JEANNIE C. RILEY - Harper Valley P.T.A. - 50th Anniversary

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This video is owned by: Jeannie C. Riley music. All rights belong to: Jeannie C. Riley. Graphic Design: kanabel.com

2018 is the 50th Anniversary of one of the biggest records to ever come out of Music City, “HARPER VALLEY P.T.A.” A major international hit single for country singer JEANNIE C. RILEY in 1968.

On Friday, July 26, 1968 Jeanne Riley had been working for Passkey Music on Music Row as a receptionist. She closed the door to the office at 5 o’clock and walked next door to Columbia Studio. It was a hot, humid evening. The producer, Shelby Singleton, kept saying the song was “just right” for her voice, just right to catch the angry mood of a nation fed up with hypocrisy. Jeanne glanced at the music and listened as Jerry Kennedy, the session leader, begin his countdown. She began to tap her foot to the beat, she stepped up to the microphone. Suddenly she was into the song.

From the very first word, her mood and lyrics came together in a magical blend. She stood close to the microphone and let it pour out. There wasn’t a sound as the last echo of the guitars faded. Then one of the musicians said “Great Gawd A’mighty.”

It had taken 15 minutes to cut the first tape. Then someone suggested that they change the line “... the day that momma broke up the Harper Valley P.T.A.” to “...the day my momma socked it to, the Harper Valley P.T.A.” The lyrics, the music, literally made Jeannie C. Riley the Harper Valley girl. Caught up in it, she snorted and sneered the anger of the world. That was it. What the world heard, was what was done that Friday night in July 1968 by Jeannie C. Riley.

Harper Valley P.T.A. originally sold over eight million copies. The song made Jeannie C. Riley the first woman to top both the Billboard Hot 100 and the U.S. Hot Country Singles charts with the same song. Jeannie was presented with the Grammy Award for Best Country Vocal Performance - Female and Country Music’s CMA award, for Single of the Year.

Jeannie C. Riley was wanted everywhere, performing on the Ed Sullivan Show, Bob Hope Specials, The Hollywood Palace, American Bandstand, Upbeat, Mike Douglas, Merv Griffin, and countless other television shows. She was the very first country female artist to co-host her very own music variety show, “Harper Valley USA” along with Jerry Reed and special guests Tom T. Hall and Mel Tillis.

Then in 1978 a movie version of the song was released, starring Barbara Eden, then went on to a TV series in 1981-82.

“Happy Birthday Harper Valley” and thanks to Tom T. Hall for writing it and Jeannie C. Riley for bringing it to Life!

... and to ALL the hypocrites, LOVE one another, don’t judge one another.