, although she also hopes to continue her education. The budding young singer began performing at local country clubs as she moved to Los Angeles to study philosophy at the University of California, Los Angeles.

Gentry supported herself in school with office workers, her jobs as well as her club performances and model work. She then transferred to the Los Angeles Conservatory of Music to develop her compositional and performing skills before making her recording debut in 1966 in two duets with singer Joey Reynolds and the rest is history.

Net value

According to the Celebrity Net Worth website, Bobbie Gentry has an estimated net worth of $100 million. The talented singer and songwriter is said to have made most of her fortune from her career in music, which still pays royalties today. The multiple Grammy winner reportedly received more than $3 million in royalties from singer Reba McEntire’s 1991 song “Fancy.”

She additionally received over $50 million from the film Ode to Billie Joe (1976), based on her life. It is reported that Gentry asked for 10% of the profits generated by the film and 15% of the future royalties it will generate through television syndication and other sales, which today total the figure indicated.

In addition to his music earnings, Gentry, who was an early owner of the Phoenix Suns basketball team, holding partial ownership from 1968 to 1987, is said to own real estate worth tens of millions of dollars. dollars across the United States, but primarily in the state of California.

Family – Spouse, Son

Bobbie Gentry was unsuccessful in any of her three marriages as they were all short-lived and ended in divorce. Her first marriage was on December 18, 1969 to William F. Harrah, businessman and founder of Harrah’s Hotel and Casinos. Harrah, then twice divorced, was 33 years older than his wife. they exchanged vows. Their marriage lasted only five months, after which they were granted a divorce in April 1970.

Gentry’s next blow to marriage came six years later, on August 17, 1976, with a businessman named Thomas R. Toutant. This union turned out to be the longest of all, lasting two years before divorcing on August 1, 1978. A few months later, on October 15, 1978, she returned to married life with musician and comedian Jim Stafford .. The two children had a son named Tyler Gentry Stafford before divorcing just under a year before their birthday. Gentry has not remarried since and there are no new subsequent relationships.

Where is she now? Is she alive?

Bobbie Gentry is believed to still be alive, as she, according to a 2016 Washington Post article, lived a private life in a gated community in suburban Memphis, Tennessee. In 1981, Gentry chose to retire after losing interest in it. She managed to pull off a nearly impossible disappearing act by stepping away from the public eye and hasn’t given any interviews since then.

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