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. 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. Nevertheless, losing Jesse still affected the King deeply. 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. James T. Wilson, Bulldaggers, Pansies, and Chocolate Babies: Performance, Race, and Sexuality in the Harlem Renaissance (Ann Arbor: University of Michigan Press, 2010); Irene Monroe, Honoring Notorious Gladys, The Huffington Post Blog (February 12, 2010), http://www.huffingtonpost.com/irene-monroe/honoring-notorious-gladys_b_459929.html; http://www.queerculturalcenter.org/Pages/Bentley/BentleyBio.html. As a result of her lack of gender conformity, she was teased by her classmates and often ostracized by her family and peers. Historian Henry Louis Gates Jr. even described the Harlem Renaissance being surely as gay as it was black. You can always change this later in your Account settings. Gladys Bentley Was a Gender Outlaw - harpersbazaar.com She claimed that she had married a white woman in Atlantic City. Gladys Bentley had waited years for this moment, and she wasted no time grabbing the opportunity with both hands. Continuing with this request will add an alert to the cemetery page and any new volunteers will have the opportunity to fulfill your request. The database also contains older death records for some parishes, such as deaths that occurred in Jefferson parish before 1911, and deaths that occurred in Orleans parish as early as . Gossip suggested her doctor had covered up the real cause of death, an overdose of . Gladys Bentley (1907-60) Michael Ochs Archives . Gladys Bentley Early Life Story, Family Background and Education Bentley was known for being open about her lesbianism, and incorporated it into her stage show. 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. On January 18, 1960, when Bentley was still just 52 years old, she passed quite suddenly in her Los Angeles home. Are you sure that you want to delete this photo? But once the lights went down, no one knew the tragedy going on behind the scenes. She was a pioneer in pushing the envelope of gender, sexuality, class, and race with parody and exaggeration, personally and professionally. According to the stories, Bentleys new partner was also a white woman. There is a problem with your email/password. She was just defiant in who she was, and for gender and sexuality studies today, she shows the performance of gender.. It was discovered that one of the contributing factors to the attack was liver failure due to alcohol poisoning. She was larger in size and preferred to wear her brother's suits instead of dresses or blouses. She found one, alright. Singing the Gender-Bending Blues. A large, 250-pound woman, her deep voice appealed to straight, gay, black, and white audiences. Include gps location with grave photos where possible. GenealogyBuff.com - Mercer County, Kentucky Obituary and Death Notice She scoffed and said, Man? Feb 2013 Script - Gladys Bentley Tribute - Queer Music Heritage On top of that, the news got out in a sensational way. 3 references. We will review the memorials and decide if they should be merged. cemeteries found in Carson, Los Angeles County, California, USA will be saved to your photo volunteer list. Date of Death. Gladys Presley died on August 14, 1958, at the age of 46 after suffering from heart failure. 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. On August 14, 1958, Gladys Presley died at age 46. singer. She was predeceased by : her parents, Lloyd . 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. Despite those challenges Bentley likely encountered in New Yorks entertainment business, it is no surprise that she moved to Harlem. 11 Black LGBTQ+ Icons Who Paved The Way For The World We Live In Now "Goodbye, darling. Your donation is fully tax-deductible. Aside from her musical talent and success, Bentley is a significant and inspiring figure for some in the LGBT community and African Americans, and she was a prominent figure during the Harlem Renaissance. 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. 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. Eventually, Bentley got tired of performing for small crowds, and began looking for gigs at bona fide clubs around New York. It was Bentley who told a gossip columnist that shed just tied the knot. How did Elvis's mother die? Elvis's fame contributed to her death Jim Weatherly Dead at 77 - People Photograph of Gladys Bentley by an unidentified photographer, 1927-45. and experiment both sexually and socially.. Verify and try again. Failed to delete flower. [1][2][24] It was initially believed to be the "Asian flu" but later turned into "pneumonia". Date of death: August 5, 2017. GREAT NEWS! ", 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. Gladys Bentley - Wikipedia Please complete the captcha to let us know you are a real person. Please submit feedback to contribute@factinate.com. Gladys Love, Elvis Presley's mother, died due to heart attack and liver failure. 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. His autopsy was legally sealed for fifty years but, in. On August 14, 1958, Gladys Presley died, aged just 46. FLOYD COUNTY, Ky. (WYMT) - Funeral arrangements were announced for Betsy Layne Elementary School teacher Lea Bentley. She was one of the most well-known and financially successful black women in the United States in the 1920s and 1930s. 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. As one historian put it, She knew what was popular, what she could do, and what people would pay to see.. At least, I always thought I was." Her vocal range was wide, as can be heard in her recordings. Blues Singer. 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. Photos larger than 8Mb will be reduced. occupation. Philadelphia, Philadelphia County, Pennsylvania, USA, Los Angeles, Los Angeles County, California, USA. For many years, I lived in a personal hell, she wrote. Her career continued after that point, though briefly. In Bentleys account of her life, her audience was as fascinated by her style as it was by her music. At the time of her death she survived by her large extended friends and family. Learn more about managing a memorial . Gladys Bentley knew how to live life to the fullest, and with her large, bodacious build and flashy sense of style, she had no problem getting women to fall into bed with her. A system error has occurred. Edit a memorial you manage or suggest changes to the memorial manager. Gladys Bentley was a triple threata singer, a dancer, and a lesbian. Bawdy Facts About Gladys Bentley, The Dapper Diva - Factinate When Bentley came up to a hot young thing, she had one go-to move. Although Catherine's successor Queen Anne Boleyn suffered an infamously dark fate, Aragon's own life was somehow even more tragic. 100 Women: Gladys West - the 'hidden figure' of GPS - BBC News There may be one final bizarre touch to the already strange life of Gladys Bentley. Elvis Presley mother: What happened to Gladys Presley? How she died Cookie Policy This service only issues certified copies of microfilmed death certificates for deaths that occurred in Louisiana between 1911-1972. In 1931, Gladys Bentley was at the top of her game, and was one of the most sought-after performersand loversin the United States. Whatever her reasons for marrying men, Gladys Bentley sure didnt know how to pick them. She was a big woman, about 250 to 300 pounds and wore . Was Gladys Presley an Alcoholic? Gladys Presley's Cause of Death Her name doesnt have the same recognition as many of her Harlem Renaissance peers, in part, because the risqu nature of her performances would have kept her out of mainstream venues, newspapers and history books. She dressed in men's clothes (including a signature tail coat 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. You are nearing the transfer limit for memorials managed by Find a Grave. Join thousands of others and start your morning with our Fact Of The Day newsletter. Gladyss mother never seemed to get over the shock of having her firstborn be a daughter. And she didnt stop there. 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. One of Bentleys signature performance moves was to flirt shamelessly with women in the audience. . 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. Advertising Notice Wilson also says that Bentley, who was aging and no stranger to reinvention, was likely making deft use of the press. In 1933, Bentley found herself in the middle of a Supreme Court battle with Harry Hansberry and Nat Palein. 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.. Do you find this information helpful? Category:Gladys Bentley - Wikimedia Commons Hansberry was so vengeful, he wasnt content to just sue Bentley; he also tried to prevent her from seeking any further success. Within weeks of starting her gig at the Clam House, Bentley transformed the whole jointliterally. Elvis Presley's mother, Gladys Presley, died on August 14, 1958, of a heart attack. As a singer, Bentley became known for a deep, growling voice and a trumpet-like scat. 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. That all changed in the blink of an eye. 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. 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. 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. 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. Haunting Elvis theory claims singer was destined to die young due to Bentley didnt do anything by halves. "It broke my heart," Elvis Presley said. Gladys Alberta Bentley (12 Aug 1907 - certain 18 Jun 1960) 0 references . Bentleys fame was a product of being both a gifted singer and an adept provocateur. Bentley began singing at rent parties and buffet flats. Are you sure that you want to report this flower to administrators as offensive or abusive? Blues Singer. She knew what was popular, what she could do, and what people would pay to see, he says. Close this window, and upload the photo(s) again. BETSY LAYNE, Ky. The Floyd County school district is mourning the death of an elementary school teacher. There was just one huge problem. But they werent all there for the right reasons. The headline sent shockwaves through America. Get the latest updates and more delivered straight to your inbox. 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. . All Rights Reserved. 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. Gladys Bentley Wiki, Biography, Age, Husband, Net Worth, Family Family and friends are welcome to send flowers or leave their condolences on this memorial page and share them with the family. 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. There is 1 volunteer for this cemetery. Then she proceeded to blow his mind. Upon hearing the news, Elvis immediately returned to the hospital. I Am A Woman Again, Bentley declared, disavowing the gender-bending performances that had made her famous. There was a problem getting your location. 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. 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. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate, or jump to a slide with the slide dots. 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. 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. Instead, she exerted a 'black female masculinity' that troubled the distinctions between black and white and masculine and feminine".[25]. Gladys Bentley (stage name, Bobbie Minton) was a Harlem Renaissance blues singer and cross dresser. Yep, the young cook later denied ever having a wedding ceremony with the singer. This was long before the gay rights or the civil rights movements, yet Bentley became a darling of the Harlem Renaissance alongside icons like . Remembering 28 Bodybuilders Who Passed Away (2017-2020) Floyd school mourns teacher - Mountain Top Media At the time of her death, she was 53 years old. A talented pianist and blues singer, she ran away to New York City at the age of sixteen. [22] Gibson denied ever marrying her.[23]. 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. 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. Events Surrounding the Death of Elvis Presley's Mother in 1958 Factinate is a fact website that is dedicated to finding and sharing fun facts about science, history, animals, films, people, and much more. All photos uploaded successfully, click on the Done button to see the photos in the gallery. Elvis was given emergency leave to visit her, arriving in Memphis on August 12, but she died on August. Bentley was born August 12, 1907 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, the daughter of George L. Bentley, an American, and his wife, Mary Mote, a Trinidadian. 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. Sorry! Are you sure that you want to delete this flower? Note: Although some historians view Bentley as a trans-masculine figure, she used she/her pronouns throughout her life. While in Los Angeles, Bentley was up to her usual tricks in the beginningfrequenting and performing at gay bars and scoping out beautiful new lovers. A small donation would help us keep this available to all. Bentley also studied to be a minister, claiming to have been "cured" by taking female hormones. Gladys Bentley: Gender-Bending Performer and Musician At the time of her much-too-early death in 1960 from pneumonia at age 52, she was waiting to be ordained as a minister in the Temple of Love In Christ, Inc. Bentley, illustrator Prentiss Taylor, and singer Nora Holt .