gladys bentley cause of death

Theyd seen talent before, but theyd never seen talent like this. Please enter your email and password to sign in. And while the performance of what an observer called a masculine garbed smut-singing entertainer led to the shutdown of Kings Terrace, Bentleys powerful voice, fiery energy on the piano and bold lyrics still made her a star of New York City nightclubs. She went to Broadway anywaybut she would live to regret it. For the customers of the club, one of the unique things about my act was the way I dressed, she wrote. She marched right over one night during a packed audience and met the clubs skeptical boss, Harry Hansberry. Bentley always had expensive tastes; she just never had the bank account to match. Bentley had great talent as a piano player, singer, and entertainer. 1 reference. She often dressed as a man in her signature black-and-white tuxedo. Please submit feedback to contribute@factinate.com. "Vernon Presley said he was aroused at 3 a.m. by his wife, Gladys, 'suffering for breath.' 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. Was Bentley slowly unraveling? My mom never told me how her best friend died. Performing in a signature white top hat, tuxedo and tails, Bentley sang raunchy songs laced with double-entendres that thrilled and scandalized her audiences. Lea Bentley, a primary teacher at Betsy Layne Elementary, died on Thursday. It's a woman, Wilson says. Thanks for your help! It only got worse from there. Learn about how to make the most of a memorial. Then she proceeded to blow his mind. 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. But trouble started as soon as Gladys was born. 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. 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. The gossip columnist asked, well, who's the man? And she scoffed and said, Man? Gladys Knight Death Hoax Dismissed Since Singer Is 'Alive And Well'. At the time, the comings and goings of Bentleys inner boudoir were public knowledge, and that was just how she liked it. I Am A Woman Again, Bentley declared, disavowing the gender-bending performances that had made her famous. 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. Gladys Bentley's speakeasy from the Harlem Renaissance, "Clam Jam," was a gay nightlife scene 100 years ahead of its time. Upon hearing the news, Elvis immediately returned to the hospital. There she received many complaints about her raunchy performances which resulted in the police locking up the doors of places she performed. Her parents tried to cure Bentley by taking her to numerous doctors. "It broke my heart," Elvis Presley said. According to Bentley herself, her dysfunctional relationship with her mother shaped the rest of her life in intense ways. When we do, we depend on our loyal, helpful readers to point out how we can do better. He wondered whether Bentley's father's sudden death resulted from an undiagnosed arrhythmia that triggered a . Then, she made a jaw-dropping decision. This memorial has been copied to your clipboard. In the early 1930s, she headlined at Harlem's Ubangi Club, where she was backed up by a chorus line of drag queens. Years later, I was using her phone when I made an utterly chilling discovery. Her performances at the Clam House attracted luminaries like poet Langston Hughes and the photographer Carl Van Vechten, who both sang her praises. People, many of whom were white, seeking entertainment and covert access to alcohol crowded into Harlem nightclubs, speakeasies and parties. Some pearl-clutching patrons complained, and the citys response was swift and brutal. 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. Bentley was known for being open about her lesbianism, and incorporated it into her stage show. Within weeks of starting her gig at the Clam House, Bentley transformed the whole jointliterally. This drag king persona has formed part of her legacy to this day. Oops, some error occurred while uploading your photo(s). Okeh Race Records released eight singles of her music between 1928 and 1929. Once more, I ask: Did Gladys Bentley care? 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. You are nearing the transfer limit for memorials managed by Find a Grave. There is a problem with your email/password. By the mid 1940's, she took her act to Los Angeles, California and recorded for the Excelsior Record label. 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. Found more than one record for entered Email, You need to confirm this account before you can sign in. Close this window, and upload the photo(s) again. Yep, the young cook later denied ever having a wedding ceremony with the singer. Try again. Drag performers often backed her up at the . Gladys Bentley had waited years for this moment, and she wasted no time grabbing the opportunity with both hands. [1][2][24] It was initially believed to be the "Asian flu" but later turned into "pneumonia". Try again later. When Gladys Presley passed away on August 14, 1958, Elvis was only 23 years old. 03.12.2019. Gladys was diagnosed with hepatitis shortly after, and her symptoms worsened significantly after that. She found one, alright. There's something about the family structure that encourages secrets. Learn more about managing a memorial . In 1960, after a lifetime as a popular entertainer and a woman who lived on the fringes in a world that wasnt ready to accept her, Gladys Bentley succumbed to pneumonia. Philadelphia, Philadelphia County, Pennsylvania, USA, Los Angeles, Los Angeles County, California, USA. Michael Bekoev was a Ukrainian bodybuilder who died of a heart attack at age 54. The ploy worked a little too well. Gladyspassed away on month day1963, at age 54 at death place, Kentucky. She was 96. 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 . The report will reveal what was in Tewmey's system at the time of his . 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. She's still alive and well, stop believing what you see on the Internet, " they said. Try again later. Just play. And Bentley was just getting started. 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. 2013.46.25.15 Collection of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture Gladys Bentley came into this world on August 12, 1907 as the eldest child of George Bentley and his wife Mary Mote. Bentley was the most popular and infamous speakeasy performer in Prohibition-era New York. They eventually divorced. In the 1920s, speakeasies ruled New York City, and Gladys Bentley ruled the speakeasies. The Prohibition Era had come to an end, and now white pleasure-seekers frequented Harlem far less than before. Its a woman.. "It broke my heart," Elvis Presley later said. 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. She was a big woman, about 250 to 300 pounds and wore . "Biblical Gender Bending in Harlem: The Queer Performance of Nugent's Salome. 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. Make sure that the file is a photo. Resend Activation Email. Gladys Alberta Bentley (12 Aug 1907 - certain 18 Jun 1960) 0 references . 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. A large, 250-pound woman, her deep voice appealed to straight, gay, black, and white audiences. Gladys Bentley was born in Philadelphia in 1907 to a Trinidadian woman and an American man. It wouldnt be long before she shot to fame. . The details of this courtship, however, areshady. [2], Recorded November 15, 1928, and March 26, 1929, McBreen, Ellen (1998). Well, it backfired. When I had finished my first number, the burst of applause was terrific.. The email does not appear to be a valid email address. And in the end, shed have to grab that fame back with both hands. 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. She rose to fame during Prohibition in New York City, entertaining speakeasy audiences with performances testing the boundaries of gender and sexuality. In August 1928, she signed with Okeh Records company and recorded eight sides over the course of the next year up until 1929. She moved to speakeasies and night clubs in Jungle Alley, the center of Harlems sporting life. Deeply concerned, Elvis was finally granted emergency leave after threatening to go AWOL on August 12. 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. You need a Find a Grave account to continue. The performer had survived a harsh life up until this point, but she was about to spiral out of control. You can customize the cemeteries you volunteer for by selecting or deselecting below. Are you sure that you want to delete this flower? Blues Singer. 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. Significant Dates. Gladys Bentley (1907-1960) was a blues pianist, singer, performer, and drag king pioneer. The cause of her death was most likely due to the stress of Elvis' career and the demands of being a single mother. 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. 0 references. Drag performers often backed her up at the Ubangi Club. Her success picked up again during World War II with the expansion of gay bars on the West Coast. 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. Or there might have been a more cynical reason, Gladys Bentley was a consummate show woman, and she simply didnt know how to let a publicity opportunity pass her by. This relationship is not possible based on lifespan dates. She is buried beside her mother at Lincoln Memorial Park in Carson, California. . 0 references. It was Bentley who told a gossip columnist that shed just tied the knot. In her music, she called out men and openly sang about sexual relationships which was seen as risqu behavior at the time. Bentley recalled dreaming and being infatuated with her primary school female teachers but did not understand those feelings until later on in her life. You are only allowed to leave one flower per day for any given memorial. She moved to speakeasies and night clubs in Jungle Alley, the center of Harlem's sporting life. Bentleys fame was a product of being both a gifted singer and an adept provocateur. Gladys George was one of the movies' greatest hard-luck dames, both on- and off-screen. 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. Shed always been good at the piano, and heard through a friend one night that the notorious gay speakeasy the Clam House was looking for a pianist. On May 15, 1958 she appeared as a contestant on You Bet Your Life, engaging in discussion with host Groucho Marx before accompanying herself on piano as she sang "Them There Eyes". For all her revelations in her Ebony article, Bentleys confessions may not be what they seem. There are no volunteers for this cemetery. Date of Death: July 19, 2017. But its more complicated than all that. Like in many school districts today, Floyd County students are attending class remotely, due to forecasts of severe weather moving into the region. 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". Singing the Gender-Bending Blues. What she found was absolute infamy. Instead, she exerted a 'black female masculinity' that troubled the distinctions between black and white and masculine and feminine".[25]. Copyright 2023 by Factinate.com. So when it came to her unnamed paramour, it wasnt just that she took a woman as her wife that raised peoples eyebrows. 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. As one historian put it, She knew what was popular, what she could do, and what people would pay to see.. pneumonia. https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/7634493/gladys-alberta-bentley. By 1933, Bentley headlined in nightclubs and theatres such as The Cotton Club and The Apollo. Hansberry and Palein sued Bentley to prohibit her from taking her musical to the Broadway division. . Shed made a scandalous name for herself singing her dirty songs, and audiences came out in droves. She moved from Philadelphia to Harlem, a neighborhood in New York City in 1925[7] at the age of 16. 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. Her vocal range was wide, as can be heard in her recordings. Yet in California, Bentley only got into some silver screen drama. Get the latest updates and more delivered straight to your inbox. In the end, the booming, bodacious, and vivacious singer succumbed to the relatively common ailment of pneumonia, which came on quickly and didnt let her go. 08/12/1907 . 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.. Gladys Presley died on August 14, 1958, at the age of 46 after suffering from heart failure. 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. 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. However, despite our best efforts, we sometimes miss the mark. At the peak of her career, the singer was . 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. Gladys Bentley (1907-1960) was a blues pianist, singer, performer, and drag king pioneer. On top of that, the news got out in a sensational way. 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. 4. As the most commanding mistress in the French court, she bettered the lives of many and became a beloved figure. According to the stories, Bentleys new partner was also a white woman. As Bentley put it, My hands fairly flew over the keys. And the response was legendary. Since she was a schoolgirl, she had started daydreaming about her female teachers, and developing intimate feelings for the women she knew. ", Email powered by MailChimp (Privacy Policy & Terms of Use). Gladys Bentley Death: and Cause of Death On January 18, 1960, Gladys Bentley died of non-communicable disease. But once the lights went down, no one knew the tragedy going on behind the scenes. Edit a memorial you manage or suggest changes to the memorial manager. Haleema Shah 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. Photos larger than 8Mb will be reduced. And that was the least of her revelations. Let it play in the background as you study and immerse yourself in this topic! She claimed that she had married a white woman in Atlantic City. Privacy Statement We want our readers to trust us. Your new password must contain one or more uppercase and lowercase letters, and one or more numbers or special characters. She also appeared at the the Apollo Theater and the Cotton Club. In an interview with Ebony magazine,[6] Bentley stated that "It seems I was born different. and experiment both sexually and socially.. 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. Bentley reported wearing her three younger brothers suits to school when growing up. 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. That year, she claimed that she married an unknown woman in a civil ceremony in Atlantic City, a practically unheard-of move. Oops, something didn't work. Suddenly, she had to get a special permit to wear mens clothing for her performances, and endured heckling on the streets. Please reach out to us to let us know what youre interested in reading. | READ MORE. [22] Gibson denied ever marrying her.[23]. After a long climb, Bentley had finally made it to the topbut with stardom came scandal. If you notice a problem with the translation, please send a message to [emailprotected] and include a link to the page and details about the problem. 01/18/1960 . Her songs revealed all her dirty little secrets. Do you question the accuracy of a fact you just read? All Rights Reserved. Her beginnings werent humble, though; they were scandalous. But theres something very disturbing about this story. In later years, she participated in Titanic-related events after the wreckage was discovered. Yow. The Grammy-nominated artist's prolonged absence from social media . Bentley moved to California, where she continued recording music, touring and performing in upscale supper clubs and bars, but Wilson says her act was a toned down version of what it was at the height of her fame in New York. She'd been lying about her age to conceal the fact that she was four years older than Vernon Presley. When Gladys died in 1958, newspapers around the world gave her age as 42, when she was really 46. Date of Death. At least, I always thought I was." She's been a special interest of mine for quite some time, and in the 1920's and 30's she was especially prominent. singer. Gladys Bentleywas born circa 1909. Learn more about merges. The teenage Bentley was in way over her head when she moved to Harlem, and she needed to find work, stat. Our credibility is the turbo-charged engine of our success. 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. In Bentleys account of her life, her audience was as fascinated by her style as it was by her music. 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. Table showing information for name claims, including the name itself . My hands fairly flew over the keys. Gladys fell seriously ill just a few months after Elvis enlisted in the US Army. Thanks for your time! Heck no. "She was always my best girl." At her funeral, Elvis was inconsolable. I thought you might like to see a memorial for Gladys Alberta Bentley I found on Findagrave.com. Wilson also says that Bentley, who was aging and no stranger to reinvention, was likely making deft use of the press. We have set your language to 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. 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. When Bentley finished her performance, the room burst into applause. Your Privacy Rights She scoffed and said, Man? Inevitably, even the vaunted Ubangi club closed its doors in 1937, kicking Bentley out along with its regular clientele. Bentley, who never seemed to look at a man before, married the very manly J.T. 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. Failed to delete memorial. See, the Clam House was actually looking for a male pianist. Think this stopped Gladys Bentley? 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. There was an error deleting this problem. occupation. There is 1 volunteer for this cemetery. Thanks for using Find a Grave, if you have any feedback we would love to hear from you. As a singer, Bentley became known for a deep, growling voice and a trumpet-like scat. Date of Birth. Bentley was born August 12, 1907 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, the daughter of George L. Bentley, an American, and his wife, Mary Mote, a Trinidadian. Celebrity OTE - Spring Arts Guide Daniel Kaluuya Digital. He was 77. Vernon told him Gladys had died at 3.15am. 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. "She was always my best girl." 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 service only issues certified copies of microfilmed death certificates for deaths that occurred in Louisiana between 1911-1972. Gladys Bentley Early Life Story, Family Background and Education 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 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. When Gladys Bentley performed in speakeasies, especially at the beginning of her career, a curious thing started happening. Gladys Love, Elvis Presley's mother, died due to heart attack and liver failure. Please try again later. So maybe its no surprise that the lovebirds split up less than a year into their relationshipand more heartache was to come. All Rights Reserved. When Bentley showed up for a given performance, shed soon find that officers had locked up her venues in an attempt to drive away her business. 0 references. 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. Okeh Race Records released eight singles of her music between 1928 and 1929. However, Floyd County Schools said in a statement Friday . Your account has been locked for 30 minutes due to too many failed sign in attempts. cemeteries found within miles of your location will be saved to your photo volunteer list. Yet the reality behind her death was far too simple, and far too tragic. Elvis was given emergency leave to visit her, arriving in Memphis on August 12, but she died on August. 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. Years before Gladys Bentley performed in midtown Manhattan, she arrived in Harlem around 1925. Death rumors debunked. Her career continued after that point, though briefly. Gladyss mother never seemed to get over the shock of having her firstborn be a daughter. The cause of death is pending toxicology results from the Frankfort lab, said Mercer Coroner Sonny Ransdell. Bentley was so desperate to change, she submitted to the expensive injections three times a week for an entire half a year. 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. She would take popular songs of the day and just put the filthiest lyrics possible. Season 3. Were always looking for your input! We see a real change so that somebody who is identified as lesbian or gay is considered a national menace. A large, masculine, Black womana "bulldagger," in the language of her dayshe was known for wearing a. 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. 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..

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