SINGER

Gladys Bentley

1907 - 1960

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Gladys Alberta Bentley (August 12, 1907 – January 18, 1960) was an American blues singer, pianist, and entertainer during the Harlem Renaissance. Her career skyrocketed when she appeared at Harry Hansberry's Clam House, a well-known gay speakeasy in New York City in the 1920s, as a black, lesbian, cross-dressing performer. She headlined in the early 1930s at Harlem's Ubangi Club, where she was backed up by a chorus line of drag queens. 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. Read more on Wikipedia

Her biography is available in different languages on Wikipedia. Gladys Bentley is the 2,638th most popular singer (up from 2,820th in 2019), the 14,256th most popular biography from United States (up from 14,740th in 2019) and the 741st most popular American Singer.

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Among SINGERS

Among singers, Gladys Bentley ranks 2,638 out of 4,381. Before her are Elkie Brooks, Nicky Byrne, Mallikarjun Mansur, Big Daddy Kane, Katrin Siska, and Natasja Saad. After her are Sinitta, Semiha Yankı, Kurt Nilsen, Murat Nasyrov, Kaija Kärkinen, and Natasha Bedingfield.

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Contemporaries

Among people born in 1907, Gladys Bentley ranks 400. Before her are Roy Welensky, Paul Douglas, Bob Steele, Arlene Francis, Ernst Loof, and Ruby Myers. After her are Philip Slone, Louis MacNeice, Allan Jones, Pete Desjardins, Mehboob Khan, and Peggy Shannon. Among people deceased in 1960, Gladys Bentley ranks 241. Before her are Hope Emerson, Harry Pollitt, John P. Marquand, Walter Catlett, Kathlyn Williams, and Charles Holden.

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In United States

Among people born in United States, Gladys Bentley ranks 14,260 out of 20,380. Before her are Scottie Thompson (1981), Sam Perkins (1961), Jeff Loomis (1971), Debbie Cameron (1958), Craig Federighi (1969), and Janet Blair (1921). After her are Julia Garner (1994), Travis Pastrana (1983), Victoria Rowell (1959), Sinitta (1968), Terrence McNally (1938), and Helen Wagner (1918).

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Among SINGERS In United States

Among singers born in United States, Gladys Bentley ranks 741. Before her are Mark Tuan (1993), Young Maylay (1979), Jordan Knight (1970), Michelle Williams (1979), Steve Harwell (1967), and Big Daddy Kane (1968). After her are Sinitta (1968), Mina (1997), Jeff Barry (1938), Betty Wright (1953), Mac Davis (1942), and Yoon Mi-rae (1981).

American born Singers

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