Gladys Bentley: America's Greatest Sepia Player -- The Brown Bomber of Sophisticated Songs (1946 - 1949)Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture
Gladys Bentley is remembered as a musician ahead of her time and she remains an inspirational figure to this day. Her musical act drew huge crowds in cities across the United States, with her distinctive style helping to drive the Harlem Renaissance.
New York At Night (1946) by Andreas FeiningerLIFE Photo Collection
Born in Philadelphia in 1907, Bentley was raised by her grandmother in the early months of her life. At the age of 16, she left home and ran away to New York to kickstart her musical career.
Gladys Bentley: America's Greatest Sepia Player -- The Brown Bomber of Sophisticated Songs (1946 - 1949)Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture
At the time, Harry Hansberry’s Clam House, one of the city's most notorious gay speakeasies, needed a male pianist. Dressed in men's attire, Bentley got the job and she began performing in her iconic outfit of a bow tie, dress shirt, and Eton jacket.
Bold, engaging, and funny, Bentley’s performances were underpinned by her striking musical talent. Occasionally backed up by a chorus line of drag queens, she entertained audiences with her double-entendres and risqué versions of popular songs.
Harlem Nite Club (1935)Kansas City Public Library
When prohibition was repealed in 1933, the Harlem speakeasies went into decline. Bentley moved to southern California to pursue her career but couldn’t find the same success she had enjoyed in New York.
Gladys Bentley: America's Greatest Sepia Player -- The Brown Bomber of Sophisticated Songs (1946 - 1949)Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture
Gladys Bentley died of pneumonia at her home in LA in 1960, she was just 52 years old. She left a powerful legacy behind her, both as a musician and an openly gay woman. Today, she’s an icon of American blues and her music is still inspiring new generations of artists.
85199 (1970-09) by John OlsonLIFE Photo Collection
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