Barbi Benton
| Barbi Benton | |
|---|---|
Benton in 1977
|
|
| Born |
Barbara Lynn Klein January 28, 1950 New York, New York, U.S. |
| Occupation |
Playboy Model Recording Artist Actress Interior decorator |
| Years active | 1970–1986 |
| Spouse(s) | George Gradow (1979–present) |
| Partner(s) | Hugh Hefner (1969–1976) |
| Children | 2 |
Barbi Benton (born Barbara Lynn Klein; January 28, 1950) is an American model, actress, and singer.
Benton was born Barbara Lynn Klein in New York City, New York, to a Jewish family. She moved with her parents to California when she was 2 years old. She grew up in Sacramento and attended Rio Americano High School.
At the age of 16, she began to model to help supplement her income. Following high school, she attended UCLA, and at age 18 took a job with Playboy to appear on their entertainment show Playboy After Dark. Her role was as co-host and beautiful companion to the show's director of entertainment, Hugh Hefner. After recording two sessions, Hefner asked the young co-ed for a date. Upon being asked, she reports demurring 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 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 Barbi Benton.
Benton (initially credited as Barbi Klein) appeared on the cover of Playboy magazine 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 comic sketches, and subsequently enjoyed a career as a country singer. She also began acting, and appeared in the 1970 West German comedy film The Naughty Cheerleader, before appearing as a featured repeat performer on a number of popular television shows, including The Love Boat and Fantasy Island. Benton lived with Hefner from 1969 until 1976 and is known for discovering the Playboy Mansion West where Hefner resides today. Years later when the TV series The Girls Next Door visited her in Aspen, Colorado, she expressed gratitude that the two had remained friends.
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