Barbi Benton Born:  January 28, 1950 Hee! Haw!

About The Artist New York City-born Barbara Lynn Klein grew up in Sacramento, California, the daughter of a physician. After high school, she entered UCLA as a pre-vet major but soon dropped out as she could not stand the sight of blood. Hearing that Hugh Hefner was auditioning extras for a TV program, Playboy After Dark, she was not only chosen, but she and Hefner became lovers, a relationship that lasted for six years. As a scantily clad and nude model, she appeared on the cover of Playboy magazine four times, beginning in 1969 and last in 1985, as well as a couple of other features but never as a playmate. She took the stage name of Barbi Benton by 1969. Barbi joined the cast of Hee Haw in 1971 remaining for five years and appearing in numerous skits and sometimes singing. In 1974, she began recording for Hefner's Playboy label and over the next three years had three long play albums (Barbi Doll, Barbi Benton, Something New) and several single releases. The A side release of her third single "Brass Buckles" became a genuine hit reaching number five on the country charts. Although written by someone else, it seems almost autobiographical as it concerns a little girl who "outgrows brass buckles on her shoes" and ends up on the "cover of Playboy magazine." Three other numbers hit the lower echelons of the charts, one of them a duet with established country star Mickey Gilley. From 1976, Benton left Hee! Haw! and concentrated on television appearing as a regular on the short-lived Sugar Time in 1977 and in such shows ranging from The Love Boat to Charlie's Angels. She also appeared in several motion pictures. In October 1979, she married well-to-do realtor George Gradow and her acting career began winding down over the next three or four years. As of 2020, she is retired, the Gradows dividing their time between homes in Aspen and Los Angeles, the parents of two grown children. Credits & Sources Hillbilly-Music.com would like to express its thanks to Ivan M. Tribe, author of Mountaineer Jamboree — Country Music in West Virginia and other books that can be found on Amazon.com and numerous articles in other publications for providing us with information about this artist.

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Recordings (78rpm/45rpm)   Playboy Rec. No. Side Song Title   6008 A Welcome Stranger   6008 B That Country Boy of Mine   6016 A Now I Lay Me Down to Sleep with You   6016 B If You Can't Do It, That's Alright   6032 A Brass Buckles   6032 B Put a Little Bit on Me   6043 A Movie Magazine, Stars in Her Eyes   6043 B He Looks Just Like His Daddy   6045 A Roll You Like a Wheel (w/ Mickey Gilley)   6045 B Let's Sing a Song Together (w/ Mickey Gilley)   6056 A The Reverend Bob   6056 B Ain't That Just the Way   6078 A Staying Power   6078 B San Diego Serenade   6094 A Needing You   6094 B In the Winter