gladys bentley cause of death

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. Millvina Dean - Death, Family & Facts - Biography Photograph of Gladys Bentley by an unidentified photographer, 1927-45. The singer was infamous for making up juicy stories about herself, and this Don remains a vague figure in Bentleys life. Bentley began singing at rent parties and buffet flats. She headlined in the early 1930s at Harlem's Ubangi Club, where she was backed up by a chorus line . 3 references. occupation. A small donation would help us keep this available to all. Will Though the cause was a heart attack, it was later found that one of the contributing factors was liver failure due to alcohol poisoning. To her dying day, Gladys Bentley knew how to build a mystery. I Am A Woman Again is a fraught, heartbreaking artifact of Bentleys life. That year, she claimed that she married an unknown woman in a civil ceremony in Atlantic City, a practically unheard-of move. His autopsy was legally sealed for fifty years but, in. Season 3. How Old Was Elvis Presley When His Mother Died? Photos larger than 8Mb will be reduced. 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. Gladys Presley - IMDb Fictional characters based on Bentley appeared in Carl Van Vechten's novel Parties, Clement Woods' novel Deep River, and Blair Niles' novel Strange Brother. Edit a memorial you manage or suggest changes to the memorial manager. 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. In Bentleys account of her life, her audience was as fascinated by her style as it was by her music. In her Ebony tell-all I Am A Woman, Bentley mentions yet another husband, a sailor named Don, who she claims seduced her, turned her straight, and set her on the path to womanhood again. 2023 Smithsonian Magazine Singing the Gender-Bending Blues. Bentley claimed that she and her white female lover went through a civil union in New Jersey. Use Escape keyboard button or the Close button to close the carousel. We will review the memorials and decide if they should be merged. 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. African American History: Research Guides & Websites, Global African History: Research Guides & Websites, African American Scientists and Technicians of the Manhattan Project, Envoys, Diplomatic Ministers, & Ambassadors, Foundation, Organization, and Corporate Supporters. Bentley didnt do anything by halves. Do you question the accuracy of a fact you just read? Blues Singer. Copyright 2023 by Factinate.com. 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. 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. She was only 46 years old. The cause of death is pending toxicology results from the Frankfort lab, said Mercer Coroner Sonny Ransdell. There may be one final bizarre touch to the already strange life of Gladys Bentley. Please check your email and click on the link to activate your account. Share this memorial using social media sites or email. cemeteries found within kilometers of your location will be saved to your photo volunteer list. That year, Bentley took up with kitchen cook Charles Roberts, marrying him after a whirlwind courtship. With lyrics like hers, controversy came knocking on Bentleys door soon enough. She'd been lying about her age to conceal the fact that she was four years older than Vernon Presley. Were always looking for your input! 2013.46.25.15 Collection of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture . In his 1945 autobiography, Langston Hughes described her as, "An amazing exhibition of musical energy." Sean Harris. She moved to speakeasies and night clubs in Jungle Alley, the center of Harlem's sporting life. All Rights Reserved. Even better, when the columnist asked, Well, whos the man? Bentleys reply was oh-so-satisfying. 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. 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]. 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. The red flags were there from the start when it came to Charles Roberts. This article reflects that. 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. Catherine of Aragon was King Henry VIIIs first wife and longest-lasting Queen of England. Gladys Bentley (1907-1960) was a blues pianist, singer, performer, and drag king pioneer. Gladys Knight Death Hoax Dismissed Since Singer Is 'Alive And Well'. 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. Places would bill her as a male impersonator or even an actual male performer, thanks to her dapper styling and masculine energy. Floyd school mourns teacher - Mountain Top Media [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. Instance Of Rank; Q3. 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". 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. However, later that year, she did wed Charles Roberts, a cook sixteen years her junior. Please reset your password. "She was always my best girl." At her funeral, Elvis was inconsolable. ). Your Privacy Rights Continuing with this request will add an alert to the cemetery page and any new volunteers will have the opportunity to fulfill your request. In the years prior to her death, she adamantly tried to recant her lesbianism and married a man several years her junior. [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. The ploy worked a little too well. That all changed in the blink of an eye. My mom never told me how her best friend died. 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. 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. Search above to list available cemeteries. Her vocal range was wide, as can be heard in her recordings. She claimed that she had married a white woman in Atlantic City. Since she was a schoolgirl, she had started daydreaming about her female teachers, and developing intimate feelings for the women she knew. For the Smithsonians Sidedoor podcast, host Haleema Shah tells the story of an unapologetically gay African-American performer in 1920s and 30s. By some accounts, Bentleys marriage with Roberts was brief and tragic, but according to Roberts himself, it didnt happen at all. 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. Yet in California, Bentley only got into some silver screen drama. The report will reveal what was in Tewmey's system at the time of his . In 1958, Bentley, who grew up in Philadelphia, appeared on Groucho Marxs game show You Bet Your Life where she said she was from Port-au-Spain (her mother happened to be Trinidadian). As someone who wrote about feeling attracted to women and being comfortable in mens clothes from an early age, Bentley likely would have found more acceptance in a community that was home to other sexually-fluid entertainers like Bessie Smith and Ethel Waters. Haleema Shah Found more than one record for entered Email, You need to confirm this account before you can sign in. 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. 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. A cause of death wasn't. To view a photo in more detail or edit captions for photos you added, click the photo to open the photo viewer. 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. 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. Save to an Ancestry Tree, a virtual cemetery, your clipboard for pasting or Print. Although Catherine's successor Queen Anne Boleyn suffered an infamously dark fate, Aragon's own life was somehow even more tragic. She rose to fame during Prohibition in New York City, entertaining speakeasy audiences with performances testing the boundaries of gender and sexuality. Persian Wikipedia. In August 1928, she signed with Okeh Records company and recorded eight sides over the course of the next year up until 1929. Gladys Bentley should be remembered for being a gender outlaw, says Wilson. 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. 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. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate, or jump to a slide with the slide dots. I tried to get my ex-wife served with divorce papers. Remembering 28 Bodybuilders Who Passed Away (2017-2020) "It broke my heart," Elvis Presley said. Gladys Knight and the Pips Singer Dies at Age 74 | Essence William Guest passed away on Christmas Eve from congestive heart failure. Yow. 20072023 Blackpast.org. Celebrity OTE - Spring Arts Guide Daniel Kaluuya Digital. 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. Lets just, The Truth Always Comes Out: Dark Family Secrets Exposed, Entrancing Facts About Madame de Pompadour, France's Most Powerful Mistress, Tragic Facts About Catherine of Aragon, Henry VIIIs First Wife, Pitiless Facts About Jacques Damala, History's Worst Boyfriend, Startling Facts About Jackie Coogan, The Tragic Child Superstar, Hard-Earned Facts About Pedro Pascal, The Unlikely Star, Tormented Facts About Edvard Munch, The Man Behind The Scream. 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. Cara Williams, the actress known for her Oscar-nominated turn in The Defiant Ones, her Emmy-nominated performance in CBS' sitcom Pete and Gladys and more, died on December 9. Eventually, Bentley got tired of performing for small crowds, and began looking for gigs at bona fide clubs around New York. 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. Her beginnings werent humble, though; they were scandalous. Gladys Bentley: Blues Singer - Smithsonian American Women's History The family struggled financially. As manager of this memorial you can add or update the memorial using the Edit button below. When Gladys died in 1958, newspapers around the world gave her age as 42, when she was really 46. Gladys Bentley, a luminary of the Harlem Renaissance, began her blues career singing at rent parties (held to raise rent money by charging attendees) and underground establishments in Harlem, New York. Already a big girl, her parents and siblings saw this masculine turn as shamefully unladylike, while her classmates teased her at school. At the time of her death, she was 53 years old. A system error has occurred. "She was always my best girl." Hansberry was so vengeful, he wasnt content to just sue Bentley; he also tried to prevent her from seeking any further success. Gladyss mother never seemed to get over the shock of having her firstborn be a daughter. cemeteries found within miles of your location will be saved to your photo volunteer list. Factinate is a fact website that is dedicated to finding and sharing fun facts about science, history, animals, films, people, and much more. Want to tell us to write facts on a topic? She tried to continue her musical career but did not achieve as much success as she had had in the past. Just as Gladys Bentley was taking center-stage on Broadway, her old Clam House boss Harry Hansberry came out of the woodwork to ruin her life. Eventually, Gladys grew old enough to notice this icy upbringingand the consequences were devastating. Lea Bentley, a primary teacher at Betsy Layne Elementary, died on Thursday. Date of death: August 5, 2017. August 14, 1958: Gladys Presley, Elvis' Mother, Dies - Best Classic Bands Year should not be greater than current year. Get the latest information about timed passes and tips for planning your visit, Search the collection and explore our exhibitions, centers, and digital initiatives, Online resources for educators, students, and families, Engage with us and support the Museum from wherever you are, Find our upcoming and past public and educational programs, Learn more about the Museum and view recent news, Collection of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture, National Museum of African American History & Culture. 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. Inside these hidden, smoky rooms, Bentley astounded and scandalized audiences with her booming voice, her impeccably tailored suits, and her raunchy lyrics. 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. One of the frustrating and actually joyous things about Gladys Bentley was she was constantly inventing herself, Wilson says. We see a real change so that somebody who is identified as lesbian or gay is considered a national menace. Try again. This happened even at her star-studded Hollywood shows, which would have the likes of Mary Astor and Barbara Stanwyck watching from the audience. https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/7634493/gladys-alberta-bentley. Okeh Race Records released eight singles of her music between 1928 and 1929. Cara Williams Dead: 'The Defiant Ones,' 'Pete And Gladys' Star Was 96 Please ensure you have given Find a Grave permission to access your location in your browser settings. "Goodbye, darling. Within months of Bentleys entrance into Broadway, the authorities had cottoned onto to her risqu shows, and they made sure to nip them right in the bud. Try again later. 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. 03.12.2019. If you have questions, please contact [emailprotected]. All Rights Reserved. By the 1950s, Gladys Bentley was making some even more rash decisions. . Bentley died of pneumonia unexpectedly at her home in Los Angeles on January 18, 1960, aged 52. 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. Please accept Echovita's sincere condolences. 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. 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. Just play. And Bentley was just getting started. Lynda Baron: Open All Hours and Come Outside actress dies aged 82 Bawdy Facts About Gladys Bentley, The Dapper Diva - Factinate To add a flower, click the Leave a Flower button. cause of death. At the Mad House, the boss was reluctant to give me a chance, Bentley wrote. At Factinate, were dedicated to getting things right. There are no volunteers for this cemetery. Oops, we were unable to send the email. 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. This account has been disabled. "Gladys Bentley should be remembered for being a gender outlaw," says Wilson. Bentley had great talent as a piano player, singer, and entertainer. Failed to delete flower. There was an error deleting this problem. One of Bentleys signature performance moves was to flirt shamelessly with women in the audience. Well, it backfired. No clan is left untouched, and even families that seem happy and normal on. Singing the Gender-Bending Blues - Smithsonian Institution 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. Fed up and at the brink of her sanity, Bentley resorted to drastic measures. 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. 5. 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. musician. Gladys would soon become pregnant and . pneumonia. Okeh Race Records released eight singles of her music between 1928 and 1929. Unlike other notorious party girls -- including Barbara Payton and Lila Leeds -- she consistently delivered solid performances over the course of a half-century career. 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. So, she went ahead and did something truly scandalous. This memorial has been copied to your clipboard. Performing in a signature white top hat, tuxedo and tails, Bentley sang raunchy songs laced with double-entendres that thrilled and scandalized her audiences. Oh, Bentley tried her best to make it workand it almost did. Gladys Presley died on August 14, 1958, at the age of 46 after suffering from heart failure. She went to Broadway anywaybut she would live to regret it. Blues Singer. As one historian put it, She knew what was popular, what she could do, and what people would pay to see.. Note: Although some historians view Bentley as a trans-masculine figure, she used she/her pronouns throughout her life. Gladys Bentley (1907-60) Michael Ochs Archives . Please submit feedback to contribute@factinate.com. Like a great number of lost souls, I inhabited that half-shadow no mans land which exists between the boundaries of the two sexes.. You may not upload any more photos to this memorial, This photo was not uploaded because this memorial already has 20 photos, This photo was not uploaded because you have already uploaded 5 photos to this memorial, This photo was not uploaded because this memorial already has 30 photos, This photo was not uploaded because you have already uploaded 15 photos to this memorial. But she still had one more legacy left. And this is JD Doyle with Queer Music Heritage and a special show devoted totally to her. She sang loud, and her vocal style was deep and booming, sometimes using a growling effect and imitations of a horn. She began to resent her brothers and didnt want men to touch her, yet she also started wearing boys clothes and suits instead of skirts and blouses, partly in a bid to emulate who her mother wanted her to be. 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. Acclaimed singer Gladys Knight recently became the latest celebrity to fall victim to an online death hoax. Langston Hughes recorded his reaction to the beginning of Bentley's career success: For two or three amazing years, Miss Bentley sat, and played piano all night long with scarcely a break between the notes, sliding from one song to another, with a powerful and continuous underbeat of jungle rhythm. 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. Gladys Bentley - WorldCat A college student's near fatal collapse uncovered a frightening family Michael Bekoev was a Ukrainian bodybuilder who died of a heart attack at age 54. Her biggest dramas, however, were yet to come. . She's been a special interest of mine for quite some time, and in the 1920's and 30's she was especially prominent. Flowers added to the memorial appear on the bottom of the memorial or here on the Flowers tab. Did Gladys Knight pass away? Death rumors debunked - Sportskeeda Philadelphia, Philadelphia County, Pennsylvania, USA, Los Angeles, Los Angeles County, California, USA. 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. Historys most fascinating stories and darkest secrets, delivered to your inbox daily. At the time, the comings and goings of Bentleys inner boudoir were public knowledge, and that was just how she liked it. Roberts later denied that they had ever married. In shock and disbelief Elvis rushed to the hospital. The Harlem Renaissance is really a critical point in the history and evolution of African-Americans in the 20th century, says Dwandalyn Reece, curator of music and performing arts at the Smithsonians National Museum of African American History and Culture. GladysCrawford1909IndianaGladys Crawfordin 1940 United States Federal Census Gladys Crawfordwas born circa 1909, at birth place, Indiana, to Lon H Crawfordand Pearl Crawford. Then again, there were rumors that would have made her mother straight-up faint. It only got worse from there. And in the end, shed have to grab that fame back with both hands. Then she proceeded to blow his mind. 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.'". Haleema Shah is the host and associate producer for the Smithsonian's "Sidedoor" podcast, and a journalist who believes in using audio to enable audiences to delve deep into the ideas that shape our world. 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.

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