Within weeks of starting her gig at the Clam House, Bentley transformed the whole jointliterally. Audience members started raving about her stage presence at the piano, so much so that the club even changed its name to Barbaras Exclusive Club to take the most advantage of Bentleys fame and notorietywhile they still could. Gladys would soon become pregnant and . However, Floyd County Schools said in a statement Friday . [27] Bentley was one of the featured obituaries in Overlooked No More. In an interview with Ebony magazine,[6] Bentley stated that "It seems I was born different. Celebrity OTE - Spring Arts Guide Daniel Kaluuya Digital. This flower has been reported and will not be visible while under review. Gladys Presley died on August 14, 1958, at the age of 46 after suffering from heart failure. All photos appear on this tab and here you can update the sort order of photos on memorials you manage. Hansberry was so vengeful, he wasnt content to just sue Bentley; he also tried to prevent her from seeking any further success. When she got up on stage every night in her top hat and tails, she sang loud and proud about sissies and bulldaggers, and her lyrics often illustrated her lesbian affairs in very explicit terms. There is a problem with your email/password. Drag images here or select from your computer for Gladys Alberta Bentley memorial. Gladys Bentley - Worried Blues (1928) Gladys Bentley and "Worried Blues," from 1928. Continuing with this request will add an alert to the cemetery page and any new volunteers will have the opportunity to fulfill your request. So, she went ahead and did something truly scandalous. Use the links under See more to quickly search for other people with the same last name in the same cemetery, city, county, etc. Years later, I was using her phone when I made an utterly chilling discovery. 0 references. In 1952, her first husband J.T. https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/7634493/gladys-alberta-bentley. . "Gladys Bentley should be remembered for being a gender outlaw," says Wilson. Gladys Alberta Bentley (August 12, 1907 - January 18, 1960) was an American blues singer, pianist, and drag entertainer during the Harlem Renaissance. Some pearl-clutching patrons complained, and the citys response was swift and brutal. I thought you might like to see a memorial for Gladys Alberta Bentley I found on Findagrave.com. Try again later. There was just one huge problem. imported from Wikimedia project. Today though, Bentleys story is resurfacing and she is seen as an African-American woman who was ahead of her time for proudly loving other women, wearing mens clothing and singing bawdy songs. She recorded in 1945 for the Excelsior label. Already a big girl, her parents and siblings saw this masculine turn as shamefully unladylike, while her classmates teased her at school. For Hoedel, any such claims are just baseless "romanticism." Drag performers often backed her up at the . Visitation . pneumonia. She dressed in men's clothes (including a signature tuxedo and top hat), played piano, and sang her own raunchy lyrics to popular tunes of the day in a deep, growling voice while flirting with women in the audience. Make sure that the file is a photo. As Bentley became more popular, she started performing at Harry Hansberrys Clam Houseone of New York Citys most well-known gay speakeasiesin the 1920s. Gladys George was one of the movies' greatest hard-luck dames, both on- and off-screen. In Bentleys account of her life, her audience was as fascinated by her style as it was by her music. Please reset your password. Her career skyrocketed when she appeared at Harry Hansberry's Clam House, a well-known gay speakeasy in New York in the 1920s, as a black, lesbian, cross-dressing performer. . Lea Bentley, a primary teacher at Betsy Layne Elementary, died on Thursday. You have chosen this person to be their own family member. The timing of her downturn in health spurred theories that Gladys drank herself to death, wracked with worry and suffering from a broken heart while her son was serving overseas in Germany. Bentley's performances appealed to black, white, gay, and straight audiences alike, and many celebrities attended her shows. Gladys Bentley had waited years for this moment, and she wasted no time grabbing the opportunity with both hands. For all her revelations in her Ebony article, Bentleys confessions may not be what they seem. Singing the Gender-Bending Blues. Over the course of their acquaintance, Bentley came to realize Don was a normal man who was utterly devoted to her, and they eventually started a romantic relationship and even, according to Bentley, married. The performer had survived a harsh life up until this point, but she was about to spiral out of control. Rustin's sexuality was a cause for debate by others in the movement, but toward the end of his life, he began to openly fight for queer causes. Toward the end of her life Bentley became a devotee of The Temple of Love in Christ, Inc. and prepared for ordained ministry. This was long before the gay rights or the civil rights movements, yet Bentley became a darling of the Harlem Renaissance alongside icons like . The database also contains older death records for some parishes, such as deaths that occurred in Jefferson parish before 1911, and deaths that occurred in Orleans parish as early as . She sang loud, and her vocal style was deep and booming, sometimes using a growling effect and imitations of a horn. When word got around that the great Gladys Bentley was no longer with us, her old friends and fans must have been shocked and looking for answers. Learn about how to make the most of a memorial. Please let us know if a fact weve published is inaccurate (or even if you just suspect its inaccurate) by reaching out to us at contribute@factinate.com. While in Los Angeles, Bentley was up to her usual tricks in the beginningfrequenting and performing at gay bars and scoping out beautiful new lovers. The creativity that came out of that period shaped music, theater, dance, literature, intellectual thought and scholarship in a way that has shaped who we are today.. Then she proceeded to blow his mind. Scholars who have studied Bentleys life said that the story Bentley told about being cured in the Ebony article was likely a response to the McCarthy Era and its hostile claims that homosexuality and communism were threats to the country. Gladys Bentley, one of the most flamboyant blues entertainers of the 20th century, began performing in New York City as a singer and male impersonator. Oops, something didn't work. But once the lights went down, no one knew the tragedy going on behind the scenes. In truth, Gladys Bentley has been a mystery for decades. Though Gladys Bentley notes that her marriage to Don didnt work out, it still seems like something out of a fairy taleand perhaps its just as untrue as a fairy tale, too. Michael Bekoev. or don't show this againI am good at figuring things out. Weve updated the security on the site. While Wilson says there is no record of that union taking place, the story is still a glimpse into Bentleys unapologetic openness about her sexual orientation, and her acute understanding of the power of shock value. Gipson passed, but the spitfire performer didnt wait until he was cold in his grave to jump into bedwith yet another man. Despite those challenges Bentley likely encountered in New Yorks entertainment business, it is no surprise that she moved to Harlem. Like everything she did, she did this whole hog, and got ordained at the beginning of the 1960s. Will In an effort to describe her supposed "cure" for homosexuality she wrote an essay, "I Am a Woman Again," for Ebony magazine in which she stated she had undergone an operation, which "helped change her life again. She died of pneumonia in 1960, aged 52. Your new password must contain one or more uppercase and lowercase letters, and one or more numbers or special characters. [13] In 1930 she recorded a side with the Washboard Serenaders for Victor,[14] and later recorded for the Excelsior, and Flame labels. Decades after his death, Baldwin's work is still celebrated, with his ruminations of life as a Black gay man still holding true for many today. Were always looking for your input! I Am A Woman Again, Bentley declared, disavowing the gender-bending performances that had made her famous. Even as a teenage girl of 16, Bentley had grown into a headstrong young woman, and she was sick and tired of feeling rejected. She relocated to southern California, marketing herself as Americas Greatest Sepia Piano Player and The Brown Bomber of Sophisticated Songs, a cheeky nod to her inelegant lyrical double entendres. She created her own musical revue with a chorus of eight male dancers in drag, the primary attraction at the well-known Ubangi Club, 1934-1937. She sang her She moved to speakeasies and night clubs in Jungle Alley, the center of Harlems sporting life. She would later denounce her lesbianism during the McCarthy era in an Ebony magazine article, "I Am Woman Again." Miss Bentley was an amazing exhibition of musical energy a large, dark, masculine lady, whose feet pounded the floor while her fingers pounded the keyboard a perfect piece of African sculpture, animated by her own rhythm.[15]. If you notice a problem with the translation, please send a message to [emailprotected] and include a link to the page and details about the problem. According to Elvis History Blog, Gladys Presley, the mother of Elvis Presley, died "of a heart attack" at the age of 46, the cause of death given in an Associated press story from the time.. James T. Wilson, Bulldaggers, Pansies, and Chocolate Babies: Performance, Race, and Sexuality in the Harlem Renaissance (Ann Arbor: University of Michigan Press, 2010); Irene Monroe, Honoring Notorious Gladys, The Huffington Post Blog (February 12, 2010), http://www.huffingtonpost.com/irene-monroe/honoring-notorious-gladys_b_459929.html; http://www.queerculturalcenter.org/Pages/Bentley/BentleyBio.html. GREAT NEWS! Please accept Echovita's sincere condolences. The singer was infamous for making up juicy stories about herself, and this Don remains a vague figure in Bentleys life. Flowers added to the memorial appear on the bottom of the memorial or here on the Flowers tab. and experiment both sexually and socially.. The same year, she attempted to move her act to Broadway, despite legal issues. Becoming a Find a Grave member is fast, easy and FREE. She tried to continue her musical career by playing in a number of gay nightspots but did not achieve as much success as she had had in the past. Portraits of Bentley are now held in the music collections of the African American History museum, where the performer is both a face of the Harlem Renaissance and an example of a woman who on her own terms navigated the entertainment business during the Great Depression and Prohibition Eras. 5. A small donation would help us keep this available to all. People, many of whom were white, seeking entertainment and covert access to alcohol crowded into Harlem nightclubs, speakeasies and parties. Wilson also says that Bentley, who was aging and no stranger to reinvention, was likely making deft use of the press. Failed to delete memorial. As Bentley put it, My hands fairly flew over the keys. And the response was legendary. Table showing information for name claims, including the name itself . Blues Singer. Yep, Bentley did that, and in the middle of segregated America to boot. 08/12/1907 . . Even more, she often sang about "sissies" and "bulldaggers"[10] and, through innuendo or more literally, about her female lovers, and she flirted with women in the audience. This article reflects that. After a long climb, Bentley had finally made it to the topbut with stardom came scandal. Before long, Bentleys world got turned upside down again. Terms of Use So maybe its no surprise that the lovebirds split up less than a year into their relationshipand more heartache was to come. "It broke my heart," Elvis Presley said. Your Scrapbook is currently empty. Translation on Find a Grave is an ongoing project. Madame de Pompadour was the alluring chief mistress of King Louis XV, but few people know her dark historyor the chilling secret shared by her and Louis. Gladys Bentleywas born circa 1909. At the time of her death she survived by her large extended friends and family. Dancy Mason is the Editor-in-Chief at Factinate. Edit a memorial you manage or suggest changes to the memorial manager. By the mid 1940's, she took her act to Los Angeles, California and recorded for the Excelsior Record label. Ergo, no charges. The cause of her death was most likely due to the stress of Elvis' career and the demands of being a single mother. Bentley made her spectacular debut on the Great White Way in 1933until it turned into an utter disaster. occupation. Elvis would go on to talk about his brother throughout his career, and as Peter Whitmer, author of the 1996 psychological biography The Inner Elvis explains (via the Billings Gazette), the singer's mother, Gladys Presley, always thought that Jesse's death was "the crucible that forged [Elvis'] 'destiny to do great things.'". She was a big woman, about 250 to 300 pounds and wore . We want our readers to trust us. Was Bentley slowly unraveling? Gladys Alberta Bentley was born on August 12, 1907, which makes her a Leo. This browser does not support getting your location. Learn more about merges. Photos larger than 8Mb will be reduced. The gossip columnist asked, well, who's the man? And she scoffed and said, Man? Hansberry insisted that the club had been built around the popularity of Bentley's success and that he owned a five-year contract over Bentley and her raunchy songs. See, the Clam House was actually looking for a male pianist. musician. But she still had one more legacy left. She died at 97, also becoming. Michael Bekoev was a Ukrainian bodybuilder who died of a heart attack at age 54. She headlined in the early 1930s at Harlem's Ubangi Club, where she was backed up by a chorus line of drag queens. " She joins the long list of celebrities who have been victimized by this hoax. Verify and try again. Gossip suggested her doctor had covered up the real cause of death, an overdose of . She rose to fame during Prohibition in New York City, entertaining speakeasy audiences with performances testing the boundaries of gender and sexuality. . Gladys Bentley (stage name, Bobbie Minton) was a Harlem Renaissance blues singer and cross dresser. According to Bentley, one of the white customers came over, placed a crisp five-dollar bill in her hand, and begged her to play something else, saying, We dont care what it is. Its a woman.. She's still alive and well, stop believing what you see on the Internet, " they said. Gladyspassed away on month day1963, at age 54 at death place, Kentucky. Acclaimed singer Gladys Knight recently became the latest celebrity to fall victim to an online death hoax. Are you sure that you want to delete this memorial? In the late 1950s, Bentleys repentance for her star-studded sins took a turn towards God, and she got involved in her local Church and began studying to be a minister. She wouldn't even nurse me and my grandmother had to raise me for 6 months on a bottle before they could persuade my mother to take care of her own baby. Just play. And Bentley was just getting started. When I had finished my first number, the burst of applause was terrific.. Bentleys fame was a product of being both a gifted singer and an adept provocateur. The duo insisted that Bentley left them high and dry at the rise of the club and wanted to pursue other interests that she could financially benefit from. At the time of her death she survived by her large extended friends and family. Resend Activation Email, Please check the I'm not a robot checkbox, If you want to be a Photo Volunteer you must enter a ZIP Code or select your location on the map. Her salary started at $35 per week plus tips and went to $125 per week, and the club was soon renamed Barbara's Exclusive Club, after her stage name at the time, Barbara "Bobbie" Minton. Learn more about managing a memorial . She was a pioneer in pushing the envelope of gender, sexuality, class, and race with parody and exaggeration, personally and professionally. Are you adding a grave photo that will fulfill this request? Nevertheless, losing Jesse still affected the King deeply. By the 1950s, Gladys Bentley was making some even more rash decisions. Today, experts believe that the article and her marriages were not actually true representations of her identity, but rather her attempts to conform to the newly conservative standards of the day so she could survive. Gladys Bentley wasnt just popular with the common people; she had all of New York eating out of the palm of her hand. Let it play in the background as you study and immerse yourself in this topic! By 1933, Bentley had parlayed her fame into country-wide domination. ", Email powered by MailChimp (Privacy Policy & Terms of Use). Lila Gladys Young was a Canadian woman who operated The Ideal Maternity Home, a discreet residence for unwed pregnant mothers in Nova Scotia between 1928 and 1947. . Forego a bottle of soda and donate its cost to us for the information you just learned, and feel good about helping to make it available to everyone. Oh, Bentley tried her best to make it workand it almost did. Gladys became severely ill in August 1958 due to undiagnosed hepatitis, brought on by alcoholism, while Elvis was serving in US Army in Germany; he . Bentley became an active member of the "Temple of Love In Christ" Church and was on her way to becoming an ordained minister at the time of her death from pneumonia at the age of 52. To view a photo in more detail or edit captions for photos you added, click the photo to open the photo viewer. Okeh Race Records released eight singles of her music between 1928 and 1929. On May 15, 1958, she appeared on Groucho Marxs quiz series You Bet Your Life, where she played piano and sang the jazz classic Them There Eyes. Little did anyone know, however, that Bentley didnt have much time left. On the decline of the Harlem speakeasies with the repeal of Prohibition, she relocated to southern California, where she was billed as "America's Greatest Sepia Piano Player" and the "Brown Bomber of Sophisticated Songs". After graduating from the rent party circuit, Bentley got her shot at becoming a nightclub performer. But they werent all there for the right reasons. According to Bentley herself, her dysfunctional relationship with her mother shaped the rest of her life in intense ways. My hands fairly flew over the keys. Please enter your email address and we will send you an email with a reset password code. Madame de Pompadour didn't just share King Louis XV's bed, she also shared his power. She and Elvis survived the tornado that struck Tupelo on April 5, 1936. Gladys Bentley was born in Philadelphia in 1907 to a Trinidadian woman and an American man. Bentley also studied to be a minister, claiming to have been "cured" by taking female hormones. And she didnt stop there. Gladys Bentley Death: and Cause of Death On January 18, 1960, Gladys Bentley died of non-communicable disease. Or there might have been a more cynical reason, Gladys Bentley was a consummate show woman, and she simply didnt know how to let a publicity opportunity pass her by. The ploy worked a little too well. It only got worse from there. Langston Hughes praised Bentley as an amazing exhibition of musical energya large, dark, masculine lady, whose feet pounded the floor while her fingers pounded the keyboarda perfect piece of African sculpture, animated by her own rhythm., As her star rose, Bentley began playing larger Harlem venues, like the Cotton Club and the iconic gay speakeasy the Clam House.

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