As Bentley put it, My hands fairly flew over the keys. And the response was legendary. 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. Drag performers often backed her up at the . William Young died of cancer just before Christmas, 1962 . At Factinate, were dedicated to getting things right. With the repeal of Prohibition, her popularity and public tolerance of openly gay persons waned. Like in many school districts today, Floyd County students are attending class remotely, due to forecasts of severe weather moving into the region. Cookie Policy 2013.46.25.15 Collection of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture Bentley was openly lesbian early in her career, but during the McCarthy Era in the 1950s, she started wearing dresses and married (within five months of meeting) Charles Roberts, age 28, a cook, in a civil ceremony in Santa Barbara, California, in 1952. 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. At the time of her death she survived by her large extended friends and family. GladysCrawford1909IndianaGladys Crawfordin 1940 United States Federal Census Gladys Crawfordwas born circa 1909, at birth place, Indiana, to Lon H Crawfordand Pearl Crawford. 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".[17][18][19]. Oops, we were unable to send the email. This is a carousel with slides. Want to tell us to write facts on a topic? She would later denounce her lesbianism during the McCarthy era in an Ebony magazine article, "I Am Woman Again." The teenage Bentley was in way over her head when she moved to Harlem, and she needed to find work, stat. 0 references. Her act drew white patrons from outside of Harlem, including writer and photographer Carl van Vechten, who based a fictional blues singer in one of his novels off of her, writing that when she pounds the piano the dawn comes up like thunder.. He was inconsolable as he sank to his knees beside his mother's bed. We want our readers to trust us. According to Bentley herself, her dysfunctional relationship with her mother shaped the rest of her life in intense ways. Some have argued that her shocking tell-all was, at least partly, Bentleys way of staying relevant. Bentley died on March 2 at Highlands ARH Regional Medical Center. Hansberry and Palein sued Bentley to prohibit her from taking her musical to the Broadway division. Gladys Love Smith parents Bob and Dolly Smith . 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.. For the Smithsonians Sidedoor podcast, host Haleema Shah tells the story of an unapologetically gay African-American performer in 1920s and 30s. Okeh Race Records released eight singles of her music between 1928 and 1929. To use this feature, use a newer browser. Are you sure that you want to delete this flower? She and Elvis survived the tornado that struck Tupelo on April 5, 1936. 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. Shortly after, Gladys was diagnosed with hepatitis, and her condition worsened very quickly. All photos uploaded successfully, click on the Done button to see the photos in the gallery. On January 18, 1960, when Bentley was still just 52 years old, she passed quite suddenly in her Los Angeles home. Do you question the accuracy of a fact you just read? She also appeared at the the Apollo Theater and the Cotton Club. Bentley was openly lesbian early in her career, but during the McCarthy Era she started wearing dresses and married, claiming to have been "cured" by taking female hormones. The best revenge might be living well, but that doesn't mean we can always turn the other cheek. Some even claimed that her infamous penthouse, complete with a coterie of servants and a car, actually belonged to one of Bentleys rich lesbian lovers. She often dressed as a man in her signature black-and-white tuxedo. 1 reference. It's up there with being a communist, Wilson says. Gladys Knight Death Hoax Dismissed Since Singer Is 'Alive And Well'. . Gladys Bentley (1907-1960) was a blues pianist, singer, performer, and drag king pioneer. . In fact, she was often the source. Gladys Bentley died suddenly from the flu in Los Angeles in 1960 at the age of 52. She died at 97, also becoming. Unable to express her talent on Broadway, she was forced to move back to Harlem in 1934, where she then played at the Ubangi Club for three years before it closed in 1937. 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. Like everything she did, she did this whole hog, and got ordained at the beginning of the 1960s. But trouble started as soon as Gladys was born. The cause of her death was most likely due to the stress of Elvis' career and the demands of being a single mother. Please enter your email and password to sign in. Madame de Pompadour didn't just share King Louis XV's bed, she also shared his power. With lyrics like hers, controversy came knocking on Bentleys door soon enough. 4. Gladys Bentley (stage name, Bobbie Minton) was a Harlem Renaissance blues singer and cross dresser. Instead, she exerted a 'black female masculinity' that troubled the distinctions between black and white and masculine and feminine".[25]. Gladys Bentley was a triple threata singer, a dancer, and a lesbian. The headline sent shockwaves through America. 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. Resend Activation Email. [1] [2] [24] It was initially believed to be the "Asian flu" but later turned into "pneumonia". Upon hearing the news, Elvis immediately returned to the hospital. Although Catherine's successor Queen Anne Boleyn suffered an infamously dark fate, Aragon's own life was somehow even more tragic. Her parents tried to cure Bentley by taking her to numerous doctors. Gladyss mother never seemed to get over the shock of having her firstborn be a daughter. based on information from your browser. She was predeceased by : her parents, Lloyd . Gladys was diagnosed with hepatitis shortly after, and her symptoms worsened significantly after that. That all changed in the blink of an eye. Will 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. . Gladys would soon become pregnant and . This article reflects that. So maybe its no surprise that the lovebirds split up less than a year into their relationshipand more heartache was to come. There is 1 volunteer for this cemetery. By 1933, Bentley had parlayed her fame into country-wide domination. The Prohibition Era had come to an end, and now white pleasure-seekers frequented Harlem far less than before. Years later, I was using her phone when I made an utterly chilling discovery. Not only did her own time not know what to do with her, but Bentleys impact is also still a hot topic now. Your donation is fully tax-deductible. Continuing with this request will add an alert to the cemetery page and any new volunteers will have the opportunity to fulfill your request. Heck, I volunteer as tribute. Historian Henry Louis Gates Jr. even described the Harlem Renaissance being surely as gay as it was black. Born in Philadelphia, she moved to New York City at the age of 16 and began her career as a performer at Harry Hansberry's Clam House on 133rd Street, one of the city's most notorious gay speakeasies. [9] She toured the country, some destinations being Cleveland, Pittsburgh, Chicago, and Hollywood, where she was well liked by Cesar Romero, Hugh Herbert, Cary Grant, Barbara Stanwyck, and other celebrities. Places would bill her as a male impersonator or even an actual male performer, thanks to her dapper styling and masculine energy. GLADYS BENTLEY Gladys D. Fleming Bentley, 77, of 1020 Virginia Avenue, Anderson County, died Friday, August 2, 2002 at Heritage Hall Care Center in Lawrenceburg. Your Privacy Rights Her career continued after that point, though briefly. Unlike other notorious party girls -- including Barbara Payton and Lila Leeds -- she consistently delivered solid performances over the course of a half-century career. Year should not be greater than current year. Oftentimes when she mentioned something about her personal life, you had to take it with a grain of salt and not necessarily take it for truth.. Gladys Bentley - Worried Blues (1928) Gladys Bentley and "Worried Blues," from 1928. All Rights Reserved. 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. Bentley was the most popular and infamous speakeasy performer in Prohibition-era New York. 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. 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. Bentley's behavior was seen as abnormal and "unladylike" which led to her family sending her to doctors to fix Bentley's desires. 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. For the customers of the club, one of the unique things about my act was the way I dressed, she wrote. Please complete the captcha to let us know you are a real person. Get the latest updates and more delivered straight to your inbox. In the 1920s, speakeasies ruled New York City, and Gladys Bentley ruled the speakeasies. His autopsy was legally sealed for fifty years but, in. An email has been sent to the person who requested the photo informing them that you have fulfilled their request, There is an open photo request for this memorial. His mother was the daughter of a cotton farmer and she met his father at church. At the time, the comings and goings of Bentleys inner boudoir were public knowledge, and that was just how she liked it. Theyd seen talent before, but theyd never seen talent like this. Eventually, Bentley got tired of performing for small crowds, and began looking for gigs at bona fide clubs around New York. 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. [11] She mostly played the blues and parodies of popular songs of the time: "mocking 'high' class imagery with 'low' class humor, she applied aspects of the sexually charged 'black' blues to demure, romantic 'white' ballads, creating a culture clash between these two music forms". The singer was infamous for making up juicy stories about herself, and this Don remains a vague figure in Bentleys life. [1][2][24] It was initially believed to be the "Asian flu" but later turned into "pneumonia". Even better, when the columnist asked, Well, whos the man? Bentleys reply was oh-so-satisfying. I thought you might like to see a memorial for Gladys Alberta Bentley I found on Findagrave.com. Think this stopped Gladys Bentley? Drag performers often backed her up at the Ubangi Club. Oh, Bentley tried her best to make it workand it almost did. 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. The same year, she attempted to move her act to Broadway, despite legal issues. . cause of death. Her biggest dramas, however, were yet to come. Gipson shortly after arriving on the West coast. At the time, she didnt understand her desiresbut all that was about to change in a big way. Gladys fell seriously ill just a few months after Elvis enlisted in the US Army. 0 references. As manager of this memorial you can add or update the memorial using the Edit button below. 20072023 Blackpast.org. And while the performance of what an observer called a masculine garbed smut-singing entertainer led to the shutdown of Kings Terrace, Bentleys powerful voice, fiery energy on the piano and bold lyrics still made her a star of New York City nightclubs. In 2016, musician Shirlette Ammons released an album entitled Twilight for Gladys Bentley, that paid tribute to Bentley's legacy and "reimagined" Bentley in relationship to hip hop culture. Catherine of Aragon is now infamous as King Henry VIIIs rejected queenbut few people know her even darker history. As the most commanding mistress in the French court, she bettered the lives of many and became a beloved figure. After Elvis entered his mother ward and the door closed, witnesses remember a piercing wild despair of wails from Elvis were heard as he wept and prayed long and loud over his mother's lifeless body. Save to an Ancestry Tree, a virtual cemetery, your clipboard for pasting or Print. Just play. And Bentley was just getting started. 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 on "You Bet Your Life" with Groucho Marx 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]. Although she was a talented singer and pianist, her lyricism and queer presentation truly made her stand out. She sang loud, and her vocal style was deep and booming, sometimes using a growling effect and imitations of a horn. Want just a taste of Gladys Bentleys scorching lyrics? 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. Please submit feedback to contribute@factinate.com. Thing is, Bentley didnt keep her private life private, not by a long shot. Gipson passed, but the spitfire performer didnt wait until he was cold in his grave to jump into bedwith yet another man. Here are bawdy facts about Gladys Bentley. And she didnt stop there. She started to perform at prohibition-era rent parties, soirees that charged guests a fee to come enjoy a house party with booze and entertainment. She was 96. Bentley's performances appealed to black, white, gay, and straight audiences alike, and many celebrities attended her shows.

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