Jeannie C. Riley
American gospel singerWikipedia
20
MENTIONS
10
EPISODES
7
PODCASTS
Search complete. 20 mentions across 10 episodes found for "Jeannie C. Riley".
Sep 19, 2026
EricHOST
We have time for a few more before the break.
EricHOST
This next one is a story song from Jeannie C. Riley.
EricHOST
This is Harper Valley PTA on Classic Country Corner.
Jeannie C. RileySOUNDBITE_SPEAKER
I want to tell you all a story about a Harper Valley widowed wife who had a teenage daughter who attended Harper Valley Junior High.
Larry KratkaHOST
Night Moves, originally done by Bob Seger in 1977.
Larry KratkaHOST
Harper Valley PTA, originally done by Jeannie C. Riley in 1968, and Seven Bridges Road, originally done by the Eagles in 1981.
Larry KratkaHOST
Those are just a few small samples of cover versions of Dolly Parton recorded over the years.
Larry the Cable GuySOUNDBITE_SPEAKER
You're listening to Sweet Country Music's tribute to Dolly Parton.
Michael BerryHOST
He's a fantastic songwriter, and he's almost always singing only the songs that he wrote.
Michael BerryHOST
Of course, he wrote Harper Valley PTA, and Jeannie C. Riley made that famous.
Michael BerryHOST
But there's something very charming about Tom T.
Michael BerryHOST
Hall.
Larry KratkaHOST
Time now for our sweet country music feature presentation.
Larry KratkaHOST
And this time I'm going to have Jeannie C. Riley tell you the story of Harper Valley PTA.
Larry KratkaHOST
But did you know there was a sequel to Harper Valley PTA? You're going to hear it.
Larry KratkaHOST
Here we go.
Michael BerryHOST
Is that right? And on Wednesday, a caller said that, um, he really liked that song she did, Harper Valley PTA, and I said, "Well, that's Jeannie C.
Michael BerryHOST
Riley." He said, "Oh, I thought it was Dolly." And Dolly did record a version of it, but the hit you know was Jeannie C.
Michael BerryHOST
Riley.
Michael BerryHOST
She won Grammy.
Michael BerryHOST
She, she was the only artist...
Michael BerryHOST
They're almost the same exact age.
Michael BerryHOST
Um, so I decided...
Michael BerryHOST
I, I had seen a podcast with Andrew Pope where he had talked to her a month or two ago, and I'd made a mental note, which I promptly forgot, that I wanted to have Jeannie Riley on the show, and I knew she lived somewhere north, northwest of, of Houston.
AndrewAUDIENCE
But, no-
Michael BerryHOST
... was Jeannie C. Riley.
Michael BerryHOST
It was written by Tammy Wynette-
AndrewAUDIENCE
Was it? Okay
Michael BerryHOST
... and Jeannie C. Riley.
AndrewAUDIENCE
Yeah, then she did a cover then.
Michael BerryHOST
Are you sure?
Michael BerryHOST
All right.
Jim LillHOST
Patsy Cline, Crazy.
Jim LillHOST
Jeannie C. Riley, Harper Valley PTA.
Jim LillHOST
That was probably my favorite one when I was a kid.
Jim LillHOST
I thought it was kinda fun.
44 MINS LATER
Jim LillHOST
Parton has stated in numerous interviews that when she wrote the song, she devised the clacking typewriter rhythm by running her acrylic fingernails back and forth against one another.
Jim LillHOST
With this song, Parton became only the second woman to top both the US Country Singles Charts and the Billboard Hot 100 with the same single.
Jim LillHOST
The first was 1968's Harper Valley PTA by Jeannie C. Riley.
Jim LillHOST
And personnel, Dolly Parton, lead vocals, nails [laughs] Jeff Baxter, Marty Walsh, guitars, Abraham Laboriel, bass, Larry Knechtel, Knechtel, piano, uh, Rick Shlosser, drums, Leonard Castro, percussion, William Reichenbach, trombone, Tom Saviano, saxophone, Kim S. Hutchcroft, baritone saxophone, Jerry Hey, trumpet, and then Deniece Minelli DeCaro, Stefanie Spurrell, Marty McCall, Joey Scarbury, background vocals.
Stevie NicksHOST
In 1971, country music was in the middle of a strange contradictory moment for its women.
Stevie NicksHOST
Loretta Lynn, Bobby Gentry, and Jeannie C. Riley had all recently proven that a woman could top the charts singing about suicide, scandal, and marital fury, and it was proof that the genre's audience had an appetite for female stories that didn't flinch.
Stevie NicksHOST
But the industry's machinery still ran on the older logic, the one that required a woman's talent to be chaperoned by a husband's name, a band leader's blessing, a man's cosign.
Stevie NicksHOST
Lynn wrote about Doolittle's wandering eye.
Wallace ChapmanHOST
[laughs] Yeah.
Marty DudaGUEST
The, the Jeannie C. Riley song from a couple years later.
Marty DudaGUEST
But it was that attitude that she has.
Marty DudaGUEST
If you listen to the lyrics, she's, she's definitely her own woman.
CraigHOST
That song was written by Tom T.
CraigHOST
Hall, who was a great songwriter, and it was a hit for Jeannie C. Riley.
CraigHOST
As far as I know, it's her only hit.
CraigHOST
I don't really know that much about her.