Bette Midler Biography
From LoveToKnow Music
The Bette Midler biography is one that crosses all fields of the entertainment industry. The Divine Miss M, as she is sometimes called, has ruled the airwaves, the silver screen and the stage, and she shows no signs of slowing down any time soon.
Bette Midler Biography – The Early Years
Midler’s parents set her on the path to stardom right from birth. They named her after golden age cinema great Bette Davis (although they pronounced the name differently). Midler was born on December 1, 1945 in Hawaii. Although many people associate Midler strongly with New York, she actually spent her entire childhood in Honolulu. Her Jewish upbringing played a very important role in her life and it shaped many of the characters she played in the future.
In 1965, after spending a few semesters at University of Hawaii, Midler decided to follow her showbiz dreams to New York City. The same year she arrived, she landed a stage role in Cinderella Revisited. She then went on to an extended tour in Fiddler on the Roof, which lasted from 1966 – 1969.
During this period, tragedy struck. Midler’s sister visited her in New York City to see her perform in Fiddler on The Roof. She was hit by a taxi and died.
Bathhouse Bette - Music Career Launches
In 1970, Midler moved away from the stage and towards music with an ongoing engagement to perform at the Continental Baths, a New York City gay bathhouse. While performing there, she met Barry Manilow, who was the club’s piano player. Their friendship blossomed, and Manilow produced Midler’s first album, The Divine Miss M, in 1973. This album earned Midler her first Grammy that same year for Best New Artist. Soon after, however, Manilow and Midler had a falling out and didn’t speak for decades.
Midler has since said she is very proud of these days, which earned her the name Bathhouse Bette, and she retains a large, gay following to this day.
During this same period, Midler’s music ties were further bolstered when she starred in the very first adaptation of The Who’s Tommy on Broadway.
Music, Movies and Stage
One thing that is clear from the Bette Midler biography is that all elements of her career tend to work in tandem. Some of her best known and most beloved musical accomplishments are linked to either stage roles or acting roles. Two cases in point – the movies The Rose and Beaches, which are both among Midler’s most well known acting roles and the sources of some of her best known music.
Midler has seldom stopped any one aspect of her career to focus on another, and a typical Bette Midler show involves acting skits as well as musical performances.
Reuniting with Barry Manilow
Bette Midler has a bit of a reputation for being a lady with a temper, but her long standing feud with Barry Manilow used to often get mentioned as one of the biggest bridges she had burned in her career. Manilow was absolutely instrumental in getting her career off the ground, but the two parted ways in the early 80s and didn’t speak again for over 20 years. The rumored reason is that Manilow was unhappy with Midler’s behavior on a talk show they were both taking part in.
The two famously reunited in 2003 for Manilow to produce Midler on her Bette Midler Sings the Rosemary Clooney Songbook and the two have worked together on numerous occasions since.
Philanthropic Work
Midler is renowned for getting involved in her adopted hometown of New York City. Her New York Restoration Project focuses on rebuilding and refurbishing neglected areas of the city.
Learn More
This page has been accessed 542 times. This page was last modified 00:34, 1 December 2008.
© 2006-2009 LoveToKnow Corp.
Print this page
Follow ltk on twitter
Visit us on facebook