Watch Jeannie C. Riley Bring Mrs. Johnson of ‘Harper Valley P.T.A.’ to Life

By THC Staff | February 18, 2016

 

When Jeannie C. Riley heard the first recording of Tom T. Hall’s “Harper Valley P.T.A.” fly by her Nashville desk as Jerry Chestnut’s secretary, she knew she had to have it for herself.

Luckily, fate intervened, and she was able to record what would become the biggest hit of her career and one of the most iconic country songs ever. What makes the song so brilliant, however, is probably because it was a true story.

Songwriter Tom T. Hall told The Boot that, “The story is a true story. I didn’t make the story up; I chose the story to make a statement, but I changed the names to protect the innocent.” Hall was an observant young boy and noticed one particular single mother in his town that he was fascinated with. She became the basis for Mrs. Johnson in “Harper Valley P.T.A.”

The song went on to become an international hit, and Riley was the first woman to top the Billboard Top 100 chart and also the U.S. Hot Country Singles chart. It even sparked the infamous movie in 1978 where Barbara Eden, or Jeannie of I Dream of Jeannie, played the iconic Stella Johnson.

However, it was Jeannie C. Riley that brought the awesome, society-sticking song to the forefront first, so let’s watch her in action.