Bette Midler

Bette Midler
Midler backstage at the Grammy Awards, February 1990
Born	(1945-12-01) December 1, 1945 Honolulu, Hawaii, U.S. Territory
Other names	The Divine Miss M
Occupation	Singer songwriter actress comedian producer
Spouse(s)	Martin von Haselberg (m. 1984)
Children	Sophie Von Haselberg (b. 1986)
Musical career
Genres	Traditional pop vocal pop musical comedy
Instruments	Vocals ukulele
Years active	1965–present
Labels	Atlantic Warner Bros. Columbia Warner Music Group
Associated acts	Barry Manilow
Website	bettemidler.com

Bette Midler (born December 1, 1945),^[1] also known by her informal stage name The Divine Miss M, is an American singer, songwriter, actress, comedian, and film producer. In a career spanning almost half a century, Midler has been nominated for two Academy Awards, and won three Grammy Awards, four Golden Globes, three Emmy Awards, and a special Tony Award. She has sold over 30 million records worldwide^[2] and along with that has also received four Gold, three Platinum and three Multiplatinum albums by RIAA.^[3]

Born in Honolulu, Hawaii, Midler began her professional career in several Off-Off-Broadway plays prior to her engagements in Fiddler on the Roof and Salvation on Broadway in the late 1960s. She came to prominence in 1970 when she began singing in the Continental Baths, a local gay bathhouse, where she managed to build up a core following. Since then, she has released 13 studio albums as a solo artist. Throughout her career, many of her songs became hits on the record charts, including her renditions of "The Rose", "Wind Beneath My Wings", "Do You Wanna Dance?", "Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy", and "From a Distance". In 2008, she signed a contract with Caesars Palace in Las Vegas to perform a series of shows titled Bette Midler: The Showgirl Must Go On, which ended in January 2010.

Midler made her motion picture debut in 1979 with The Rose, which earned her a Golden Globe and a nomination for the Academy Award for Best Actress of 1980. In the following years she starred in a string of hit films that includes Down and Out in Beverly Hills, Outrageous Fortune, Beaches, The First Wives Club, and The Stepford Wives, as well as For the Boys and Gypsy, the latter two of which she won two further Golden Globe Awards for in 1992 and 1994.

Early life and family

Midler was born in Honolulu, Hawaii,^[4][5] where hers was one of the few Jewish families in a mostly Asian neighborhood.^[6] Her mother, Ruth (née Schindel; b. 1916 New Jersey), was a seamstress and housewife, and her father, Fred Midler (born 1912 in New Jersey), worked at a Navy base in Hawaii as a painter, and was also a housepainter.^[7][8] She was named after actress Bette Davis, though Davis pronounced her first name in two syllables, and Midler uses one, .^[9] She was raised in Aiea and attended Radford High School, in Honolulu.^[10] She was voted "Most Talkative" in the 1961 school Hoss Election, and "Most Dramatic" in her senior year (class of 1963).^[11] Midler majored in drama at the University of Hawaii, but left after three semesters.^[12] She earned money in the 1966 film Hawaii as an extra,^[9] playing an uncredited seasick passenger named Miss David Buff.

Midler married artist Martin von Haselberg on December 16, 1984, about six weeks after their first meeting. Their daughter, Sophie Frederica Alohilani Von Haselberg, was born on November 14, 1986.^[13]

Career

Theater work

Midler relocated to New York City in the summer of 1965, using money from her work in the film Hawaii. She landed her first professional onstage role in Tom Eyen's Off-Off-Broadway plays in 1965, Miss Nefertiti Regrets and Cinderella Revisited, a children's play by day and an adult show by night.^[14] From 1966 to 1969, she played the role of Tzeitel in Fiddler on the Roof on Broadway.^[9] After Fiddler, she joined the original cast of Salvation in 1969.^[15]

She began singing in the Continental Baths, a gay bathhouse in the Ansonia Hotel, in the summer of 1970.^[9] During this time, she became close to her piano accompanist, Barry Manilow, who produced her first album in 1972, The Divine Miss M.^[14] It was during her time at the Continental Baths that she built up a core following. In the late 1990s, during the release of her album Bathhouse Betty, Midler commented on her time performing there, "Despite the way things turned out [with the AIDS crisis], I'm still proud of those days. I feel like I was at the forefront of the gay liberation movement, and I hope I did my part to help it move forward. So, I kind of wear the label of 'Bathhouse Betty' with pride."^[16]

Midler starred in the first professional production of The Who's rock opera Tommy in 1971, with director Richard Pearlman and the Seattle Opera.^[17] It was during the run of Tommy that Midler first appeared on The Tonight Show.

1972–80: The Divine Miss M and success

Midler with Dustin Hoffman on Bette Midler TV Special (1977)

Midler released her debut album, The Divine Miss M, on Atlantic Records in December 1972. It reached Billboard's Top 10 and became a million-selling Platinum-certified album,^[18] earning Midler the 1973 Grammy Award for Best New Artist.^[19] It featured three hit singles—"Do You Wanna Dance?", "Friends", and "Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy"—the third of which became Midler's first No. 1 Adult Contemporary hit. "Bugle Boy" became a successful rock cover of the classic swing tune originally introduced and popularized in 1941 by the famous Andrews Sisters, to whom Midler has repeatedly referred as her idols and inspiration, as far back as her first appearances on The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson. Midler told Carson in an interview that she always wanted to move like the sisters, and Patty Andrews remembered: "When I first heard the introduction on the radio, I thought it was our old record. When Bette opened at the Amphitheater in Los Angeles, Maxene and I went backstage to see her. Her first words were, 'What else did you record?'"^[20] During another Midler concert, Maxene went on stage and presented her with an honorary bugle. Bette recorded other Andrews Sisters hits, including "In the Mood" and "Lullaby of Broadway".^[20]

Midler at the premiere of her feature-film starring debut, The Rose, in 1979.

Her self-titled follow-up album was released at the end of 1973. It reached Billboard's Top 10 and eventually sold close to a million copies in the United States alone.^[21] Midler returned to recording with the 1976 and 1977 albums, Songs for the New Depression and Broken Blossom. In 1974, she received a Special Tony Award for her contribution to Broadway,^[22] with Clams on the Half Shell Revue playing at the Minskoff Theater. From 1975–1978, she also provided the voice of Woody the Spoon on the PBS educational series Vegetable Soup. In 1977, Midler's first television special, whose title, Ol' Red Hair is Back, was a takeoff on Frank Sinatra's Ol' Blue Eyes Is Back, premiered, featuring guest stars Dustin Hoffman and Emmett Kelly. It went on to win the Emmy Award^[23] for Outstanding Special — Comedy-Variety or Music.^[24]

Bette Midler at a press conference for the movie Divine Madness

Midler made her first motion picture in 1979, starring in the 1960s-era rock and roll tragedy The Rose, as a drug-addicted rock star modeled after Janis Joplin.^[9] That year, she also released her fifth studio album, Thighs and Whispers. Midler's first foray into disco was a commercial and critical failure and went on to be her all-time lowest charting album, peaking at No. 65 on the Billboard album chart.^[25] Soon afterward, she began a world concert tour, with one of her shows in Pasadena being filmed and released as the concert film Divine Madness (1980).

Her performance in The Rose earned her an Academy Award nomination for Best Actress, a role for which she won the Golden Globe for Best Actress (Comedy or Musical).^[9] The film's acclaimed soundtrack album sold over two million copies in the United States alone, earning a Double Platinum certification.^[18] The single version of the title song, which Amanda McBroom had written and composed, held the No. 1 position on Billboard's Adult Contemporary chart for five consecutive weeks and reached No. 3 on Billboard's Hot 100. It earned Midler her first Gold single^[18] and won the Grammy award for Best Pop Vocal Performance, Female.^[19]

1981–89: "Wind Beneath My Wings", Beaches, and chart comeback

Midler worked on the troubled comedy project Jinxed! in 1981. However, during production, there was friction with co-star Ken Wahl and the film's director, Don Siegel. Released in 1982, the film was a major flop.^[26] Midler did not appear in any other films until 1986. During those four years, she concentrated on her music career and in 1983, released the album No Frills, produced by Chuck Plotkin, who was best known for his work with Bob Dylan and Bruce Springsteen. The album included three single releases: the ballad "All I Need to Know", a cover of Detroit native Marshall Crenshaw's "You're My Favorite Waste of Time"—which Midler fell in love with after flipping his 45 of "Someday Someway"—and Midler's take on the Rolling Stones cover "Beast of Burden".

Midler performed on Oliver & Company, and had a hit with the tearjerker Beaches, co-starring Barbara Hershey.^[9] The accompanying soundtrack remains Midler's all-time biggest selling disc, reaching No. 2 on Billboard‍ '​s album chart and with U.S. sales of four million copies. It featured her biggest hit, "Wind Beneath My Wings", which went to No. 1 on Billboard‍ '​s Hot 100, achieved Platinum status,^[18] and won Midler her third Grammy Award – for Record of the Year – at the 1990 telecast.^[19]

1990–97: Some People's Lives, further acting career, and television appearances

Midler in Los Angeles, 1990.

Midler's 1990 cover of the Julie Gold song "From a Distance", the first offering from her seventh studio album Some People's Lives (1990), topped the Billboard Adult Contemporary charts and achieved platinum status in the US. The same year, she starred along with Trini Alvarado as the title character in John Erman's drama film Stella. The third feature film adaptation of the 1920 novel Stella Dallas by Olive Higgins Prouty, Midler portrayed a vulgar single mother living in Watertown, New York, who, determined to give her daughter all the opportunities she never had, ultimately makes a selfless sacrifice to ensure her happiness. The movie scored mediocre reviews,^[28][29] while Midler received her first Razzie Award nomination for Worst Actress.^[30]

She co-starred with Woody Allen in the 1991 film Scenes from a Mall, again for Paul Mazursky. In the film, Allen's character reveals to his author wife Deborah, played by Midler, after years of a happy marriage, that he has had an affair, resulting in her request for divorce. The movie performed poorly,^[31] and received a mixed reception by critics.^[32][33][34] Midler fared somewhat better with her other 1991 project For the Boys, on which she reteamed with The Rose director Mark Rydell. A historical musical drama, it tells the story of 1940s actress and singer Dixie Leonard, played by Midler, who teams up with Eddie Sparks, a famous performer to entertain American troops. While the film received a mixed reception from critics, Midler earned rave review for her portrayal. The following year she was awarded her second Golden Globe and received her second Academy Award nomination for Best Actress.^[30]

Midler turned down the lead role in the musical comedy Sister Act in 1992, which instead went to Whoopi Goldberg.^[35] Midler won an Emmy Award in 1992 for her performance on the penultimate episode of The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson in May 1992, during which she sang an emotion-laden "One for My Baby (and One More for the Road)" to Johnny Carson. That night, Midler began singing "Here's That Rainy Day", Carson's favorite song; Carson joined in a few lyrics later.^[36] In 1993, she starred with Sarah Jessica Parker and Kathy Najimy in the Walt Disney comedy fantasy film, Hocus Pocus, as Winifred Sanderson, the head witch of the Sanderson Sisters.^[9][37] Released to initially mixed reviews, through various outlets such as strong DVD sales and annual record-breaking showings on 13 Nights of Halloween, the film has achieved cult status over the years.^{[38][38][39][40]} In relation to Hocus Pocus, every year Midler hosts her annual Hulaween costume party, which benefits the New York Restoration Project. ^[41] Her television work includes an Emmy-nominated version of the stage musical Gypsy and a guest appearance as herself in Fran Drescher's The Nanny.

She appeared on Seinfeld in the 1995 episode "The Understudy", which was the season finale of that show's sixth season in 1995. Midler played a large cameo role as widow Doris Saffrin in the 1995 John Travolta Hollywood vehicle Get Shorty. Her 1997 HBO special Diva Las Vegas earned her a third Emmy Award, for Outstanding Performance in a Variety or Music Program.^[24] Midler's other 1990s films include The First Wives Club (1996).^[9] In 1997, Midler, along with her co-stars from The First Wives Club, Goldie Hawn, and Diane Keaton, was a recipient of the Women in Film Crystal Award, which honors "outstanding women who, through their endurance and the excellence of their work, have helped to expand the role of women within the entertainment industry."^[42]

2000–05: Bette sitcom, tribute albums, and Kiss My Brass tour

Midler starred in her own sitcom in 2000, Bette, which featured Midler playing herself, a divine celebrity who is adored by her fans. Airing on CBS, initial ratings were high, marking the best sitcom debut for the network in more than five years, but viewers percentage soon declined, resulting into the show's cancellation in early 2001.^[43] Midler openly griped about the show's demanding shooting schedule, while the show itself was also reportedly rocked by backstage turmoil, involving the replacement of co-star Kevin Dunn whose departure was attributed to his behind-the scenes bickering with Midler by the media.^[43] However, Midler, critically praised, was awarded a People's Choice Award for her performance in the show and received a Golden Globe Award nomination the following year.^[30] Also in 2000, Midler made an uncredited cameo appearance in Nancy Meyers' fantasy rom–com What Women Want, starring Mel Gibson and Helen Hunt.^[44] In the film, she portrayed a therapist who realizes that central character Nick, played by Gibson, is able to understand women's thoughts.^[44] Released to generally mixed reviews, it became the then-most successful film ever directed by a woman, taking in $183 million in the United States, and grossing upward of $370 million worldwide.^[45][46]

The same year Midler starred in ^[47] For her performance in the film, Midler received her second Golden Raspberry Award nomination for Worst Actress at the 21st ceremony.^[30] In Nick Gomez's dark comedy Drowning Mona, Midler appeared along with Danny DeVito and Jamie Lee Curtis, playing title character Mona Dearly, a spiteful, loud-mouthed, cruel and highly unpopular woman, whose mysterious death is investigated. Another critical fiasco, reviewers noted that the film "drowns itself in humor that never rises above sitcom level."^[48]

Bette or Bust, a book chronicling Midler's Divine Miss Millennium Tour, was released in 2001. After nearly three decades of erratic record sales, Midler was dropped from the Warner Music Group in 2001. Following a reported long-standing feud with Barry Manilow, the two joined forces after many years in 2003 to record Bette Midler Sings the Rosemary Clooney Songbook. Now signed to Columbia Records, the album was an instant success, being certified gold by RIAA. One of the Clooney Songbook selections, "This Ole House", became Midler's first Christian radio single shipped by Rick Hendrix and his positive music movement. The album was nominated for a Grammy the following year.^[49]

Throughout 2003 and 2004, Midler toured the United States in her new show, Kiss My Brass, to sell-out audiences. Also in 2004, she appeared in a supporting role in Frank Oz' science fiction satire The Stepford Wives, a remake of the 1975 film of the same name also based on the Ira Levin novel. Also starring Nicole Kidman, Matthew Broderick, Christopher Walken and Glenn Close, Midler played Bobbie Markowitz, a writer and recovering alcoholic. The project underwent numerous production problems that occurred throughout its shooting schedule, with reports of problems on-set between director Oz and the actors being rampant in the press. Oz later blamed Midler — who was amid recording her next album and rehearsing for her tour — for being under a lot of stress by other projects and making "the mistake of bringing her stress on the set."^[50] While the original book and film had tremendous cultural impact, the remake was marked by poor reviews by many critics, and a financial loss of approximately $40 million at the box office.^[51][52]

An Australian tour in early 2005, Kiss My Brass Down Under, was equally successful. Midler joined forces again with Manilow for another tribute album, Bette Midler Sings the Peggy Lee Songbook. Released in October 2005, the album sold 55,000 copies the first week of release, returned Midler to the top ten of US Billboard 200,^[53] and was nominated for a Grammy Award.^[54]

2006–11: Cool Yule, The Showgirl Must Go On, Jackpot: The Best Bette, and Memories of You

Midler released a new Christmas album entitled Cool Yule in 2006, which featured a duet of Christmastime pop standards "Winter Wonderland"/"Let It Snow" with Johnny Mathis. Well-received, the album received a Grammy Award nomination for Best Traditional Pop Vocal Album in 2007.^[55] The same year, Midler returned to the big screen, appearing in Then She Found Me, Helen Hunt's feature film directorial debut. Also starring Hunt along with Matthew Broderick and Colin Firth, the comedy-drama film tells the story of a 39-year-old Brooklyn elementary school teacher, who after years is contacted by the flamboyant host of a local talk show, played by Midler, who introduces herself as her biological mother. Critical response to the film was mixed; whereas some critics praised the film for having strong performances, others felt the film was bogged down by a weak script and technical issues.

Midler at the 2010 HRC Annual Dinner.

Midler debuted her 1939 film of the same name based on a 1936 play by Clare Boothe Luce, the film was widely panned by critics, who found it "...a toothless remake of the 1939 classic, lacking the charm, wit and compelling protagonists of the original."

She appeared on the Bravo TV show My Life on the D-List with Kathy Griffin in an episode that aired in June 2009. In December of the same year, she appeared in the Royal Variety Performance, an annual British charity event attended by Queen Elizabeth II. Midler performed "In My Life" and "Wind Beneath My Wings" as the closing act.^[59] In 2010, Midler voiced the character Kitty Galore in the animated film Cats & Dogs: The Revenge of Kitty Galore. The film was a success, grossing $112 million worldwide.^[60] In November 2010, Midler released Memories of You, another compilation of lesser known tracks from her catalog. Midler is one of the producers of the Broadway production of the musical Priscilla, Queen of the Desert, which opened in February 2011.^[61]

2012–present: Parental Guidance, I'll Eat You Last: A Chat With Sue Mengers, and It's the Girls!

Midler (in her "Winifred Sanderson" costume) performing on her Divine Intervention Tour in 2015

In June 2012, Midler received the Sammy Cahn Lifetime Achievement Award at the Songwriters Hall of Fame in New York in recognition of her having "captivated the world" with her "stylish presentation and unmistakable voice."^[62] The same year, she co-starred alongside Billy Crystal in the family movie Parental Guidance (2012), playing a couple of old school grandparents trying to adapt to their daughter's 21st-Century parenting style. Despite generally negative reviews by critics, who felt the film was "sweet but milquetoast," box office totals for the movie were higher than expected.^[63][64] In 2013, Midler performed on Broadway for the first time in more than 30 years in a play about the Hollywood superagent, Sue Mengers. The play, titled I'll Eat You Last: A Chat with Sue Mengers and dramatized by John Logan, opened on April 24, 2013 at the Booth Theatre.^[65] After the show's success in New York recouping its initial $2.4 million investment it was decided to show the play in Los Angeles at the Geffen playhouse.^[66]

In December 2013, it was announced that Midler would portray Mae West in an HBO movie biography, written by Harvey Fierstein and directed by William Friedkin.^[67] In March 2014, she performed at the 86th Academy Awards telecast at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles, singing "Wind Beneath My Wings".^[68]

Midler formed and announced plans to release an all-girl group album at the end of 2014, with further plans of doing a tour.^[69] It was announced on September 23, 2014, that Midler would be releasing her 25th overall album, It's the Girls!, on November 4, 2014, through Warner Bros. Records. The album spans seven decades of famous girl groups, from 1930s trios The Boswell Sisters (the title track) and The Andrews Sisters (“Bei Mir Bist Du Schön”) to 1990s R&B legends TLC's "Waterfalls".^[70]

Charity work

In 1991, Midler was an early sponsor of the Adopt-a-Highway, paying $2,000 a month for a crew to clean up a 2 mile section of the Ventura Freeway in Burbank, California. Signs at both ends of the section read “Litter Removal Next 2 Miles, Bette Midler.”^[71] The location was so prominent, it became fodder for her 1993 guest appearance on the Simpsons episode "Krusty Gets Kancelled", where she is seen picking up trash along a stretch of highway she has adopted, and causes car crashes for drivers who deliberately litter. In 1995, she carried the same idea to the east coast, adopting a section of the Long Island Expressway and Bronx River Parkway.^[72]

Midler founded the

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Awards for Bette Midler Primetime Emmy Award for Individual Performance in a Variety or Music Program Perry Como / Dinah Shore (1959) Harry Belafonte (1960) Fred Astaire (1961) Carol Burnett (1962) Carol Burnett (1963) Danny Kaye (1964) Art Carney (1967) Art Carney / Pat Paulsen (1968) Arte Johnson / Harvey Korman (1969) Harvey Korman (1971) Harvey Korman (1972) Tim Conway (1973) Harvey Korman / Brenda Vaccaro (1974) Jack Albertson / Cloris Leachman (1975) Chevy Chase / Vicki Lawrence (1976) Tim Conway / Rita Moreno (1977) Tim Conway / Gilda Radner (1978) Sarah Vaughan (1981) Nell Carter / André De Shields (1982) Leontyne Price (1983) Cloris Leachman (1984) George Hearn (1985) Whitney Houston (1986) Robin Williams (1987) Robin Williams (1988) Linda Ronstadt (1989) Tracey Ullman (1990) Billy Crystal (1991) Bette Midler (1992) Dana Carvey (1993) Tracey Ullman (1994) Barbra Streisand (1995) Tony Bennett (1996) Bette Midler (1997) Billy Crystal (1998) John Leguizamo (1999) Eddie Izzard (2000) Barbra Streisand (2001) Sting (2002) Wayne Brady (2003) Elaine Stritch (2004) Hugh Jackman (2005) Barry Manilow (2006) Tony Bennett (2007) Don Rickles (2008) Golden Globe Award for Best Actress in a Motion Picture – Comedy or Musical Judy Holliday (1950) June Allyson (1951) Susan Hayward (1952) Ethel Merman (1953) Judy Garland (1954) Jean Simmons (1955) Deborah Kerr (1956) Kay Kendall / Taina Elg (1957) Rosalind Russell (1958) Marilyn Monroe (1959) Shirley MacLaine (1960) Rosalind Russell (1961) Rosalind Russell (1962) Shirley MacLaine (1963) Julie Andrews (1964) Julie Andrews (1965) Lynn Redgrave (1966) Anne Bancroft (1967) Barbra Streisand (1968) Patty Duke (1969) Carrie Snodgress (1970) Twiggy (1971) Liza Minnelli (1972) Glenda Jackson (1973) Raquel Welch (1974) Ann-Margret (1975) Barbra Streisand (1976) Diane Keaton/Marsha Mason (1977) Ellen Burstyn/Maggie Smith (1978) Bette Midler (1979) Sissy Spacek (1980) Bernadette Peters (1981) Julie Andrews (1982) Julie Walters (1983) Kathleen Turner (1984) Kathleen Turner (1985) Sissy Spacek (1986) Cher (1987) Melanie Griffith (1988) Jessica Tandy (1989) Julia Roberts (1990) Bette Midler (1991) Miranda Richardson (1992) Angela Bassett (1993) Jamie Lee Curtis (1994) Nicole Kidman (1995) Madonna (1996) Helen Hunt (1997) Gwyneth Paltrow (1998) Janet McTeer (1999) Renée Zellweger (2000) Nicole Kidman (2001) Renée Zellweger (2002) Diane Keaton (2003) Annette Bening (2004) Reese Witherspoon (2005) Meryl Streep (2006) Marion Cotillard (2007) Sally Hawkins (2008) Meryl Streep (2009) Annette Bening (2010) Michelle Williams (2011) Jennifer Lawrence (2012) Amy Adams (2013) Amy Adams (2014) Golden Globe Award for Best Actress – Miniseries or Television Film Jane Seymour (1981) Ingrid Bergman (1982) Ann-Margret (1983) Ann-Margret (1984) Liza Minnelli (1985) Loretta Young (1986) Gena Rowlands (1987) Ann Jillian (1988) Christine Lahti (1989) Barbara Hershey (1990) Judy Davis (1991) Laura Dern (1992) Bette Midler (1993) Joanne Woodward (1994) Jessica Lange (1995) Helen Mirren (1996) Alfre Woodard (1997) Angelina Jolie (1998) Halle Berry (1999) Judi Dench (2000) Judy Davis (2001) Uma Thurman (2002) Meryl Streep (2003) Glenn Close (2004) S. Epatha Merkerson (2005) Helen Mirren (2006) Queen Latifah (2007) Laura Linney (2008) Drew Barrymore (2009) Claire Danes (2010) Kate Winslet (2011) Julianne Moore (2012) Elisabeth Moss (2013) Maggie Gyllenhaal (2014) Grammy Award for Best New Artist Bobby Darin (1960) Bob Newhart (1961) Peter Nero (1962) Robert Goulet (1963) The Swingle Singers (1964) The Beatles (1965) Tom Jones (1966) No award given (1967) Bobbie Gentry (1968) José Feliciano (1969) Crosby, Stills & Nash (1970) The Carpenters (1971) Carly Simon (1972) America (1973) Bette Midler (1974) Marvin Hamlisch (1975) Natalie Cole (1976) Starland Vocal Band (1977) Debby Boone (1978) A Taste of Honey (1979) Rickie Lee Jones (1980) Christopher Cross (1981) Sheena Easton (1982) Men at Work (1983) Culture Club (1984) Cyndi Lauper (1985) Sade (1986) Bruce Hornsby and the Range (1987) Jody Watley (1988) Tracy Chapman (1989) Milli Vanilli (1990; withdrawn) Mariah Carey (1991) Marc Cohn (1992) Arrested Development (1993) Toni Braxton (1994) Sheryl Crow (1995) Hootie & the Blowfish (1996) LeAnn Rimes (1997) Paula Cole (1998) Lauryn Hill (1999) Christina Aguilera (2000) Shelby Lynne (2001) Alicia Keys (2002) Norah Jones (2003) Evanescence (2004) Maroon 5 (2005) John Legend (2006) Carrie Underwood (2007) Amy Winehouse (2008) Adele (2009) Zac Brown Band (2010) Esperanza Spalding (2011) Bon Iver (2012) Fun (2013) Macklemore & Ryan Lewis (2014) Sam Smith (2015) Grammy Award for Record of the Year (1990s) "Wind Beneath My Wings"* by Bette Midler produced by Arif Mardin (1990) "Another Day in Paradise" by Phil Collins produced by Hugh Padgham & Phil Collins (1991) "Natalie Cole with Nat King Cole produced by David Foster (1992) "Tears in Heaven"* by Eric Clapton produced by Russ Titelman (1993) "I Will Always Love You" by Whitney Houston produced by David Foster (1994) "All I Wanna Do" by Sheryl Crow produced by Bill Bottrell (1995) "Kiss from a Rose"* by Seal produced by Trevor Horn (1996) "Change the World"* by Eric Clapton produced by Babyface (1997) "Sunny Came Home"* by Shawn Colvin produced by John Leventhal (1998) "My Heart Will Go On"* by Celine Dion engineered/mixed by David Gleeson, Humberto Gatica & Simon Franglen; produced by James Horner, Simon Franglen & Walter Afanasieff (1999) () () () () () ()

Bette Midler Discography Filmography Albums Studio albums: The Divine Miss M (1972) Bette Midler (1973) Songs for the New Depression (1976) Broken Blossom (1977) Thighs and Whispers (1979) No Frills (1983) Some People's Lives (1990) Bette of Roses (1995) Bathhouse Betty (1998) Bette (2000) Sings the Rosemary Clooney Songbook (2003) Sings the Peggy Lee Songbook (2005) Cool Yule (2006) It's the Girls! (2014) Soundtracks: The Rose (1979) Beaches (1988) For the Boys (1991) Gypsy (1993) Live albums: Live at Last (1977) Divine Madness (1980) Mud Will Be Flung Tonight (1985) Compilations: The Best of Bette (1978) The Best of Bette (II) (1981) Just Hits (1987) Experience the Divine: Greatest Hits (1993) (Jackpot!) The Best Bette (2008) Memories of You (2010) Video albums: Divine Madness (1980) The Bette Midler Show (1984) Diva Las Vegas (1997) The Showgirl Must Go On (2011) Other albums: In Harmony (1980) Oliver & Company (1988) Tonin' (1995) The Hunchback of Notre Dame (1996) The First Wives Club (1996) That Old Feeling (1997) Stardust: The Great American Songbook, Volume III (2004) Singles "Do You Want to Dance?" (1972) "Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy" (1973) "Friends" (1973) "In the Mood" (1974) "Strangers in the Night" (1976) "Old Cape Cod" (1976) "Buckets of Rain" (1978) "Hang on in There Baby" (1979) "Big Noise from Winnetka" (1979) "When a Man Loves a Woman" (1980) "The Rose" (1980) "Chapel of Love" (Live) (1980) "All I Need to Know" (1983) "Favorite Waste of Time" (1983) "Beast of Burden" (1984) "Under the Boardwalk" (1988) "Wind Beneath My Wings" (1989) "From a Distance" (1990) "Night and Day" (1991) "In My Life" (1992) "In This Life" (1995) "You Don't Own Me" w G.Hawn and D.Keaton (1997) "I'm Beautiful" (1999) "White Christmas" (2004) "Fever" (2006) "Be My Baby" (2014) Other songs: "We Are the World" (1985) "I Put a Spell on You" (1993) "It's Gonna Take a Miracle" (1995) "Somewhere Along the Way" (1997) "Manhattan" (2004) "The Greatest Ears in Town" (2010) Tours Experience the Divine (1993) Diva Las Vegas (1997) Kiss My Brass (2003/04) The Showgirl Must Go On (2008/10) Divine Intervention Tour (2015) Book Category Portal

Preceded by none

MTV Video Music Awards host 1984 (co-host with Dan Aykroyd)

Succeeded by Eddie Murphy

• Official Website
• Bette Midler at the Internet Movie Database
• Bette Midler at the Internet Broadway Database
• Bette Midler at the Internet Off-Broadway Database
• Bette Midler at TVGuide.com
• The Films of Bette Midler on YouTube, film clips, 4.5 min.

External links

• A View From A Broad (Simon & Schuster, 1980, Updated edition April 1, 2014)
• The Saga of Baby Divine (Crown Publishers, 1984), ISBN 978-0-517-55040-3
• Bette Midler, Outrageously Divine, an Unauthorized Biography, by Mark Bego (New American Library, 1987), ISBN 0-451-14814-2
• Bette: An Intimate Biography of Bette Midler, by George Mair (Birch Lane Press, 1995), ISBN 1-55972-272-X

Further reading

1. ^ Source notes: "Born December 1, 1945, in Paterson, NJ (some sources cite Honolulu, HI or Aiea, HI); raised in Aiea, HI".
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9. ^ ^{a b c d e f g h i j k l} Stated on Inside the Actors Studio, 2004
10. ^ The Class of 1963! We're Radgrads! Archived May 1, 2008 at the Wayback Machine
11. ^ High School Hoss Elections
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20. ^ ^{a b} Sforza, John: "Swing It! The Andrews Sisters Story" University Press of Kentucky, 2000; 289 pages.
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63. ^ Box Office Mojo: Parental Guidance (2012)
64. ^ LA Times: Movie box-office totals for 2012 projected to set record Retrieved January 2, 2013
65. ^ listingI'll Eat You Last ibdb.com, accessed April 27, 2013
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70. ^ http://www.billboard.com/articles/news/6259227/bette-midler-its-the-girls-album-exclusive
71. ^ http://www.bootlegbetty.com/2010/04/29/betteback-midler-begins-adopt-a-highway/#.VjP8mrTypFV
72. ^ http://www.ew.com/article/1995/06/16/bette-midler-has-adopted-highway
73. ^ ^{a b}
74. ^ http://bettemidler.com/event/divine-intervention/
75. ^

References

• List of number-one hits (United States)
• List of artists who reached number one on the Hot 100 (U.S.)
• List of number-one dance hits (United States)
• List of artists who reached number one on the U.S. Dance chart

See also

• Bette Midler: A View From a Broad (Simon & Schuster, 1980, Updated edition April 1, 2014).
• The Saga of Baby Divine (Crown Publishers, 1983).

Bibliography

• In 1981 the album In Harmony: A Sesame Street Record won the Grammy for Best Recording for Children, Midler was one of the various artists featured. This Grammy was awarded to the producers, David Levine and Lucy Simon.
• "Wind Beneath My Wings" also won the Grammy for Song of the Year. This Grammy was awarded to the songwriters, Larry Henley and Jeff Silbar.
• "From a Distance", recorded by Midler in 1990, won that year's Grammy for Song of the Year. This Grammy was awarded to the songwriter, Julie Gold.

Year	Award	Performance	Result
1974	Best New Artist	—	Won
	Album of the Year	The Divine Miss M	Nominated
	Best Female Pop Vocal Performance	"Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy"	Nominated
1981	Best Female Pop Vocal Performance	"The Rose"	Won
	Record of the Year		Nominated
1990	Record of the Year	"Wind Beneath My Wings"	Won
	Best Female Pop Vocal Performance		Nominated
1991	Best Female Pop Vocal Performance	"From a Distance"	Nominated
	Record of the Year		Nominated
2004	Best Traditional Pop Vocal Album	Bette Midler Sings the Rosemary Clooney Songbook	Nominated
2007	Best Traditional Pop Vocal Album	Bette Midler Sings the Peggy Lee Songbook	Nominated
2008	Best Traditional Pop Vocal Album	Cool Yule	Nominated

Note: The year given is the year of the ceremony

Grammy Awards

Year	Title	Role	Notes
1967	Fiddler on the Roof	Tzeitel	Musical
1970	Salvation	Betty Lou	Off-Broadway musical
1973	Bette Midler	Herself	Concerts
1975	Bette Midler's Clams on the Half Shell Revue	Herself	Revue
1979	Bette! Divine Madness	Herself	Concerts
2011	Priscilla, Queen of the Desert		Musical, producer
2013	I'll Eat You Last: A Chat with Sue Mengers	Sue Mengers	Limited engagement

Stage shows

Year	Title	Role	Notes
1976	Vegetable Soup	Woody the Spoon	Voice role
1976	The Bette Midler Show	Herself	Television special
1977	Ol' Red Hair is Back	Herself	Television special Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Comedy-Variety or Music Special Nominated — Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Writing for a Variety, Music or Comedy Program
1982	The Mondo Beyondo Show	Mondo Beyondo	Television film
1984	Art or Bust	Herself/ Divine Miss M.	Television special
1984	Video Music Awards	Herself/ co-host	Awards Show
1990	The Earth Day Special	Mother Nature	Television special
1992	The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson	Herself	Primetime Emmy Award for Individual Performance in a Variety or Music Program
1992	Shelley Duvall's Bedtime Stories	Narrator	"Weird Parents"
1993	Simpsons, TheThe Simpsons	Herself	"Krusty Gets Kancelled"
1995	Seinfeld	Herself	"The Understudy"
1997	Diva Las Vegas	Herself/ Divine Miss M.	Television special Primetime Emmy Award for Individual Performance in a Variety or Music Program Nominated — Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Comedy-Variety or Music Special
1997	Nanny, TheThe Nanny	Herself	"You Bette Your Life"
1998	Murphy Brown	Caprice Feldman	"Never Can Say Goodbye"
1999	Jackie's Back	Herself	Television film
2000–01	Bette	Bette	18 episodes Online Film & Television Association Award for Best Actress in a New Comedy Series[75] TV Guide Award – Actress of the Year in a New Series Nominated — Golden Globe Award for Best Actress – Television Series Musical or Comedy
2008	Strictly Come Dancing	Herself	Performed "Wind Beneath My Wings"
2009	Loose Women	Herself	Guest host
2009	Dancing on Ice	Herself	Performed
2009	Strictly Come Dancing	Herself	Performed "The Rose"
2009	One Show, TheThe One Show	Herself	Guest
2009	Royal Variety Performance, TheThe Royal Variety Performance	Herself	Performed
2009	Marriage Ref, TheThe Marriage Ref	Herself	Guest
2009	Kathy Griffin: My Life on the D-List	Herself	Guest; toured Las Vegas nightlife with Kathy
2010	Showgirl Must Go On, TheThe Showgirl Must Go On	Herself	HBO TV special (December 31)
2010	Paul O'Grady's Christmas	Herself	Guest
2014	Bette Midler: One Night Only	Herself	ITV Special, UK

Television

Year	Title	Role	Notes
1966	Hawaii	Passenger	uncredited
1968	The Detective	Girl at Party	uncredited
1969	Goodbye, Columbus	Wedding Guest	uncredited, cut scene
1972	Scarecrow in a Garden of Cucumbers	unknown	voice
1974	Thorn, TheThe Thorn	Virgin Mary	Also known as The Divine Mr. J; blocked distribution of film
1979	Rose, TheThe Rose	Mary Rose Foster	Golden Globe Award for Best Actress – Motion Picture Musical or Comedy Golden Globe Award New Star of the Year – Actress Nominated — Academy Award for Best Actress Nominated — BAFTA Award for Best Actress in a Leading Role
1980	Divine Madness!	Herself/ Divine Miss M.	concert film Nominated — Golden Globe Award for Best Actress – Motion Picture Musical or Comedy
1982	Jinxed!	Bonita Friml
1986	Down and Out in Beverly Hills	Barbara Whiteman	Nominated — Golden Globe Award for Best Actress – Motion Picture Musical or Comedy
1986	Ruthless People	Barbara Stone	American Comedy Award for Funniest Actress in a Motion Picture
1987	Outrageous Fortune	Sandy Brozinsky	American Comedy Award for Funniest Actress in a Motion Picture Nominated — Golden Globe Award for Best Actress – Motion Picture Musical or Comedy
1988	Big Business	Sadie Shelton/Sadie Ratliff	American Comedy Award for Funniest Actress in a Motion Picture
1988	Oliver & Company	Georgette	voice
1988	Beaches	C. C. Bloom
1989	Lottery, TheThe Lottery		Short film
1990	Stella	Stella Claire	Nominated — Golden Raspberry Award for Worst Actress
1991	For the Boys	Dixie Leonard	Golden Globe Award for Best Actress – Motion Picture Musical or Comedy Nominated — Academy Award for Best Actress
1991	Scenes from a Mall	Deborah Fifer
1993	Gypsy	Mama Rose	Television film Golden Globe Award for Best Actress in a Miniseries or Television Film Nominated — Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress – Miniseries or a Movie
1993	Hocus Pocus	Winifred 'Winnie' Sanderson	Nominated — Saturn Award for Best Actress
1995	Get Shorty	Doris Saphron	uncredited American Comedy Award for Funniest Supporting Actress in a Motion Picture
1996	First Wives Club, TheThe First Wives Club	Brenda Cushman	National Board of Review Award for Best Cast Nominated — Satellite Award for Best Actress - Motion Picture Musical or Comedy
1997	That Old Feeling	Lilly Leonard
1999	Get Bruce	Herself
1999	Fantasia 2000	Herself / Hostess	(segment "Piano Concerto No. 2, Allegro, Opus 102")
2000	What Women Want	Dr. J.M. Perkins	uncredited
2000	Isn't She Great	Jacqueline Susann	Nominated — Golden Raspberry Award for Worst Actress
2000	Drowning Mona	Mona Dearly
2002	Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood		Executive producer
2004	Stepford Wives, TheThe Stepford Wives	Bobbie Markowitz
2007	Then She Found Me	Bernice Graves
2008	Women, TheThe Women	Leah Miller
2010	Cats & Dogs: The Revenge of Kitty Galore	Kitty Galore	voice
2012	Parental Guidance	Diane Decker

Film

Filmography

• 1970–72: Continental Baths Tour
• 1972: Cross Country Tour
• 1973: The Divine Miss M Tour
• 1975: Clams on the Half Shell Revue
• 1975–76: The Depression Tour
• 1977–78: An Intimate Evening with Bette
• 1978: The Rose Live in Concert
• 1978: World Tour
• 1979–80: Bette! Divine Madness
• 1980: Divine Madness: Pasadena
• 1982–83: De Tour
• 1993: Experience the Divine
• 1994: Experience the Divine Again!
• 1997: Diva Las Vegas
• 1999: Bathhouse Betty Club Tour
• 1999–2000: The Divine Miss Millennium Tour
• 2003–04: Kiss My Brass
• 2005: Kiss My Brass Down Under
• 2008–10: The Showgirl Must Go On
• 2015: Divine Intervention Tour ^[74]

Tours

1972: The Divine Miss M 1973: Bette Midler 1976: Songs for the New Depression 1977: Broken Blossom 1979: Thighs and Whispers 1983: No Frills 1990: Some People's Lives

1995: Bette of Roses 1998: Bathhouse Betty 2000: Bette 2003: Sings the Rosemary Clooney Songbook 2005: Sings the Peggy Lee Songbook 2006: Cool Yule 2014: It's the Girls!

Studio albums

Discography

When the city planned in 1991 to auction 114 environmental education programming to students from high-poverty Title I schools.^[73]

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