gladys bentley cause of death

We see a real change so that somebody who is identified as lesbian or gay is considered a national menace. Singing the Gender-Bending Blues - Smithsonian Institution During the late 1920's, Bentley recorded for the OKeh Record label and then for Victor Records in 1930. She and Elvis survived the tornado that struck Tupelo on April 5, 1936. Why Elvis Presley had his mother Gladys' gravestone replaced Oops, we were unable to send the email. At the peak of her career, the singer was . There was an error deleting this problem. "She was just defiant in who she was, and for gender and sexuality studies today, she shows the performance of . When Gladys died in 1958, newspapers around the world gave her age as 42, when she was really 46. From petty paybacks to insane acts of karma, these bitter people somehow found the most ingenious ways. Dancy Mason is the Editor-in-Chief at Factinate. 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.. Then, she made a jaw-dropping decision. On top of that, the news got out in a sensational way. Michael Bekoev. Quickly see who the memorial is for and when they lived and died and where they are buried. The Wayward Life of Gladys Bentley - Paris Review The email does not appear to be a valid email address. Bentley had great talent as a piano player, singer, and entertainer. 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. At the time, the comings and goings of Bentleys inner boudoir were public knowledge, and that was just how she liked it. Elvis Presley Cause of Death: How Did 'The King' Die? . 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. Bentley moved to Los Angeles to live with her mother. Fed up and at the brink of her sanity, Bentley resorted to drastic measures. [2], Recorded November 15, 1928, and March 26, 1929, McBreen, Ellen (1998). 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. It's up there with being a communist, Wilson says. singer. Inevitably, even the vaunted Ubangi club closed its doors in 1937, kicking Bentley out along with its regular clientele. In August 1928, she signed with Okeh Records company and recorded eight sides over the course of the next year up until 1929. 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. According to Elvis History Blog, Gladys Presley, the mother of Elvis Presley, died "of a heart attack" at the age of 46, the cause of death given in an Associated press story from the time.. And then he went after everything she held dear. A talented pianist and blues singer, she ran away to New York City at the age of sixteen. Feb 2013 Script - Gladys Bentley Tribute - Queer Music Heritage 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. cause of death. 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. Her shocking lyrics were accompanied by gossip column stories that readers would have found equally shocking. Some pearl-clutching patrons complained, and the citys response was swift and brutal. He demanded she stop trying to perform on Broadway, and took his suit all the way up to the Supreme Court. My mom never told me how her best friend died. 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. [22] Gibson denied ever marrying her.[23]. A large, 250-pound woman, her deep voice appealed to straight, gay, black, and white audiences. Just days before the Tampa Pro bodybuilding contest in 2017, Sean Harris fell asleep behind the wheel and died in a pretty tragic accident. Gladys Bentley should be remembered for being a gender outlaw, says Wilson. 1,242 likes, 52 comments - Gladys Bentley Society (@gladysbentleysoc) on Instagram: "This incredible human is a living testament to the power of faith, will, resilience, and service . This browser does not support getting your location. Bentley met Don when he phoned her up one day, claiming to know a mutual friend. In the 1920s, speakeasies ruled New York City, and Gladys Bentley ruled the speakeasies. Make sure that the file is a photo. On August 14, 1958, Gladys Presley died, aged just 46. As a singer, Bentley became known for a deep, growling voice and a trumpet-like scat. At the time, she didnt understand her desiresbut all that was about to change in a big way. Want just a taste of Gladys Bentleys scorching lyrics? 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. 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". 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. Resend Activation Email. Theyd seen talent before, but theyd never seen talent like this. Okeh Race Records released eight singles of her music between 1928 and 1929. She was the oldest of four children and, in her own words, neither wanted nor loved, because her mother had wanted a boy and was bitterly disappointed. It's a woman, Wilson says. Yet the reality behind her death was far too simple, and far too tragic. Though Bentley was in the process of finding herself, these discoveries only made her family more disgusted with her. He was inconsolable as he sank to his knees beside his mother's bed. In 1934, a midtown Manhattan nightclub called Kings Terrace was padlocked by the police after an observer complained of the dirty songs performed there. Continuing with this request will add an alert to the cemetery page and any new volunteers will have the opportunity to fulfill your request. So she did what many 16-year-olds only dream of: She ran away from home to go seek stardom in Harlem, New York, the epicentre of Black bohemian culture at the time. But she still had one more legacy left. BlackPast.org is a 501(c)(3) non-profit and our EIN is 26-1625373. Gladys Presley - IMDb Looking back, this might have been a bad omen. 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). Miss Bentley was an amazing exhibition of musical energy a large, dark, masculine lady, whose feet pounded the floor while her fingers pounded the keyboard a perfect piece of African sculpture, animated by her own rhythm.[15]. Madame de Pompadour didn't just share King Louis XV's bed, she also shared his power. Catherine of Aragon was King Henry VIIIs first wife and longest-lasting Queen of England. 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. 100 Women: Gladys West - the 'hidden figure' of GPS - BBC News Gladys Bentley died suddenly from the flu in Los Angeles in 1960 at the age of 52. Well, just you wait. He was 77. So maybe its no surprise that the lovebirds split up less than a year into their relationshipand more heartache was to come. 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. And this is JD Doyle with Queer Music Heritage and a special show devoted totally to her. cemeteries found within kilometers of your location will be saved to your photo volunteer list. They cried, laughing so hard; they were doubled over from the ache of it, they blushed, and they fed on the anomalous beauty of Bentley. Cara Williams Dead: 'The Defiant Ones,' 'Pete And Gladys' Star Was 96 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. Join thousands of others and start your morning with our Fact Of The Day newsletter. Within weeks of starting her gig at the Clam House, Bentley transformed the whole jointliterally. The hit show about a Yorkshire corner shop, which starred Ronnie. That all changed in the blink of an eye. Like in many school districts today, Floyd County students are attending class remotely, due to forecasts of severe weather moving into the region. Gladys Bentley was a triple threata singer, a dancer, and a lesbian. By 1933, Bentley had parlayed her fame into country-wide domination. Gladys became severely ill in August 1958 due to undiagnosed hepatitis, brought on by alcoholism, while Elvis was serving in US Army in Germany; he . Though Gladys Bentley notes that her marriage to Don didnt work out, it still seems like something out of a fairy taleand perhaps its just as untrue as a fairy tale, too. Lynda Baron: Open All Hours and Come Outside actress dies aged 82 According to the stories, Bentleys new partner was also a white woman. Celebrity OTE - Spring Arts Guide Daniel Kaluuya Digital. So when it came to her unnamed paramour, it wasnt just that she took a woman as her wife that raised peoples eyebrows. You are only allowed to leave one flower per day for any given memorial. Years later, I was using her phone when I made an utterly chilling discovery. As Bentley became more popular, she started performing at Harry Hansberrys Clam Houseone of New York Citys most well-known gay speakeasiesin the 1920s. All photos appear on this tab and here you can update the sort order of photos on memorials you manage. 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. 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. It couldnt have been going betterbuta rapid downfall was just around the corner. 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. [21] In 1931, Bentley had a civil ceremony in New Jersey, in a public union with a white woman whose identity is unknown. At Factinate, were dedicated to getting things right. Nevertheless, losing Jesse still affected the King deeply. Her beginnings werent humble, though; they were scandalous. In Bentleys account of her life, her audience was as fascinated by her style as it was by her music. Gladys Alberta Bentley (August 12, 1907 - January 18, 1960) was an American blues singer, pianist, and drag entertainer during the Harlem Renaissance. Gladys Presley died on August 14, 1958, at the age of 46 after suffering from heart failure. Copyright 2023 by Factinate.com. She moved to speakeasies and night clubs in Jungle Alley, the center of Harlem's sporting life. Our credibility is the turbo-charged engine of our success. Search above to list available cemeteries. 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. At least, I always thought I was." Gipson shortly after arriving on the West coast. According to Bentley herself, her dysfunctional relationship with her mother shaped the rest of her life in intense ways. Your Privacy Rights She was 96. See, the Clam House was actually looking for a male pianist. She was just defiant in who she was, and for gender and sexuality studies today, she shows the performance of gender.. She was a pioneer in pushing the envelope of gender, sexuality, class, and race with parody and exaggeration, personally and professionally. Your suggestions can be as general or specific as you like, from Life to Compact Cars and Trucks to A Subspecies of Capybara Called Hydrochoerus Isthmius. Well get our writers on it because we want to create articles on the topics youre interested in. Include gps location with grave photos where possible. . Before her death from pneumonia at the age of 52, Bentley appeared by most accounts to be very bold and confident. Gladys Alberta Bentley (12 Aug 1907 - certain 18 Jun 1960) 0 references . She relocated to southern California, marketing herself as Americas Greatest Sepia Piano Player and The Brown Bomber of Sophisticated Songs, a cheeky nod to her inelegant lyrical double entendres. The 1950s were even more conservative than the early part of the 20th century. Failed to report flower. However, later that year, she did wed Charles Roberts, a cook sixteen years her junior. Do you question the accuracy of a fact you just read? Please reach out to us to let us know what youre interested in reading. Add to your scrapbook. She rose to fame during Prohibition in New York City, entertaining speakeasy audiences with performances testing the boundaries of gender and sexuality. On May 15, 1958, she appeared on Groucho Marxs quiz series You Bet Your Life, where she played piano and sang the jazz classic Them There Eyes. Little did anyone know, however, that Bentley didnt have much time left. Verify and try again. Elvis Presley mother: What happened to Gladys Presley? How she died To view a photo in more detail or edit captions for photos you added, click the photo to open the photo viewer. Shed made a scandalous name for herself singing her dirty songs, and audiences came out in droves. It only got worse from there. FLOYD COUNTY, Ky. (WYMT) - Funeral arrangements were announced for Betsy Layne Elementary School teacher Lea Bentley. Your account has been locked for 30 minutes due to too many failed sign in attempts. Even better, when the columnist asked, Well, whos the man? Bentleys reply was oh-so-satisfying. 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. 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. 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. Eventually, Gladys grew old enough to notice this icy upbringingand the consequences were devastating. She moved to speakeasies and night clubs in Jungle Alley, the center of Harlems sporting life. BIOGRAPHY: Gladys Bentley - Musician - The Heroine Collective For the Smithsonians Sidedoor podcast, host Haleema Shah tells the story of an unapologetically gay African-American performer in 1920s and 30s. Weve updated the security on the site. 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. 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. Gladys Bentley (stage name, Bobbie Minton) was a Harlem Renaissance blues singer and cross dresser. Bentley, who never seemed to look at a man before, married the very manly J.T. Whatever her reasons for marrying men, Gladys Bentley sure didnt know how to pick them. Unlike other notorious party girls -- including Barbara Payton and Lila Leeds -- she consistently delivered solid performances over the course of a half-century career. 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. I tried to get my ex-wife served with divorce papers. Ergo, no charges. Over the course of their acquaintance, Bentley came to realize Don was a normal man who was utterly devoted to her, and they eventually started a romantic relationship and even, according to Bentley, married. The Prohibition Era had come to an end, and now white pleasure-seekers frequented Harlem far less than before. 3 references. After Elvis entered his mother ward and the door closed, witnesses remember a piercing wild despair of wails from Elvis were heard as he wept and prayed long and loud over his mother's lifeless body. In the summer of 1952, while married to Gipson, Bentley penned an article for Ebony magazine looking back on her stardom and her personal life. To add a flower, click the Leave a Flower button. . 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. . Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate, or jump to a slide with the slide dots. As a performer, she was advertised by event promoters as a male impersonator, and she filled venues with loud, rowdy performances in which she would flirt with women in the audience. Photograph of Gladys Bentley by an unidentified photographer, 1927-45. When Bentley finished her performance, the room burst into applause. Gladys Bentley wasnt just popular with the common people; she had all of New York eating out of the palm of her hand. People, many of whom were white, seeking entertainment and covert access to alcohol crowded into Harlem nightclubs, speakeasies and parties. Bentley died of pneumonia unexpectedly at her home in Los Angeles on January 18, 1960, aged 52. Please contact Find a Grave at [emailprotected] if you need help resetting your password. We are sad to announce that on July 1, 2021, at the age of 87, Gladys Bentley of New York Mills, Minnesota passed away. Though the cause was a heart attack, it was later found that one of the contributing factors was liver failure due to alcohol poisoning. Once more, I ask: Did Gladys Bentley care? How did Elvis's mother die? Elvis's fame contributed to her death Michael Bekoev was a Ukrainian bodybuilder who died of a heart attack at age 54. Suddenly, she had to get a special permit to wear mens clothing for her performances, and endured heckling on the streets. " She joins the long list of celebrities who have been victimized by this hoax. Flowers added to the memorial appear on the bottom of the memorial or here on the Flowers tab. Gladys Bentley: Blues Singer - Smithsonian American Women's History [27] Bentley was one of the featured obituaries in Overlooked No More. This article reflects that. 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. "It broke my heart," Elvis Presley later said. Gladys Bentley came into this world on August 12, 1907 as the eldest child of George Bentley and his wife Mary Mote. 03.12.2019. The cause of her death was most likely due to the stress of Elvis' career and the demands of being a single mother. A large, 250-pound woman, her deep voice appealed to straight, gay, black, and white audiences. His mother was the daughter of a cotton farmer and she met his father at church. "She was always my best girl." At her funeral, Elvis was inconsolable. Shortly after, Gladys was diagnosed with hepatitis, and her condition worsened very quickly. 2023 Smithsonian Magazine 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). Use the links under See more to quickly search for other people with the same last name in the same cemetery, city, county, etc. Maybe thats why things took a turn for the tragic. In an effort to describe her supposed "cure" for homosexuality she wrote an essay, "I Am a Woman Again," for Ebony magazine in which she stated she had undergone an operation, which "helped change her life again. She died of pneumonia in 1960, aged 52. In an interview with Ebony magazine,[6] Bentley stated that "It seems I was born different. August 14, 1958: Gladys Presley, Elvis' Mother, Dies - Best Classic Bands Instead, she exerted a 'black female masculinity' that troubled the distinctions between black and white and masculine and feminine".[25]. Gladys Bentley - Performer (1907-1960) At the height of her career during the 1920s and 1930s, Gladys Bentley was the most well-known and financially successful black women in the United States. There is a problem with your email/password. . She quickly made a name for herself as somebody who sang ribald songs, says Wilson. And that was the least of her revelations. Sorry! BETSY LAYNE, Ky. The Floyd County school district is mourning the death of an elementary school teacher. That year, Bentley took up with kitchen cook Charles Roberts, marrying him after a whirlwind courtship. 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". Oops, some error occurred while uploading your photo(s). based on information from your browser. This happened even at her star-studded Hollywood shows, which would have the likes of Mary Astor and Barbara Stanwyck watching from the audience. . GREAT NEWS! To use this feature, use a newer browser. 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. Please enter your email and password to sign in. 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. Close this window, and upload the photo(s) again. She sang loud, and her vocal style was deep and booming, sometimes using a growling effect and imitations of a horn. I like to believe that Gladys Bentley had her thumb on the pulse of the time. Born in working-class Philadelphia, Bentley moved to New York City at the age of 18 at a time when gay and lesbian nightclubs began to emerge and the . 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]. She had her own weekly radio program the following year. Name a Woman: Pioneering Drag King Gladys Bentley I wore immaculate full white dress shirts with stiff collars, small bow ties and shirts, oxfords, short Eton jackets and hair cut straight back.. 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. "Goodbye, darling. 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. Then she proceeded to blow his mind. Gladys Love, Elvis Presley's mother, died due to heart attack and liver failure. 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. Gladys Knight Death Hoax Dismissed Since Singer Is 'Alive And Well'. Well, it backfired. He was very close to his mother, which made her death that much more heartbreaking. You can always change this later in your Account settings. ", Email powered by MailChimp (Privacy Policy & Terms of Use). Bentley didnt do anything by halves. 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.

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