Bentley, Gladys, 1907-1960

Gladys Bentley (1907-1960) was an African American singer and drag performer. Bentley ran away from home at age sixteen, after showing a preference for borrowing her brother's suits and being sent to doctors to assess her behavior. She moved to New York City and started her career performing; when she heard that Harry Hansberry's Clam House on 133rd Street, a gay speakeasies, needed a male pianist, she began performing in men's attire. At the Clam House, Bentley perfected her act and became popular and successful. She then performed at the Mad House in Harlem and was a star at Harlem's Ubangi Club, where she was known to perform with a line of drag queen back-up singing. She made eight recordings with Okeh Records and, later, with the Excelsior and Flame labels. She moved to California in the late 1930s, singing at gay clubs in Hollywood, San Francisco and Los Angeles, sometimes using the name "Bobby Minton". During this era, Bentley was one of few openly lesbian performers and had problems with police due to performing in male clothing. On the decline of the Harlem speakeasies with the repeal of Prohibition, she relocated to southern California and later Atlantic City, New Jersey. In 1952 (during the McCarthy era), she started wearing dresses and it is said that she married a man, Charles Roberts, though Robert would later deny this happened. Bentley also studied to be a minister later in life.