Bobbie Gentry's a fascinating person: "...The song's sparse sound and controversial lyrics struck a chord on the airwaves of 1967. Capitol's shortened version added to the song's mystery: what did Billie Joe and his girlfriend throw off the Tallahatchie Bridge, and why did Billie Joe commit suicide? Bobbie has said that the real theme of the song was indifference. "Those questions are of secondary importance in my mind. The story of Billie Joe has two more interesting underlying themes." she says, "First, the illustration of a group of peoples reaction's to the life and death of Billie Joe, and its subsequent effect on their lives, is made. Second, the obvious gap between the girl and her mother is shown when both women experience a common loss (first Billie Joe, and later, Papa), and yet Mama and the girl are unable to recognize their mutual loss or share their grief."
She dropped out of the music scene after quite a few years in it. The story told is very interesting.