Jeannie C. Riley Performs “Harper Valley PTA” At Grand Ole Opry
on Sep 27, 2024
Jeannie C. Riley’s “Harper Valley PTA” made her an overnight success.
Jeannie C. Riley’s “Harper Valley PTA” made Riley the first female artist in history to chart at No.1 on both the Billboard Hot 100 and U.S. Hot Country Singles with the same song, remaining the only artist to accomplish such a feat until Dolly Parton‘s “9 to 5.”
Riley’s vocals and Hall’s creative writing ability brought them both to the spotlight, ultimately selling over 6 million copies!
Was “Harper Valley PTA” based on real events?
Essentially, yes!
Jeannie C. Riley’s “Harper Valley PTA” was written by Tom T. Hall and was based a true story he had heard as a child. The story revolved around a single mother in his town publicly addressing the local PTA’s concerns in regards to her activities and parenting style.
The song follows a widower and mother to a teenage daughter attending Harper Valley Middle School. The Parent Teacher Association sent the young girl home one day with a letter for her, which scolded her for a series of alleged bad behavior, even deeming her unfit to care for her daughter. However, the mother was not about to let them get away with trying to humiliate her.
She went down to the PTA meeting and gave them what for, calling out a number of them individually about their activities outside of school. The song also inspired a movie in 1978 and and TV series in 1981, both starring the legendary Barbara Eden.
Watch Jeannie C. Riley perform “Harper Valley PTA” at the Grand Ole Opry in 1969
Smiles and all, Riley took this song to the stage of the Grand Ole Opry, where the best of the best are given their once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to shine, and that she did! While her metallic gold boots did a bold amount of shining on their own, Riley casually strolled the Southern-themed stage and gave her eager audience the much-anticipated live performance that they had hoped for!
While “Harper Valley PTA” would ultimately be her most widely-recognized hit, she continued to make music and enjoy her lively career, later transitioning her musical focus to primarily include gospel elements.
Check out her opry performance below!
