So when it came to her unnamed paramour, it wasnt just that she took a woman as her wife that raised peoples eyebrows. Gladys Bentley came into this world on August 12, 1907 as the eldest child of George Bentley and his wife Mary Mote. Gladys Bentley - Wikipedia Thanks for using Find a Grave, if you have any feedback we would love to hear from you. Elvis was given emergency leave to visit her, arriving in Memphis on August 12, but she died on August. Performing in a signature white top hat, tuxedo and tails, Bentley sang raunchy songs laced with double-entendres that thrilled and scandalized her audiences. She took a seat at the piano on the set and performed a song that showed a vocal range and confidence that hadnt diminished since her days in Harlem. 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. Learn more about managing a memorial . Yet the reality behind her death was far too simple, and far too tragic. This service only issues certified copies of microfilmed death certificates for deaths that occurred in Louisiana between 1911-1972. She was the eldest of four children in a low-income family living at 1012 W. Euclid Ave. in North Philadelphia[4] and always felt unwanted or rejected because her mother desperately wanted her to have been born a boy: "When they told my mother she had given birth to a girl, she refused to touch me. All photos uploaded successfully, click on the Done button to see the photos in the gallery. Gossip suggested her doctor had covered up the real cause of death, an overdose of . But theres something very disturbing about this story. " She joins the long list of celebrities who have been victimized by this hoax. A large, masculine, Black womana "bulldagger," in the language of her dayshe was known for wearing a. We want our readers to trust us. In Bentleys heyday of the 1930s, she owned a Park Avenue apartment with servants and other accoutrements of wealth. Use the links under See more to quickly search for other people with the same last name in the same cemetery, city, county, etc. On August 14, 1958, Gladys Presley died, aged just 46. The cause of death is pending toxicology results from the Frankfort lab, said Mercer Coroner Sonny Ransdell. 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. 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. "She was just defiant in who she was, and for gender and sexuality studies today, she shows the performance of . Shed made a scandalous name for herself singing her dirty songs, and audiences came out in droves. Gladys Knight Death Hoax Dismissed Since Singer Is 'Alive And Well'. "Goodbye, darling. She moved from Philadelphia to Harlem, a neighborhood in New York City in 1925[7] at the age of 16. 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. During the late 1920's, Bentley recorded for the OKeh Record label and then for Victor Records in 1930. 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. You have chosen this person to be their own family member. When the ship hit an iceberg and sank, she became its youngest survivor. There she received many complaints about her raunchy performances which resulted in the police locking up the doors of places she performed. For all her revelations in her Ebony article, Bentleys confessions may not be what they seem. 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. Her career continued after that point, though briefly. Celebrity OTE - Spring Arts Guide Daniel Kaluuya Digital. Elvis' parents Vernon and Gladys | Photo by Getty Images Elvis was inconsolable following his mother's death After Gladys passed away, Elvis reportedly sank to his knees and wept. 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. Gladys Knight dead 2023 : The Empress of Soul killed by celebrity death She headlined in the early 1930s at Harlem's Ubangi Club, where she was backed up by a chorus line of drag queens. 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.. The details of this courtship, however, areshady. Her beginnings werent humble, though; they were scandalous. Sean Harris. cemeteries found within miles of your location will be saved to your photo volunteer list. At the time, she didnt understand her desiresbut all that was about to change in a big way. Learn about how to make the most of a memorial. So she did what many 16-year-olds only dream of: She ran away from home to go seek stardom in Harlem, New York, the epicentre of Black bohemian culture at the time. This browser does not support getting your location. Although Catherine's successor Queen Anne Boleyn suffered an infamously dark fate, Aragon's own life was somehow even more tragic. 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. 5. Ergo, no charges. If you have questions, please contact [emailprotected]. 11 Black LGBTQ+ Icons Who Paved The Way For The World We Live In Now 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. In 1952, her first husband J.T. The eldest of four children, Bentley was born on August 12, 1907 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania to George L. Bentley from the U.S. and Mary (Mote) Bentley from Trinidad. The Life And Death Of Gladys Presley, Elvis Presley's Beloved Mother As one historian put it, She knew what was popular, what she could do, and what people would pay to see.. Millvina Dean - Death, Family & Facts - Biography Try this on for size: For one of her sweatiest performances, Bentley combined the titles and lyrics of the popular songs Sweet Alice Blue Gown and Georgia Brown to make one mightily controversial ditty abouter, how do I put thisthe backdoor bedroom act. You can always change this later in your Account settings. Get it, Gladys. You can customize the cemeteries you volunteer for by selecting or deselecting below. Photograph of Gladys Bentley by an unidentified photographer, 1927-45. 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. Louisiana Death Records. Just days before the Tampa Pro bodybuilding contest in 2017, Sean Harris fell asleep behind the wheel and died in a pretty tragic accident. 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. She was a big woman, about 250 to 300 pounds and wore . 1 reference. Bentley began singing at rent parties and buffet flats. 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. Failed to report flower. 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 - Historical records and family trees - MyHeritage There is 1 volunteer for this cemetery. When Gladys died in 1958, newspapers around the world gave her age as 42, when she was really 46. In the 1920s, speakeasies ruled New York City, and Gladys Bentley ruled the speakeasies. At the time of her death, she was 53 years old. Gladys Bentley was a triple threata singer, a dancer, and a lesbian. (Born on April 25, 1912, Gladys was actually 46 when she died.) Heck no. Failed to delete flower. Are you adding a grave photo that will fulfill this request? Bentley reported wearing her three younger brothers suits to school when growing up. She was frequently harassed for wearing men's clothing. Gladys Love, Elvis Presley's mother, died due to heart attack and liver failure. Bentley died of pneumonia unexpectedly at her home in Los Angeles on January 18, 1960, aged 52. Want to tell us to write facts on a topic? cause of death. When Bentley came up to a hot young thing, she had one go-to move. Fed up and at the brink of her sanity, Bentley resorted to drastic measures. She was just defiant in who she was, and for gender and sexuality studies today, she shows the performance of gender.. Nevertheless, losing Jesse still affected the King deeply. In his 1945 autobiography, Langston Hughes described her as, "An amazing exhibition of musical energy." Bentley's behavior was seen as abnormal and "unladylike" which led to her family sending her to doctors to fix Bentley's desires. Hansberry and Palein sued Bentley to prohibit her from taking her musical to the Broadway division. "Biblical Gender Bending in Harlem: The Queer Performance of Nugent's Salome. But trouble started as soon as Gladys was born. Please accept Echovita's sincere condolences. Elvis Presley's Mother Gladys Love Presley Died 1958 According to Jim Wilson, author of the book Bulldaggers, Pansies, and Chocolate Babies: Performance, Race, and Sexuality in the Harlem Renaissance, Harlem was also a community that the police turned a blind eye to during the Prohibition Era. It was Bentley who told a gossip columnist that shed just tied the knot. After a lifetime of loneliness, she wrote that she had undergone medical treatment that awakened her womanliness. She claimed to have married twice, though Wilson says that one of the men denied ever having been married to Bentley. It only got worse from there. Blues Singer. Shortly after, Gladys was diagnosed with hepatitis, and her condition worsened very quickly. When Gladys Bentley performed in speakeasies, especially at the beginning of her career, a curious thing started happening. Your new password must contain one or more uppercase and lowercase letters, and one or more numbers or special characters. 2013.46.25.15 Collection of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture You are only allowed to leave one flower per day for any given memorial. 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. Significant Dates. It was discovered that one of the contributing factors to the attack was liver failure due to alcohol poisoning. Flowers added to the memorial appear on the bottom of the memorial or here on the Flowers tab. She mostly sang in a deep, low range, but also reached high notes. The performer had survived a harsh life up until this point, but she was about to spiral out of control. ", 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. English 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 Hoedel, any such claims are just baseless "romanticism." We have set your language to The gossip columnist asked, well, who's the man? And she scoffed and said, Man? Becoming a Find a Grave member is fast, easy and FREE. Like in many school districts today, Floyd County students are attending class remotely, due to forecasts of severe weather moving into the region. When she brought little Gladys home, she refused to nurse the girl, leaving Bentleys grandmother to raise the infant on a bottle for six months. By 1933, Bentley headlined in nightclubs and theatres such as The Cotton Club and The Apollo. Bentley met Don when he phoned her up one day, claiming to know a mutual friend. While performing at the Manhattan nightclub Kings Terrace, the masculine garbed smut-singing entertainer, as one audience member put it, quickly got the authorities to shut the whole place down with her performance. Her success picked up again during World War II with the expansion of gay bars on the West Coast. Gladys fell seriously ill just a few months after Elvis enlisted in the US Army. Photos larger than 8Mb will be reduced. When prohibition ended in the 1930s, it was a slow, painful death for Bentleys career, and her speakeasy gigs started to dry up as booze flooded the public markets. Gladys was ill throughout the summer of 1958, so she and husband Vernon Presley returned to Memphis in early August to see her personal physician. By 1934, just a year after her debut, Gladys Bentley had to give up on her Broadway baby dreams, and she slunk back to Ubangi Club with her white coat tails between her legs. On top of that, the news got out in a sensational way. singer. 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. Category:Gladys Bentley - Wikimedia Commons Gladys Bentley Death: and Cause of Death On January 18, 1960, Gladys Bentley died of non-communicable disease. Note: Although some historians view Bentley as a trans-masculine figure, she used she/her pronouns throughout her life. The singer was infamous for making up juicy stories about herself, and this Don remains a vague figure in Bentleys life. . Gladys Bentley (1907-1960) was a blues pianist, singer, performer, and drag king pioneer. Some pearl-clutching patrons complained, and the citys response was swift and brutal. 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. I won't pretend to know enough astrology to deduce any meaning from this, but it felt important to note. Learn more about this trailblazer on the Smithsonian Sidedoorpodcast episode"Singing the Gender-Bending Blues. and experiment both sexually and socially.. He was very close to his mother, which made her death that much more heartbreaking. In it, she not only repudiates her homosexuality, but also her entire identity before that moment, revealing that she now only wears dresses and other acceptable housewife attire in order to please her husband and herself. Okeh Race Records released eight singles of her music between 1928 and 1929. She was the oldest of four children and, in her own words, neither wanted nor loved, because her mother had wanted a boy and was bitterly disappointed. BlackPast.org is a 501(c)(3) non-profit and our EIN is 26-1625373. Are you sure that you want to delete this flower? Gladys Bentley Death: and Cause of Death On January 18, 1960, Gladys Bentley died of non-communicable disease. This drag king persona has formed part of her legacy to this day. When I had finished my first number, the burst of applause was terrific.. . Michael Bekoev. Bentley had great talent as a piano player, singer, and entertainer. 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. Actress Lynda Baron, best known for her role as Nurse Gladys Emmanuel in BBC TV sitcom Open All Hours, has died at the age of 82. For one, while Bentley was a full-grown woman at 45 years old, Roberts was a measly 28 years old and not a match for her or her outsized reputation. Gladys Bentley's Confessions | SAPIENTIA Hansberry was so vengeful, he wasnt content to just sue Bentley; he also tried to prevent her from seeking any further success. 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. Bentley also studied to be a minister, claiming to have been "cured" by taking female hormones. . Vernon told him Gladys had died at 3.15am. Try again later. 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. She had her own weekly radio program the following year. Join thousands of others and start your morning with our Fact Of The Day newsletter. Try again. As Bentley became more popular, she started performing at Harry Hansberrys Clam Houseone of New York Citys most well-known gay speakeasiesin the 1920s. Maybe thats why things took a turn for the tragic. The hit show about a Yorkshire corner shop, which starred Ronnie. 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. "She was always my best girl." At her funeral, Elvis was inconsolable. [12] Bentley was known for taking popular songs and putting a promiscuous spin on them. The Great Blues Singer Gladys Bentley Broke All the Rules Drag images here or select from your computer for Gladys Alberta Bentley memorial. When Bentley approached young, impressionable women at her clubs, she would often get them in the mood by asking them to sing dirty lyrics into her microphone. 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. In fact, she was often the source. National Museum of African American History and Culture, Gladys Bentley, Prentiss Taylor, and Nora Holt, Letter to Paul Kalmanovitz from the Musicians' Protective Association, Musicians' Protective Association Local 767 claim form, Photograph of two men and a woman taken at the Ubangi Club, Photograph of a group of men and women taken at the Ubangi Club, Photograph of Leroy Broomfield and the Ubangi Club dancers, Carl Van Vechten Photographs of Prentiss Taylor with Gladys Bentley and Nora Holt. In the early 1930s, she headlined at Harlem's Ubangi Club, where she was backed up by a chorus line of drag queens. Her vocal range was wide, as can be heard in her recordings. Her performances at the Clam House attracted luminaries like poet Langston Hughes and the photographer Carl Van Vechten, who both sang her praises. Do you question the accuracy of a fact you just read? She would take popular songs of the day and just put the filthiest lyrics possible. In Bentleys account of her life, her audience was as fascinated by her style as it was by her music. All Rights Reserved. And then he went after everything she held dear. Blues Singer. Catherine of Aragon was King Henry VIIIs first wife and longest-lasting Queen of England. 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 sang loud, and her vocal style was deep and booming, sometimes using a growling effect and imitations of a horn. 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. Bentley moved to Los Angeles to live with her mother. She took the songs Sweet Alice Blue Gown and Georgia Brown, and combined them and it became a song about anal sex., Bentley was not the first to sing raunchy music, but Reece said that she was still breaking barriers by pushing the boundaries of public taste in a way that would have been much more suitable for a man to do.. [1][2][24] It was initially believed to be the "Asian flu" but later turned into "pneumonia". . Years before Gladys Bentley performed in midtown Manhattan, she arrived in Harlem around 1925. It makes you wonder and ask more questions about what her challenges were in the professional arena and if this was all easy for her, Reece says. His autopsy was legally sealed for fifty years but, in. Bawdy Facts About Gladys Bentley, The Dapper Diva - Factinate Gladys Bentley Early Life Story, Family Background and Education Heck, I volunteer as tribute. 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. One of the frustrating and actually joyous things about Gladys Bentley was she was constantly inventing herself, Wilson says. 08/12/1907 . 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. Get the latest on what's happening At the Smithsonian in your inbox. Gladys Bentley - Worried Blues (1928) Gladys Bentley and "Worried Blues," from 1928. Once more, I ask: Did Gladys Bentley care? In the years prior to her death, she adamantly tried to recant her lesbianism and married a man several years her junior. Bentley also studied to be a minister, claiming to have been "cured" by taking female hormones. That year, she claimed that she married an unknown woman in a civil ceremony in Atlantic City, a practically unheard-of move. Louisiana Death Records Bentley was the most popular and infamous speakeasy performer in Prohibition-era New York. While Bentley was in California, the halcyon days of the liberal Roaring Twenties transformed into conservatism almost overnight, and she didnt find as many friendly faces in her crowds. Oh, Bentley tried her best to make it workand it almost did. To add a flower, click the Leave a Flower button. Yet although the singer still brought the house down, her comeback only lasted three short years. She headlined in the early 1930s at Harlem's Ubangi Club, where she was backed up by a chorus line . The unknown cause explained a tragic death that had occurred decades earlier. At the Mad House, the boss was reluctant to give me a chance, Bentley wrote. In 1934, a midtown Manhattan nightclub called Kings Terrace was padlocked by the police after an observer complained of the dirty songs performed there. Add to your scrapbook. Let it play in the background as you study and immerse yourself in this topic! Lila Gladys Young | Murderpedia, the encyclopedia of murderers However, Floyd County Schools said in a statement Friday . Bentley was so desperate to change, she submitted to the expensive injections three times a week for an entire half a year. Her mother had desperately wanted a boy, and when the nurses told her she had a little girl instead, the matriarch refused to even touch her baby. The best part? She was revolutionary in her masculinity: "Differing from the traditional male impersonator, or drag king, in the popular theater, Gladys Bentley did not try to 'pass' as a man, nor did she playfully try to deceive her audience into believing she was biologically male. Well, it backfired. Gladys Presley died on August 14, 1958, at the age of 46, due to a heart attack. Bentley died on March 2 at Highlands ARH Regional Medical Center. Bentley claimed that she and her white female lover went through a civil union in New Jersey. [20], In 1930, Bentley lived with a woman named Beatrice Robert. As manager of this memorial you can add or update the memorial using the Edit button below. Gladys Bentley: Gender-Bending Performer and Musician Actor Lamont Bentley, Known for Sitcom Role, Dies in Freeway Crash 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." She found one, alright. Photograph of Gladys Bentley by an unidentified photographer, 1927-45. This is a carousel with slides. From an early age, Bentley defied gender normative behaviors and femininity. composer. 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. Cookie Policy Resend Activation Email. 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. Her parents tried to cure Bentley by taking her to numerous doctors. He was inconsolable as he sank to his knees beside his mother's bed. His mother was the daughter of a cotton farmer and she met his father at church. Upon hearing the news, Elvis immediately returned to the hospital. With lyrics like hers, controversy came knocking on Bentleys door soon enough. She knew what was popular, what she could do, and what people would pay to see, he says. Gladys Alberta Bentley (1907-1960) - Find a Grave Memorial 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. By the 1950s, Gladys Bentley was making some even more rash decisions. 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. Husbands hiding things from wives, mothers from children, and generation from generation. 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.

Kevin Moran Obituary 2021, Articles G

About the author