The Success of "Harper Valley PTA"
"Harper Valley PTA" was released in 1968. The song immediately became a hit for Riley and went to number one on both the Billboard Pop and Country charts, a feat not repeated until 1981 when Dolly Parton released "9 to 5". The song is about a widowed woman by the name of Mrs. Johnson, who confronts a group of members of the PTA after her daughter brings home a note from school that's critical of her (Mrs. Johnson's) habits of wearing miniskirts, going out with men, and other behavior of which they do not approve. The climax of the song comes when Mrs. Johnson turns the tables on the PTA and exposes their hypocrisy, one member at a time.
Riley and the song became an overnight sensation, and the song earned her the Grammy Award for Best Female Country Vocal Performance and the Country Music Association 'Single of the Year' award. Riley also became one of the very few country artists ever nominated in the major pop Grammy categories of "Best New Artist" and "Record of the Year". Globally it sold over five and a half million copies, and was awarded a gold disc by the R.I.A.A. just four weeks after the song's release. The album of the same name sold over one million units to gain a further gold disc for Riley.
The song was a phenomenon which led to Riley making country music history in 1969 as the first female vocalist to have her own major network variety special Harper Valley U.S.A., which she hosted along with Jerry Reed. Then in 1978 a film and the 1981 Harper Valley PTA television show were made.
Read more about this topic: Jeannie C. Riley
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