Midler, Bette (1945-…), is an American singer and actress. She gained fame for her strong voice and brassy, exuberant style, especially in live performances.
Midler was born on Dec. 1, 1945, in Paterson, New Jersey, but grew up in Oahu, Hawaii. After attending the University of Hawaii, also spelled University of Hawai‘i, she moved to New York City in 1966 and performed small roles on the stage until about 1970. She then turned to singing in New York City cabarets and won a large following. During the early 1970’s, her accompanist and arranger was Barry Manilow. Midler recorded several successful albums during the 1970’s, reflecting her broad repertoire, which included blues, rock music, and pop standards. Her most popular recordings include “Do You Wanna Dance?” (1972), “The Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy of Company B” (1973), and “Wind Beneath My Wings” (1988).
Midler earned recognition as an actress for her performance in the film The Rose (1979), playing a character loosely based on rock singer Janis Joplin. Midler’s other major films include Down and Out in Beverly Hills (1985), Ruthless People (1986), For the Boys (1991), The First Wives Club (1996), The Stepford Wives (2004), Then She Found Me and The Women (both 2008), and Parental Guidance (2012). She wrote an autobiography, A View from a Broad (1980), and an autobiographical children’s book, The Saga of Baby Divine (1983). In 2013, she starred on Broadway in the one-woman play I’ll Eat You Last. Midler became a Kennedy Center Honoree in 2021.
