The 1950s were even more conservative than the early part of the 20th century. Are you sure that you want to delete this photo? 0 cemeteries found in Carson, Los Angeles County, California, USA. When the ship hit an iceberg and sank, she became its youngest survivor. Gladys Bentley wasnt just popular with the common people; she had all of New York eating out of the palm of her hand. Yet although the singer still brought the house down, her comeback only lasted three short years. Use the links under See more to quickly search for other people with the same last name in the same cemetery, city, county, etc. 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. Looking back, this might have been a bad omen. [2] In Bentley's Ebony article,[3] she wrote about trouble in the home as she was growing up and the relationship between her and her mother. 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. As a child, Bentley developed tender feelings for a female teacher and was often sent home for going . You are nearing the transfer limit for memorials managed by Find a Grave. Think this stopped Gladys Bentley? It couldnt have been going betterbuta rapid downfall was just around the corner. Bentley died of pneumonia unexpectedly at her home in Los Angeles on January 18, 1960, aged 52. The world's biggest star was found in his bathroom at Graceland on August 16, 1977, and pronounced dead at Memphis Baptist Memorial Hospital. Her shocking lyrics were accompanied by gossip column stories that readers would have found equally shocking. A lengthier and more prominently placed AP wire story announced in the country's newspapers that Elvis Presley's mother had died suddenly of a heart attack at age 42. Bentley also studied to be a minister, claiming to have been "cured" by taking female hormones. Gladys Bentley: 0: French: Gladys Bentley: chanteuse de blues amricaine: 0: Dutch: Gladys Bentley: Amerikaans zangeres (1907-1960) . Haleema Shah 0 references. In August 1928, she signed with Okeh Records company and recorded eight sides over the course of the next year up until 1929. 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). Her beginnings werent humble, though; they were scandalous. Did Gladys Knight pass away? Death rumors debunked - Sportskeeda Before her death from pneumonia at the age of 52, Bentley appeared by most accounts to be very bold and confident. 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. Acclaimed singer Gladys Knight recently became the latest celebrity to fall victim to an online death hoax. Was Gladys Presley an Alcoholic? Gladys Presley's Cause of Death By the 1950s, Gladys Bentley was making some even more rash decisions. Eventually, Bentley got tired of performing for small crowds, and began looking for gigs at bona fide clubs around New York. Lila Gladys Young | Murderpedia, the encyclopedia of murderers After graduating from the rent party circuit, Bentley got her shot at becoming a nightclub performer. Retiring in 1998, after a career spanning more than 40 years, she and Ira decided to mark this new era in their life by travelling. Okeh Race Records released eight singles of her music between 1928 and 1929. This account has been disabled. Note: Although some historians view Bentley as a trans-masculine figure, she used she/her pronouns throughout her life. There was an error deleting this problem. Gladys Bentley | LGBTQIA+ Wiki | Fandom Gladys Bentley Death: and Cause of Death On January 18, 1960, Gladys Bentley died of non-communicable disease. She was one of the most well-known and financially successful black women in the United States in the 1920s and 1930s. As Bentley became more popular, she started performing at Harry Hansberrys Clam Houseone of New York Citys most well-known gay speakeasiesin the 1920s. 11 Black LGBTQ+ Icons Who Paved The Way For The World We Live In Now And that was the least of her revelations. [21] In 1931, Bentley had a civil ceremony in New Jersey, in a public union with a white woman whose identity is unknown. One of Bentleys signature performance moves was to flirt shamelessly with women in the audience. BIOGRAPHY: Gladys Bentley - Musician - The Heroine Collective Heck, I volunteer as tribute. 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. Although Bentley used feminine pronouns in her public life, some experts believe she would have been a transgender man today, while others insist she only played with gender expectations and never tried to pass as a man. The rumored marriage had all the makings of an early 20th-century scandalBentley claimed that not only was it a same-sex civil ceremony, but that the union was between herself and a white woman. And then he went after everything she held dear. In Bentleys account of her life, her audience was as fascinated by her style as it was by her music. Gladys Bentley should be remembered for being a gender outlaw, says Wilson. The family struggled financially. Factinate is a fact website that is dedicated to finding and sharing fun facts about science, history, animals, films, people, and much more. Elvis Presley Cause of Death: How Did 'The King' Die? Gladys Bentley: Gender-Bending Performer and Musician Her biggest dramas, however, were yet to come. Michael Bekoev. Gladys Bentley (1907-1960) was a blues pianist, singer, performer, and drag king pioneer. Suddenly, she had to get a special permit to wear mens clothing for her performances, and endured heckling on the streets. musician. Michael Bekoev was a Ukrainian bodybuilder who died of a heart attack at age 54. She was frequently harassed for wearing men's clothing. She surprised her audience by wearing dresses and publicly declaring in an August 1952 Ebony article, I am woman again. Her literary assertions of marriage to two different men could not be verified. 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. In his 1945 autobiography, Langston Hughes described her as, "An amazing exhibition of musical energy." I won't pretend to know enough astrology to deduce any meaning from this, but it felt important to note. But its more complicated than all that. Gladys Bentley came into this world on August 12, 1907 as the eldest child of George Bentley and his wife Mary Mote. She had a recording contract for her raunchy songs, put out a series of records with her broad, booming voice, and was just positioning herself to take over the bright lights of Broadway. We want our readers to trust us. 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. Sadly, Bentleys confessions dont stop there. GREAT NEWS! Please reach out to us to let us know what youre interested in reading. That year, Bentley took up with kitchen cook Charles Roberts, marrying him after a whirlwind courtship. 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. The Grammy-nominated artist's prolonged absence from social media . There may be one final bizarre touch to the already strange life of Gladys Bentley. Philadelphia, Philadelphia County, Pennsylvania, USA, Los Angeles, Los Angeles County, California, USA. I think not only of the performative side but that Bentley was a working woman, says Reece, who described a letter in the collection which shows that Bentley reprimanded a club owner who failed to pay her. With lyrics like hers, controversy came knocking on Bentleys door soon enough. Save to an Ancestry Tree, a virtual cemetery, your clipboard for pasting or Print. It was discovered that one of the contributing factors to the attack was liver failure due to alcohol poisoning. In later years, she participated in Titanic-related events after the wreckage was discovered. 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.. Nevertheless, losing Jesse still affected the King deeply. occupation. I tried to get my ex-wife served with divorce papers. 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. She headlined in the early 1930s at Harlem's Ubangi Club, where she was backed up by a chorus line of drag queens. Historys most fascinating stories and darkest secrets, delivered to your inbox daily. She was a pioneer in pushing the envelope of gender, sexuality, class, and race with parody and exaggeration, personally and professionally. Hansberry was so vengeful, he wasnt content to just sue Bentley; he also tried to prevent her from seeking any further success. 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. She knew what was popular, what she could do, and what people would pay to see, he says. She moved to speakeasies and night clubs in Jungle Alley, the center of Harlem's sporting life. 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. After leaving her hometown of Philadelphia as a teenager, she arrived in New York during the Harlem Renaissance and was absorbed into a vibrant artistic and intellectual community. Some have argued that her shocking tell-all was, at least partly, Bentleys way of staying relevant. 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 [email protected]. Gladys Bentley Death: and Cause of Death On January 18, 1960, Gladys Bentley died of non-communicable disease. Try again. Within weeks of starting her gig at the Clam House, Bentley transformed the whole jointliterally. Elvis' family didn't come from riches or anything of the sort. Edit a memorial you manage or suggest changes to the memorial manager. Are you sure that you want to delete this flower? Date of Death. Remembering 28 Bodybuilders Who Passed Away (2017-2020) 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. 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. " She joins the long list of celebrities who have been victimized by this hoax. All photos uploaded successfully, click on the Done button to see the photos in the gallery. Elvis had an emergency opportunity to visit her, but she did not make it. See, the Clam House was actually looking for a male pianist. Why Elvis Presley had his mother Gladys' gravestone replaced Gladys Bentley was a triple threata singer, a dancer, and a lesbian. Despite those challenges Bentley likely encountered in New Yorks entertainment business, it is no surprise that she moved to Harlem. Gladys Knight and the Pips Singer Dies at Age 74 | Essence William Guest passed away on Christmas Eve from congestive heart failure. [13] In 1930 she recorded a side with the Washboard Serenaders for Victor,[14] and later recorded for the Excelsior, and Flame labels. Date of death: August 5, 2017. Copyright 2023 by Factinate.com. Heck no. Are you adding a grave photo that will fulfill this request? At the time, the comings and goings of Bentleys inner boudoir were public knowledge, and that was just how she liked it. In 1952, her first husband J.T. From an early age, Bentley defied gender normative behaviors and femininity. Sean Harris. 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. Bawdy Facts About Gladys Bentley, The Dapper Diva - Factinate She found one, alright. A large, masculine, Black womana "bulldagger," in the language of her dayshe was known for wearing a. GladysCrawford1909IndianaGladys Crawfordin 1940 United States Federal Census Gladys Crawfordwas born circa 1909, at birth place, Indiana, to Lon H Crawfordand Pearl Crawford. She was predeceased by : her parents, Lloyd . Years later, I was using her phone when I made an utterly chilling discovery. English The hit show about a Yorkshire corner shop, which starred Ronnie. Due to her inability to feel conformable and her family's inability to accept her as she was, Bentley ran away from home at the age of 16 to begin her life in New York City.[2]. 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. There is a problem with your email/password. Although Catherine's successor Queen Anne Boleyn suffered an infamously dark fate, Aragon's own life was somehow even more tragic. No animated GIFs, photos with additional graphics (borders, embellishments. place of burial. When Bentley finished her performance, the room burst into applause. Bentley was openly lesbian early in her career,[16] but during the McCarthy Era, 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. 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. While Harlem was home to African-Americans facing the challenges of the Great Depression, it also became a destination for pleasure-seekers who Wilson says were eager to let loose of their bourgeois attitudes. Gladys Bentley Society on Instagram: "This incredible human is a living 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. . [1][2][24] It was initially believed to be the "Asian flu" but later turned into "pneumonia". Gladys Bentley Was The Gender Nonconforming, Lesbian Superstar - Bust [1] [2] [24] It was initially believed to be the "Asian flu" but later turned into "pneumonia". Let it play in the background as you study and immerse yourself in this topic! But trouble started as soon as Gladys was born. But trouble started as soon as Gladys was born. 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. Bentley had great talent as a piano player, singer, and entertainer. She's been a special interest of mine for quite some time, and in the 1920's and 30's she was especially prominent. Oh, Bentley tried her best to make it workand it almost did. Instance Of Rank; Q3. 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. Actor Lamont Bentley, Known for Sitcom Role, Dies in Freeway Crash Gladys Bentley - Worried Blues (1928) Gladys Bentley and "Worried Blues," from 1928. Elvis was given emergency leave to visit her, arriving in Memphis on August 12, but she died on August. Even as a teenage girl of 16, Bentley had grown into a headstrong young woman, and she was sick and tired of feeling rejected. When Gladys died in 1958, newspapers around the world gave her age as 42, when she was really 46. Sorry! Thanks for using Find a Grave, if you have any feedback we would love to hear from you. At the peak of her career, the singer was . Gladys Bentleywas born circa 1909. In the years prior to her death, she adamantly tried to recant her lesbianism and married a man several years her junior. Her performances were "comical, sweet and risqu"[9] for the era and the audience. According to the stories, Bentleys new partner was also a white woman. Gladys Bentley died suddenly from the flu in Los Angeles in 1960 at the age of 52. There are no volunteers for this cemetery. Bentley also studied to be a minister, claiming to have been "cured" by taking female hormones. This browser does not support getting your location. How did Elvis's mother die? Elvis's fame contributed to her death Learn about how to make the most of a memorial. BETSY LAYNE, Ky. The Floyd County school district is mourning the death of an elementary school teacher. 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. And she didnt stop there. Include gps location with grave photos where possible. Later psychiatrists would coin Bentley's non-heteronormative behavior as "extreme social maladjustment." Not only did her own time not know what to do with her, but Bentleys impact is also still a hot topic now. 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. The sponsor of a memorial may add an additional. At Factinate, were dedicated to getting things right. Blues Singer. Vernon told him Gladys had died at 3.15am. The email does not appear to be a valid email address. Failed to delete memorial. cemeteries found within miles of your location will be saved to your photo volunteer list. The article was accompanied by photos of Bentley wearing a matronly white housedress and performing the role of homemakerpreparing meals, making the bed for her husband, wearing a dress and flowers in her hair. 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.