The Songwriter Behind One Of Reba McEntire’s Signature Songs Won’t Even Talk To Her

One of her biggest songs…and she’s never even gotten so much as a “thank you.”

While it may be most closely associated with Reba McEntire these days, “Fancy” was actually written and recorded by Bobbie Gentry way back in 1969. The mysterious Gentry, who had hits with songs like “Ode to Billie Joe” and “All I Have To Do Is Dream” before all but disappearing in 1982, saw “Fancy” as a feminist anthem of sorts:

“”Fancy” is my strongest statement for women’s lib, if you really listen to it. I agree wholeheartedly with that movement and all the serious issues that they stand for — equality, equal pay, day care centers, and abortion rights.”

The song was a minor hit for Gentry at the time on both country and pop radio, reaching the top 40 on both charts. But it wasn’t until 1990, when Reba recorded it for her Rumor Has It album and released it as a single in 1991, that “Fancy” took on the life it has today.

Reba’s version peaked at #8 on the charts but has since become one of her signature songs, and has even been featured on numerous lists as one of the greatest country songs of all time.

It almost didn’t happen though: Reba first wanted to record her version of “Fancy” back in 1984, but her producer Jimmy Bowen (who was also the head of MCA Records) wasn’t exactly thrilled about the idea, both because the song was so closely associated with Gentry, and because a song about prostitution wasn’t really the image they were going for:

“The first time I ever heard it I fell in love with it because I like story songs. I’m a huge fan of Dolly Parton, Tom T. Hall — people who write story songs — Bobbie Gentry, ‘Ode to Billie Joe.’

Well, ‘Fancy’ was the first one that was really big in 1968. Later on, when I got to start recording and singing old songs, I wanted to do ‘Fancy.’

Jimmy Bowen wouldn’t let me because it’s a rags-to-riches song and probably in a very not appropriate form. She’s a prostitute.”

Yeah, I guess that makes sense.

But luckily, Reba would finally get her shot at the song a few years later.

When Bowen left the label in the 1980s, and Tony Brown took over as producer for Reba, they were finishing up her album Rumor Has It, and Brown asked Reba if there was anything else she wanted to include:

“I always wanted to record it. Then Tony Brown said, ‘What’s a song you’d like to do a remake of?’ And I said, ‘Fancy.’

He said, ‘That’s one of my favorite songs, too.’ And so we recorded it.”

And the rest, as they say, is history. Much to their astonishment, “Fancy” became a Reba McEntire staple, surpassing Bobbie Gentry’s original on the country charts, and joining the ranks as one of country music’s greatest songs.

But what does Gentry herself think about Reba’s version? Well, we have no idea.

Gentry’s final public appearance came at the ACM Awards on April 30, 1982. She was 40 years old at the time, and apparently unhappy with life and a career as a public figure – and reportedly unhappy with how she was treated as a woman in the music business.

So she just gave it all up. With no notice or sign that it would be the last time she would appear in public, Gentry withdrew from the spotlight and went back to being just a regular person, although one who at one point was one of the biggest country music stars in the world.

In fact, very few people even know where she lives. It’s been reported that Gentry lives in Los Angeles now, but it’s also been reported that she’s living just outside of Memphis.

One reporter for the Washington Post claims to have talked to Gentry on the phone back in 2016 – but only briefly. According to the report, when the reporter called the number she managed to get for Gentry, who he claimed is indeed living outside of Memphis, a woman answered the phone. And when the reporter told her who he was and why he was calling, the woman on the other end of the line simply said “There’s no one here by that name” and hung up.

And Reba hasn’t never talked to her either.

A few years ago, Reba revealed that even after making her song a massive hit, Gentry never reached out and has never answered any of her attempts at communicating with the mysterious country star:

“I talked to so many people who have gotten to work with her and know her and do stay in communication with her and I would say, ‘Hey, would you tell her that I’d really like to meet her sometime or talk to her or email or text or smoke signals or anything.’ I don’t care, I’d just really like to communicate with her. I’d love to know where did she get the idea of ‘Fancy’ and what was the thinking behind it.”

A photo of Gentry, reportedly from 2014, surfaced a few years ago without much context, but other than that, it’s been over 40 years since the public has seen or heard from her:

There have been reports that Gentry may be interested in getting back into the music business at some point, with author Tara Murthy telling the LA Times:

“She does make phone calls and sets up appointments with people from time to time, but always cancels them. So maybe one day the mood will strike.”

I’m sure nobody is hoping the mood strikes more than Reba – who would love to have a conversation with the songwriter behind her signature song for the first time, over three decades after it was released.

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