Like in many school districts today, Floyd County students are attending class remotely, due to forecasts of severe weather moving into the region. That all changed in the blink of an eye. Gladys Bentley loved women, wore men's clothing, and sang bawdy songs that would make sailors blush.and did it openly in the 1920s and 1930s. In her brief years, Bentley had seen America transform from a hedonistic party to a strait-laced society, and she came out the other side just as changed herself. Will But trouble started as soon as Gladys was born. Privacy Statement Nevertheless, losing Jesse still affected the King deeply. 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 . She moved to speakeasies and night clubs in Jungle Alley, the center of Harlem's sporting life. Fed up and at the brink of her sanity, Bentley resorted to drastic measures. A large, 250-pound woman, her deep voice appealed to straight, gay, black, and white audiences. Drag performers often backed her up at the . The after-theater club near Broadway was where a troupe of liberally painted male sepians with effeminate voices and gestures performed behind entertainer Gladys Bentley, who was no less provocative for early 20th-century America. "She was just defiant in who she was, and for gender and sexuality studies today, she shows the performance of . As times progressed and federal laws continued to change, there became a point where Bentley had to carry special permits to allow her to perform in men's clothing. In the 1920s, speakeasies ruled New York City, and Gladys Bentley ruled the speakeasies. Before long, Bentleys world got turned upside down again. To her dying day, Gladys Bentley knew how to build a mystery. 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. She moved from Philadelphia to Harlem, a neighborhood in New York City in 1925[7] at the age of 16. Bentley was born August 12, 1907 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, the daughter of George L. Bentley, an American, and his wife, Mary Mote, a Trinidadian. On August 14, 1958, Gladys Presley died, aged just 46. Historian Henry Louis Gates Jr. even described the Harlem Renaissance being surely as gay as it was black. . Bentley also studied to be a minister, claiming to have been "cured" by taking female hormones. Years before Gladys Bentley performed in midtown Manhattan, she arrived in Harlem around 1925. 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. At the time of her death, she had been more involved in the church and had just been ordained as a minister despite never getting her official paperwork. Flowers added to the memorial appear on the bottom of the memorial or here on the Flowers tab. Bentleys fame was a product of being both a gifted singer and an adept provocateur. That year, Bentley took up with kitchen cook Charles Roberts, marrying him after a whirlwind courtship. He was 77. She was a big woman, about 250 to 300 pounds and wore . Just days before the Tampa Pro bodybuilding contest in 2017, Sean Harris fell asleep behind the wheel and died in a pretty tragic accident. And she didnt stop there. People, many of whom were white, seeking entertainment and covert access to alcohol crowded into Harlem nightclubs, speakeasies and parties. Gladyspassed away on month day1963, at age 54 at death place, Kentucky. Season 3. [2], Recorded November 15, 1928, and March 26, 1929, McBreen, Ellen (1998). 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. I knew that she was going to take it badly, but I had no idea about the insane lengths she would go to just to get revenge and mess with my life. 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. The Grammy-nominated artist's prolonged absence from social media . There she received many complaints about her raunchy performances which resulted in the police locking up the doors of places she performed. Table showing information for name claims, including the name itself . She headlined in the early 1930s at Harlem's Ubangi Club, where she was backed up by a chorus line . A small donation would help us keep this available to all. Shed made a scandalous name for herself singing her dirty songs, and audiences came out in droves. 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. The cause of death is pending toxicology results from the Frankfort lab, said Mercer Coroner Sonny Ransdell. Bentley's performances appealed to black, white, gay, and straight audiences alike, and many celebrities attended her shows. No doubt, Gladys Bentley won a fair few beautiful conquests in her day by picking them out of the crowd and mixing business with pleasure. She is buried beside her mother at Lincoln Memorial Park in Carson, California. They eventually divorced. [1] [2] [24] It was initially believed to be the "Asian flu" but later turned into "pneumonia". Lamont Bentley, a promising actor who appeared in more than a dozen films and television shows but was best known for his role on the comedy series "Moesha," died early Wednesday in a car crash in . Sean Harris. Her shocking lyrics were accompanied by gossip column stories that readers would have found equally shocking. A talented pianist and blues singer, she ran away to New York City at the age of sixteen. When Bentley came up to a hot young thing, she had one go-to move. Photos larger than 8Mb will be reduced. Instead, she exerted a 'black female masculinity' that troubled the distinctions between black and white and masculine and feminine".[25]. Her biggest dramas, however, were yet to come. Well, just you wait. In Bentleys account of her life, her audience was as fascinated by her style as it was by her music. Gladys Love, Elvis Presley's mother, died due to heart attack and liver failure. You are only allowed to leave one flower per day for any given memorial. Early the next morning at 3:15 AM on August 14, Gladys Presley, the 46-year-old mother of Elvis, died from a heart attack due to hepatitis complications. Your Privacy Rights The red flags were there from the start when it came to Charles Roberts. But trouble started as soon as Gladys was born. Oh, Bentley tried her best to make it workand it almost did. Her career continued after that point, though briefly. Are you sure that you want to delete this photo? Born in working-class Philadelphia, Bentley moved to New York City at the age of 18 at a time when gay and lesbian nightclubs began to emerge and the . Elvis' Mother Cause Of Death. Her name doesnt have the same recognition as many of her Harlem Renaissance peers, in part, because the risqu nature of her performances would have kept her out of mainstream venues, newspapers and history books. When I had finished my first number, the burst of applause was terrific.. 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. At the peak of her career, the singer was . Black and white audiences loved the risqu lyrics, the sonorous deep voice, the open flirtation with the most attractive women in the audience, the jokes about sissies and bull daggers. Gladys would soon become pregnant and . At the time, the comings and goings of Bentleys inner boudoir were public knowledge, and that was just how she liked it. Please complete the captcha to let us know you are a real person. She's been a special interest of mine for quite some time, and in the 1920's and 30's she was especially prominent. For the Smithsonians Sidedoor podcast, host Haleema Shah tells the story of an unapologetically gay African-American performer in 1920s and 30s. From an early age, Bentley defied gender normative behaviors and femininity. The best revenge might be living well, but that doesn't mean we can always turn the other cheek. The report will reveal what was in Tewmey's system at the time of his . cause of death. She would later denounce her lesbianism during the McCarthy era in an Ebony magazine article, "I Am Woman Again." On January 18, 1960, when Bentley was still just 52 years old, she passed quite suddenly in her Los Angeles home. As a result of her lack of gender conformity, she was teased by her classmates and often ostracized by her family and peers. Family members linked to this person will appear here. In his 1945 autobiography, Langston Hughes described her as, "An amazing exhibition of musical energy." Openly lesbian, she sang raunchy remakes of popular tunes in a deep voice, dressed in her signature men's style of tuxedo and top hat. Share this memorial using social media sites or email. We are sad to announce that on July 1, 2021, at the age of 87, Gladys Bentley of New York Mills, Minnesota passed away. Gladys Bentley had told the gossip columnist that she had just gotten married. Please enter your email address and we will send you an email with a reset password code. Search above to list available cemeteries. She scoffed and said, Man? For the customers of the club, one of the unique things about my act was the way I dressed, she wrote. Her performances at the Clam House attracted luminaries like poet Langston Hughes and the photographer Carl Van Vechten, who both sang her praises. Unlike other notorious party girls -- including Barbara Payton and Lila Leeds -- she consistently delivered solid performances over the course of a half-century career. Bentley died on March 2 at Highlands ARH Regional Medical Center. 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. Bentley began singing at rent parties and buffet flats. Visitation . We will review the memorials and decide if they should be merged. She'd been lying about her age to conceal the fact that she was four years older than Vernon Presley. It couldnt have been going betterbuta rapid downfall was just around the corner. When Gladys Presley passed away on August 14, 1958, Elvis was only 23 years old. Bentley died of pneumonia unexpectedly at her home in Los Angeles on January 18, 1960, aged 52. Thanks for your help! He was very close to his mother, which made her death that much more heartbreaking. 3 references. 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 Death: and Cause of Death On January 18, 1960, Gladys Bentley died of non-communicable disease. 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 Bentley joined New York's Harlem Renaissance jazz scene at age 16 and became an instant sensation and gender identity pioneer, performing piano and vocals at the most popular gay bars . musician. [1][2][24] It was initially believed to be the "Asian flu" but later turned into "pneumonia". Want just a taste of Gladys Bentleys scorching lyrics? [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. It was Bentley who told a gossip columnist that shed just tied the knot. There may be one final bizarre touch to the already strange life of Gladys Bentley. Her success picked up again during World War II with the expansion of gay bars on the West Coast. At the time, she didnt understand her desiresbut all that was about to change in a big way. Bentley didnt do anything by halves. 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. So Gladys Bentley abandoned that and seems to want to restart her career as a more traditional black woman performer., In 1952, Bentley wrote her life story in an article for Ebony magazine, entitled I Am A Woman Again. In the article, she described the life of a glamorous performer who silently struggled with herself. On top of that, the news got out in a sensational way. Yep, the young cook later denied ever having a wedding ceremony with the singer. He wondered whether Bentley's father's sudden death resulted from an undiagnosed arrhythmia that triggered a . [26], In 2019, The New York Times newspaper began a series called "Overlooked No More," in which the editorial staff aims to correct a perceived bias in reporting by republishing obituaries for historical minorities and women. 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. Not content with changing her outward appearance, in the 1950s Bentley began to change her insides as well, going to a doctor and beginning to take female hormones to overcome her more masculine traits. This happened even at her star-studded Hollywood shows, which would have the likes of Mary Astor and Barbara Stanwyck watching from the audience. There was a problem getting your location. "It broke my heart," Elvis Presley later said. She then began performing at the Ubangi Club on Park Avenue, got an accompanist on piano, and was successful enough to own a "$300/month apartment in Park Ave. With servants and a nice car"[3] (although some have said that she was living in the penthouse of one of her lesbian lovers). Try again later. Significant Dates. Not only did her own time not know what to do with her, but Bentleys impact is also still a hot topic now. 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. This is a carousel with slides. I Am A Woman Again, Bentley declared, disavowing the gender-bending performances that had made her famous. Gipson passed, but the spitfire performer didnt wait until he was cold in his grave to jump into bedwith yet another man. . Within weeks of starting her gig at the Clam House, Bentley transformed the whole jointliterally. On August 8, gravely ill, she was taken by ambulance to Methodist Hospital. Learn more about managing a memorial . Tragic Facts About Bessie Smith, The Empress Of The Blues, Eleanor Of Aquitaine Was Englands Fiercest QueenUntil Her Brutal End, Lawyers Reveal Their Most Jaw-Dropping Court Cases, Truth Hurts: Binge-Worthy Stories About The Biggest Liars Of All Time, These Mega Embarrassing Moments Still Made Us Burst Out Laughing, Catherine The Great Was a Mighty EmpressUntil Her Brutal Downfall. ", Gladys Bentley performing "Them There Eyes" with Groucho Marx on, Learn how and when to remove this template message, "Gladys Bentley, Gender-Bending Blues Performer and '20s Harlem Royalty", "The Great Blues Singer Gladys Bentley Broke All the Rules", "A Spectacle in Color: The Lesbian and Gay Subculture of Jazz Age Harlem", National Museum of African American History and Culture, Gladys Bentley, more than a liberated singer, "Blues Singer Gladys Bentley Broke Ground with Marriage to a Woman in 1931", "shirlette celebrates Gladys Bentley in PBS American Masters Series, UNLADYLIKE2020", Collection of newspaper clippings and recording information about Gladys Bentley, from Queer Music Heritage, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Gladys_Bentley&oldid=1147239415, The Mad House, 133rd Street, Harlem, New York City, New York, Harry Hansberry's Clam House ("Gladys' Clam House"), 133rd Street, Harlem, Harlem, New York City, New York, Ubangi Club, Harlem, New York City, New York, Connie's Inn ("Jungle Alley"), 2221 Seventh Street, Harlem, New York City, New York, "Worried Blues" / "Ground Hog Blues" (August 1928) #8610, "Wild Geese Blues" / "How Much Can I Stand" (November 1928, with piano, not released), "Wild Geese Blues" / "How Much Can I Stand" (November 1928, with guitar) #8643, "Red Beans and Rice" / "Big Gorilla Man" (March 1929) #8707, "Washboards Get Together" / "Kazoo Moan", #38127, scatting vocal on A-side only (title often listed as "Washboard Get Together"), with the Washboard Serenaders, recorded March 1930; reissued twice, as Bluebird B-5790 (circa 1934) and B-6633 (circa 1936), "Boogie'n My Woogie" / "Thrill Me Till I Get My Fill", #164, "Red Beans & Rice Blues" / "Find Out What He Likes (and How He Likes It)" #165/166, "Big Gorilla Blues" / "Lay It on the Line", #166/165, "Notoriety Papa" / "It Went to the Girl Next Door", #169, "July Boogie" / "Gladys Could Play", #337, as Fatso Bentley, July 4, 1953, "Easter Mardi Gras" / "Before Midnight", Flame 1001, Cincinnati, early 1950s, label misspells name as Gladys Bently; mentioned in her August 1952 article in, This page was last edited on 29 March 2023, at 17:37. After graduating from the rent party circuit, Bentley got her shot at becoming a nightclub performer. One of Bentleys signature performance moves was to flirt shamelessly with women in the audience. Then again, there were rumors that would have made her mother straight-up faint. However, despite our best efforts, we sometimes miss the mark. 2013.46.25.15 Collection of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture or don't show this againI am good at figuring things out. Gladys was diagnosed with hepatitis shortly after, and her symptoms worsened significantly after that. It's up there with being a communist, Wilson says. 03.12.2019. Although she was a talented singer and pianist, her lyricism and queer presentation truly made her stand out. Yet in California, Bentley only got into some silver screen drama. Looking back, this might have been a bad omen. Bentley, who never seemed to look at a man before, married the very manly J.T. Gossip suggested her doctor had covered up the real cause of death, an overdose of . The teenage Bentley was in way over her head when she moved to Harlem, and she needed to find work, stat. Quickly see who the memorial is for and when they lived and died and where they are buried. Bentley had great talent as a piano player, singer, and entertainer. Gladys Bentley should be remembered for being a gender outlaw, says Wilson. She tried to continue her musical career but did not achieve as much success as she had had in the past. Louisiana Death Records. Please enter your email and password to sign in. Inevitably, even the vaunted Ubangi club closed its doors in 1937, kicking Bentley out along with its regular clientele. Performing in a signature white top hat, tuxedo and tails, Bentley sang raunchy songs laced with double-entendres that thrilled and scandalized her audiences. The headline sent shockwaves through America. Once more, I ask: Did Gladys Bentley care? There are no volunteers for this cemetery. 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. When Bentley relocated to Los Angeles, she allegedly married J. T. Gibson, who died in 1952,[22] the same year in which she married Charles Roberts, a cook in Los Angeles; they were married in Santa Barbara, California, went on a honeymoon in Mexico. Your suggestions can be as general or specific as you like, from Life to Compact Cars and Trucks to A Subspecies of Capybara Called Hydrochoerus Isthmius. Well get our writers on it because we want to create articles on the topics youre interested in. Try again later. But its more complicated than all that. Add to your scrapbook. Cookie Settings, National Museum of African American History and Culture, Bulldaggers, Pansies, and Chocolate Babies: Performance, Race, and Sexuality in the Harlem Renaissance, Five Places Where You Can Still Find Gold in the United States, Scientists Taught Pet Parrots to Video Call Each Otherand the Birds Loved It, Balto's DNA Provides a New Look at the Intrepid Sled Dog, The Science of California's 'Super Bloom,' Visible From Space, What We're Still Learning About Rosalind Franklins Unheralded Brilliance. Eventually, Gladys grew old enough to notice this icy upbringingand the consequences were devastating. Think this stopped Gladys Bentley? Your donation is fully tax-deductible. Bentley died of pneumonia unexpectedly at her home in Los Angeles on January 18, 1960, aged 52. The gossip columnist asked, well, who's the man? And she scoffed and said, Man? From early on, Bentley overtly included sexuality in her act with her song content, stage moves, and attire. All Rights Reserved. I finally convinced him. She died at 97, also becoming. GREAT NEWS! Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate, or jump to a slide with the slide dots. Years before Bentley played midtown nightclubs, she got her musical career started at rent parties, where people in Harlem would cover the costs by charging admission for private parties with alcohol and live performances. Although Catherine's successor Queen Anne Boleyn suffered an infamously dark fate, Aragon's own life was somehow even more tragic. Gladys Bentley had waited years for this moment, and she wasted no time grabbing the opportunity with both hands. As Bentley became more popular, she started performing at Harry Hansberry's Clam Houseone of New York City's most well-known gay speakeasiesin the 1920s. Bentley always had expensive tastes; she just never had the bank account to match. She claimed that she had married a white woman in Atlantic City. Names. On August 14, 1958, Gladys Presley died at age 46. Husbands hiding things from wives, mothers from children, and generation from generation. The cause of her death was most likely due to the stress of Elvis' career and the demands of being a single mother. She and Elvis survived the tornado that struck Tupelo on April 5, 1936. 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. Wilson also says that Bentley, who was aging and no stranger to reinvention, was likely making deft use of the press. Include gps location with grave photos where possible. She changed her stage name (briefly) to Barbara Bobbie Minton, and upgraded her clothing style to white full dress shirts, stiff collars, [and] small bow ties with a signature top hat. Save to an Ancestry Tree, a virtual cemetery, your clipboard for pasting or Print. "Vernon Presley said he was aroused at 3 a.m. by his wife, Gladys, 'suffering for breath.' This is when she began performing in men's attire ("white full dress shirts, stiff collars, small bow ties, oxfords, short Eton jackets, and hair cut straight back"),[3] and here she perfected her act and became popular and successful. When Bentley ran away from home, she was certainly disillusioned with her familybut she was also hiding a huge secret. Was Bentley slowly unraveling? At least, I always thought I was." Want to tell us to write facts on a topic? As a child, Bentley developed tender feelings for a female teacher and was often sent home for going . Drag images here or select from your computer for Gladys Alberta Bentley memorial. 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.

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