Gladys Bentley facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Gladys Bentley
Bentley c. 1930
Background information
Birth name	Gladys Alberta Bentley
Also known as	Barbara "Bobbie" Minton
Born	(1907-08-12)August 12, 1907 Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S.
Died	January 18, 1960(1960-01-18) (aged 52) Los Angeles, California, U.S.
Genres	Blues
Occupation(s)	Singer
Years active	1920s–1950s

Gladys Alberta Bentley (born August 12, 1907 – died January 18, 1960) was an American blues singer, pianist, and entertainer. She was very famous during the Harlem Renaissance, a time when Black art and culture thrived in Harlem, New York.

Gladys Bentley became very popular in the 1920s when she performed at Harry Hansberry's Clam House in New York City. She was known for her unique style: she wore men's clothes, like a fancy tailcoat and top hat. She played the piano and sang her own versions of popular songs with a deep, powerful voice.

After a law called Prohibition ended, many clubs in Harlem closed. Gladys moved to southern California. There, she was called "America's Greatest Sepia Piano Player." She faced challenges for wearing men's clothing. She tried to continue her music career but did not become as famous as before. Early in her career, Bentley was open about her love for women. But during a time called the McCarthy Era, she started wearing dresses and married a man. This was likely due to strong pressure from society.

Early Life and Growing Up

Gladys Bentley was born on August 12, 1907, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Her father was American, and her mother was from Trinidad. Gladys was the oldest of four children in a family that didn't have much money.

In an article for Ebony magazine, Gladys wrote about her childhood. She felt unwanted because her mother had really wanted a boy. She said her mother refused to touch her when she was born. This feeling of being rejected shaped her life. She preferred wearing boys' clothes and had crushes on her female teachers.

Her Unique Style

Gladys Bentley often said, "It seems I was born different." From a young age, she didn't follow typical ideas of how girls should act or dress. She was a larger person and liked to wear her brother's suits instead of dresses.

Because she didn't dress like other girls, classmates often teased her. Her family and friends sometimes didn't understand her. Gladys remembered dreaming about her female teachers. She didn't fully understand these feelings until she was older. Her family even sent her to doctors to try and "fix" her desires. Because she didn't feel comfortable at home, Gladys ran away at age 16. She moved to New York City to start a new life.

Her Music Career

In 1925, at age 16, Gladys moved from Philadelphia to Harlem, a lively neighborhood in New York City. She heard that Harry Hansberry's Clam House, a famous club on 133rd Street, needed a male pianist. This was her chance.

She began performing there in men's suits, with stiff collars and bow ties. She became very popular and successful. Her salary quickly grew, and the club was even renamed Barbara's Exclusive Club, after her stage name, Barbara "Bobbie" Minton. She toured many cities like Cleveland, Pittsburgh, Chicago, and Hollywood. Many celebrities, including Cesar Romero and Cary Grant, enjoyed her shows.

Gladys Bentley was a very talented piano player, singer, and entertainer. She sang loudly with a deep, booming voice, sometimes making growling sounds like a horn. In 1928, she signed with Okeh Records and recorded many songs. She also recorded for Victor, Excelsior, and Flame labels. Her voice could reach both very low and very high notes.

Her performances attracted all kinds of people: Black and white, gay and straight. The famous writer Langston Hughes described her performances:

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. 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.

When Prohibition ended, many Harlem clubs closed. Gladys moved to southern California. She was called "America's Greatest Sepia Piano Player" there. She tried to keep performing in clubs, but she didn't have the same success. Over time, she even needed special permits to perform in men's clothing. She was often bothered for her choice of clothes.

Early in her career, Gladys was open about her relationships with women. But during the McCarthy Era, a time of strong social pressure, she changed. She began wearing dresses and married a man named Charles Roberts in 1952. She even wrote an article for Ebony magazine called "I Am a Woman Again," saying she had changed her life.

In 1958, she appeared on the TV show You Bet Your Life with host Groucho Marx. She sang "Them There Eyes" while playing the piano.

Legal Challenges

In 1933, Gladys Bentley had a legal fight with Harry Hansberry, the owner of the Clam House. He sued her to stop her from taking her music to Broadway. Hansberry said that his club became popular because of Gladys. He claimed he had a five-year contract with her. He felt she left him when the club was doing well to make more money elsewhere.

That same year, she tried to perform on Broadway. But her performances were considered too "raunchy" (too bold or daring) by some. The police even closed down places where she performed. Because she couldn't perform on Broadway, she had to move back to Harlem in 1934. She then played at the Ubangi Club for three years before it closed.

Personal Life and Passing

In 1930, Gladys Bentley lived with a woman named Beatrice Robert. In 1931, she had a public ceremony in New Jersey with another woman whose name is not known. When she moved to Los Angeles, she reportedly married J. T. Gibson, who passed away in 1952. That same year, she married Charles Roberts, a cook, in Santa Barbara, California. They went on a honeymoon to Mexico.

Gladys Bentley passed away unexpectedly from pneumonia on January 18, 1960, at her home in Los Angeles. She was 52 years old. She is buried next to her mother at Lincoln Memorial Park in Carson, California.

Her Lasting Impact

Beyond her amazing musical talent, Gladys Bentley is an important and inspiring person for many. She is especially important to the LGBT community and African Americans. She was a key figure during the Harlem Renaissance.

She was revolutionary in how she showed her masculinity. Unlike other performers who tried to pretend to be men, Gladys Bentley didn't try to trick her audience. Instead, she showed a strong "black female masculinity." This challenged ideas about what was considered "masculine" or "feminine."

Fictional characters based on Gladys Bentley appeared in several novels. In 2016, musician Shirlette Ammons released an album called Twilight for Gladys Bentley, honoring her legacy. In 2019, The New York Times newspaper featured Bentley in their "Overlooked No More" series. This series aims to highlight important historical figures who were not given enough attention.

Places She Performed

Gladys Bentley performed at many famous venues, including:

• The Mad House, 133rd Street, Harlem, New York City, New York
• Harry Hansberry's Clam House ("Gladys' Clam House"), 133rd Street, 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
• Apollo Theatre, Harlem, New York City, New York
• The Cotton Club, Harlem, New York City, New York
• Joaquin's El Rancho, Los Angeles, California
• Mona's 440 Club, North Beach, San Francisco, California

Her Recorded Music

Okeh Records

• "Worried Blues" / "Ground Hog Blues" (August 1928) #8610
• "How Long, How Long Blues" / "Moanful Wailin' Blues" (August 1928) #8612
• "Wild Geese Blues" / "How Much Can I Stand" (November 1928, with guitar) #8643
• "Red Beans and Rice" / "Big Gorilla Man" (March 1929) #8707

Victor

• "Washboards Get Together" / "Kazoo Moan", #38127, with the Washboard Serenaders, recorded March 1930

Excelsior Records (As Gladys Bentley Quintette, 1945)

• "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
• "Boogie Woogie Cue" / "Give It Up", #168
• "Notoriety Papa" / "It Went to the Girl Next Door", #169

Swingtime Records

• "Jingle Jangle Jump", #321, vocals for Wardell Gray and the Dexter Gordon Quintet, 1952
• "July Boogie" / "Gladys Could Play", #337, as Fatso Bentley, July 4, 1953

Flame Records

• "Easter Mardi Gras" / "Before Midnight", Flame 1001, Cincinnati, early 1950s

See also

In Spanish: Gladys Bentley para niños