Barbi Benton is a former model and actress who made an appearance on shows like Sugar Time, The Girls Next Door, and the Playboy After Dark TV series. Barbi Benton has appeared four times on the cover of Playboy magazine. She retired from show business in the 1980s to raise her children.
Birth Facts
Barbi was born on 28th January 1950, in New York City, New York. Her full name is Barbara Lynn Klein. Likewise, she has an American nationality and has a sun sign of Aquarius. She has turned 70 years old and belongs to the White ethnic group. She was born into a Jewish family. Her father, Marvin Adolph Klein was a gynecologist in Carmichael, California and her mother, Helen Klein worked as an investment counselor. Her father was a military doctor and later a physician.
Caption: Barbi Benton with her father (Source: Groovy History)
Education
She grew up in Sacramento and attended Rio Americano High School and took all kinds of lessons – from scuba diving to piano – and even did some “tearoom modeling” while in school. After high school, she attended the University of California, Los Angeles to become a veterinarian, but had to give up that career option as she could not stand the sight of blood.
Career and Profession Life
Barbi Benton started modeling at the age of 16 to earn some extra money. At age 18 took a job with Playboy to appear on their entertainment show Playboy After Dark. She initially started as an extra on the show, but after host Hugh Hefner fell in love with Benton, her role was quickly elevated to co-host. Hefner and she began a relationship that lasted several years and placed Benton in the center of the Playboy enterprise. Hefner convinced her to change her name from Barbara Klein to the more marketable she. She is credited with convincing Hugh Hefner to buy the Playboy Mansion in Holmby Hills in 1974.
Benton (initially credited as Barbi Klein) appeared on the cover of Playboy four times: July 1969, March 1970, May 1972, and December 1985 and in additional nude photo layouts in the December 1973 and January 1975 issues. Though she was featured in a number of photo-essays, she was never a Playmate of the Month. She landed a spot on television’s Hee Haw doing short comedy sketches, and subsequently enjoyed a career as a country singer. She also began acting, and appeared in the West German comedy film The Naughty Cheerleader (1970), before appearing as a featured repeat performer on a number of popular television series, including The Bobby Vinton Show in 1976, The Love Boat, and Fantasy Island.
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Benton lived with Hefner from 1969 until 1976 and is known for discovering the Playboy Mansion West, where Hefner resided until his death in 2017. Years later, when the television series The Girls Next Door visited her in Aspen, Colorado, she expressed gratitude that the two had remained friends. Benton left Hee Haw after four seasons to concentrate on a more Hollywood-oriented career. She also starred in the short-lived 1977 ABC-TV comedy series Sugar Time!, about an aspiring female rock group and in films including the slasher Hospital Massacre (1982).
Benton achieved some success as a recording artist. Benton has recorded eight albums, the last of which she personally produced in 1979. She also composed the songs, sang them, and played piano. One of her better-known songs was “Ain’t That Just the Way” (1976). It was a number one hit in Sweden for 5 weeks, was also a major hit for Lutricia McNeal in 1996, and was recorded by the Dutch singer Patricia Paay under the title Poor Jeremy in 1977.
Caption: Barbi Benton during her photoshoot (Source: Barbi Benton)
Awards and Nomination
Benton achieved a good amount of fame as a recording artist. Her record “Brass Buckles” (1975) was a top-five hit on Billboard’s country singles chart. Веntоn hаѕ аlѕо rесоrdеd еіght аlbumѕ. Тhе lаѕt оnе wаѕ thе оnе ѕhе реrѕоnаllу рrоduсеd іn 1979. Ѕhе аlѕо соmроѕеd hеr ѕоngѕ hеrѕеlf, ѕаng thеm, аnd аlѕо рlауеd ріаnо. Неr fаmоuѕ ѕоng wаѕ “Аіn’t Тhаt Јuѕt thе Wау” (1976). Тhе ѕоng wаѕ а numbеr оnе hіt іn Ѕwеdеn fоr mоrе thаn а соuрlе оf wееkѕ. Ѕhе еvеn wоn thе ТV Lаnd Еntеrtаіnеr Аwаrd fоr hеr wоrk іn ѕhоrt соmеdу ѕkіtѕ.
Net Worth
Being a famous model for Playboy Enterprise and an impressive actress for many TV Series, the net worth of the actress is $22 million. She made her 1 million dollar fortune with Playboy, Hee Haw & Brass Buckles. Her net worth includes her properties and earnings.
Relationship Status
Barbi has not been to date before 24. After recording 2 episodes of the Playboy After Dark series, Hefner asked the young co-ed for a date. Upon being asked, she reportedly demurred to the then-42-year-old Hefner: “I don’t know, I’ve never dated anyone over 24 before.” To which Hefner replied, “That’s all right, neither have I.” The two began a relationship from 1969-1976 and placed Benton in the center of the Playboy enterprise. Hefner was an American businessman.
Currently, she is married to the real estate developer George Gradow since 14th December 1978. They have two children a daughter named Ariana Gradow (born on July 13, 1988) and a son named Alexander Benton Gradow (born on August 23, 1986). They divide their time between homes in Aspen and Los Angeles.
Caption: Barbi Benton with her husband (Source: Bygonely)
Body Measurement and Social Media
The body measurement of Barbi is 34-23-34 inches. She is 5 feet and 3 inches tall and has a weight of 49kg. Her bra size is 34B and she wears a dress of size 8(US). Moreover, she has a pair of beautiful hazel-blue eyes and dark brown hair.
Talking about social media, Benton does not use any social media. She does not use Instagram, Twitter, nor Facebook. But she has a lot of fans and they have made fan pages for her.
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