Gladys Bentley

Gladys Bentley was born August 12, 1907 (some accounts list the birthday as January 12), in Philadelphia, PA. As a young woman she moved to New York City's famous Harlem district, where, dressed in her signature tuxedo and top hat, she began singing at rent parties and speakeasies, creating an image as a lesbian chanteuse. She recorded ten tracks for Okeh Records in New York between August 1928 and March 1929, eight of which were officially released by the label. In 1937 she left New York and moved to Los Angeles, CA. She recorded ten tracks for Excelsior Records in 1945 and a...