Bette Midler
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Bette Midler | |
|---|---|
| Also known as | The Divine Miss M |
| Born | December 1, 1945 |
| Origin | Honolulu, Hawaii, U.S. |
| Genre(s) | Vocal, pop, rock, comedy |
| Occupation(s) | Singer, actress, comedienne |
| Years active | 1965 – present |
| Label(s) | Atlantic (1972–1997) Warner Bros. (1998–2001) Columbia (2003–present) |
| Associated acts | Barry Manilow |
| Website | Bette Midler |
Bette Midler (born December 1, 1945) is an American singer, actress and comedienne, also known (by her informal stage name) as The Divine Miss M. During her career, she has won four Grammy Awards, four Golden Globes, three Emmy Awards, and a Tony Award, and has been nominated for two Academy Awards. She is noted as having sold over 100 million records worldwide.
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[edit] Early life
In 1945, Midler was born in Honolulu, Hawaii. She is the daughter of Ruth (née Schindel), a seamstress and housewife, and Fred Midler, a house painter who worked at a Navy base in Hawaii.[1][2] Her parents were from Paterson, New Jersey and moved to Honolulu before Midler was born. She was named after the actress Bette Davis although Davis pronounced her first name in two syllables, and Midler uses one (/bɛt/). Midler's family was one of the few Jewish families in a mostly Asian neighborhood.[3] She was raised in nearby Aiea and attended Radford High School[4] in Honolulu. She was voted in Hoss Election 1961 "Most Talkative" and in her Senior Year (Class of 1963) "Most Dramatic".[5] She majored in drama at the University of Hawaii (though she only attended for three semesters),[6] and earned money in the film Hawaii (released in 1966) as an extra, playing a seasick passenger named Mrs David Buff in the film.
[edit] Career
In the summer of 1965, Midler relocated to New York City, using the money from playing an extra in the film Hawaii, and 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.[7] From 1966 to 1969, she played the role of Tzeitel in Fiddler on the Roof on Broadway; during this period her sister Judith, visiting New York to see her perform, was killed by a taxi cab.[citation needed]
In the summer of 1970, Midler began singing in the Continental Baths, a gay bathhouse in the city, where she became close to her piano accompanist, Barry Manilow, who produced her first major album, The Divine Miss M, in 1972. It was during her time at the Continental Baths that she built up a core following. Because of Bette's appearances there, the baths turned into a major New York City nightclub for both gays and straights in the early seventies.
“Despite the way things turned out [with the AIDS crisis], I'm still proud of those days [singing at gay bathhouses]. 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″.[8]
In 1971, Midler starred in the first professional production of The Who's rock opera Tommy with director Richard Pearlman and the Seattle Opera.[9]. It was during the run of Tommy that Midler was asked to appear on the The Tonight Show. She proved to be so popular that her career immediately skyrocketed.
In 1975, she received a Special Tony Award for her contribution to Broadway with Clams on the Half Shell Revue playing at the Palace Theater. In 1978, she starred in the 1960s-era rock and roll tragedy The Rose, as a drug-addicted rock star modeled after Janis Joplin.
Soon afterwards she left Hollywood to go on a risque world tour, which is when she and Russo first met Jack Nicolson and earned a following in London.[10] In 1979, she was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Actress for The Rose. From 1975–1978, she also provided the voice of Woody the Spoon on the PBS educational series Vegetable Soup.
In 1981, Midler worked on the troubled project Jinxed!, a comedy in which she did not get along with her co-star (Ken Wahl) or the film's director (veteran Don Siegel). Released in 1982, the film was a major flop. Midler wouldn't appear in another film until 1986.
In 1985, she was a performer on USA for Africa's fund-raising single "We Are the World", and participated at the 'Live Aid' event at JFK stadium in Philadelphia.
That same year, she signed a multi-picture deal with Touchstone Pictures. She was subsequently cast by director Paul Mazursky in Down and Out in Beverly Hills, beginning a successful comedic acting career. She followed that with Ruthless People (1986), Outrageous Fortune (1987), and Big Business (1988). She scored a hit with the 1988 tearjerker Beaches, co-starring Barbara Hershey.
Midler lent her voice to the animated character Georgette, a snobbish poodle, in Disney's Oliver & Company (1989). In 1990, she co-starred with Woody Allen (sporting a ponytail) in Scenes from a Mall, again for Mazursky. She earned another Academy Award nomination as Best Actress for 1991's For the Boys costarring with James Caan and directed by Mark Rydell, who had also directed The Rose. She reportedly turned down the lead role in 1992's Sister Act.
Other films include Hocus Pocus (1993), The First Wives Club (1996), and The Stepford Wives (2004). 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.
Midler won an Emmy Award in 1992 for her memorable performance on the next-to-last episode of The Tonight Show in May of that year, during which she sang an emotion-laden "One for My Baby (and One More for the Road)" to Johnny Carson. There was speculation later that there was a falling out between Midler and the only other guest on the show, Robin Williams.[citation needed] It was perceived that Midler had stolen the limelight from Williams. However, the rumors of a feud between them have been denied by both Williams and Midler, and they have since appeared together on several other talk shows, including The Rosie O'Donnell Show in 2003. After her Tonight Show appearance, Midler told USA Today, "It was a great night. Robin and I had a fabulous time, and we'll never forget it."
She had her own short-lived CBS sitcom Bette (2000-2001). Although the initial ratings were high, numbers soon declined and in the show's short lifespan her daughter (played by Lindsay Lohan in the pilot, then by Marina Malota starting with the third episode) and her husband were recast (Robert Hays succeeded Kevin Dunn in the final episode aired). The show was reportedly rocked by backstage turmoil, and did not last a full season. Also in 2001, Bette or Bust, a book chronicling Midler's "Divine Miss Millennium Tour" was released.
She has won four Grammy Awards including the 1973 Best New Artist and the prestigious Record of the Year in 1989 for the # 1 hit "Wind Beneath My Wings", the theme from Beaches. Her rendition of the 1990 "From a Distance" also earned her a Grammy and is another of her most popular songs. When the American Film Institute announced "The 100 Years of the Greatest Songs" on June 22, 2004, two of hers were selected by the board: "Wind Beneath My Wings" (#44) and "The Rose" (#83). After years of declining sales, however, Bette was officially dropped from Warner Brothers in 2001.
After a long-standing feud with Barry Manilow, the two joined forces for the first time in twenty years in 2003 to record "Bette Midler Sings the Rosemary Clooney Songbook." Of the project, Barry said he had a dream that he was recording with Bette again, so he called her up with the idea and she agreed that it was due time to work together again. They got Columbia Records on board and the album was an instant success, going gold in only a few short weeks. 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 one of her top sellers and was nominated for a Grammy the following year. worldwide.[11]
In 2003–2004, Midler toured the U.S. in her new show, Kiss My Brass, to sell-out crowds. In early 2005, Kiss My Brass Down Under was equally successful in Australia. Columbia reportedly considered releasing a live album, but it never came to pass. Instead, 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 and debuted at #10.
Midler has guest-starred on The Simpsons in the episode "Krusty Gets Kancelled". (She is first seen traversing a highway picking up trash when she is approached by Bart and Lisa with a request for Midler to appear on a show to revive Krusty's dying career.) She appeared on Seinfeld in the episode "The Understudy," which was the season finale of that show's sixth season. She also appeared on The Nanny in the aptly titled episode "You Bette Your Life".
In 2006, a new Christmas album Cool Yule was released by Midler featuring the title song (written by Steve Allen) and a duet with Johnny Mathis of "Winter Wonderland/Let It Snow". Midler next starred in the 2007 film Then She Found Me, directed by Helen Hunt and starring Hunt, Matthew Broderick and Colin Firth, and appeared on the American Idol (season 6) finale, singing "The Wind Beneath My Wings" live at the Kodak Theatre.
On December 6, 2007, Midler's album Cool Yule received a Grammy nomination for Best Traditional Pop Vocal Album.
Bette Midler has a Vegas show titled "Bette Midler: The Showgirl Must Go On" at The Colosseum at Caesars Palace.[12] The show has approximately 400 shows[12] in a two year run.[6] The show comprises The Staggering Harlettes, twenty female dancers and a thirteen piece band. Midler is reportedly being paid $40 million per year for her 200 shows.[12] The show debuted on February 20, 2008.[12][13]
A new CD, "Jackpot: The Best Bette", reached #66 on the U.S. charts, and #6 in the U.K., her first compilation album in ten years. This album was met with enormous success in the U.K, where Bette remains ever popular. This album went Platinum, selling over 300,000 copies in the U.K alone. Her album reached #6 in the U.K charts, and later climbed the charts again, reaching the same position once more.
In June, 2009, Midler appeared on the Bravo TV show "My Life on the D-List" with Kathy Griffin.
In June, 2009, Midler created a MySpace page (The Showgirl Must Go On, MySpace.com.).
[edit] Personal life
Midler's manager and boyfriend for a significant period was Aaron Russo. Midler married Martin von Haselberg (Harry Kipper of her opening act the Kipper Kids) on December 16, 1984 in a chapel in Las Vegas. Two years into their marriage she had a daughter, Sophie Frederica Alohilani von Haselberg, on November 14, 1986. Sophie graduated from Yale in 2008 with a degree in Sociology and a minor in East Asian Studies.
[edit] Charity work
In 1995, Midler founded the New York Restoration Project, a non-profit organization with the goal of revitalizing neglected neighborhood parks in economically disadvantaged neighborhoods of New York City. These include Highbridge Park, Fort Washington Park, and Fort Tryon Park in upper Manhattan and Roberto Clemente State Park and Bridge Park in the Bronx.
In 1999, the city planned to auction 114 community gardens for commercial development. Midler led a coalition of greening organizations to save them. NYRP took ownership of 60 of the most neglected plots. Today Midler and her organization work with local volunteers and community groups to ensure that these gardens are kept safe, clean and vibrant. In 2003, Midler opened Swindler Cove Park, a new 5-acre (20,000 m2) public park on the Harlem River shore featuring specially designed educational facilities and the Peter Jay Sharp Boathouse, the first community rowing facility to be built on the Harlem River in more than 100 years. The organization offers free in-school and after-school environmental education programming to students from high-poverty Title I schools.
[edit] Discography
[edit] Tours
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[edit] Filmography
[edit] Television
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1976 | Vegetable Soup | Woody the Spoon | voice |
| The Bette Midler Show | Herself | TV special | |
| 1977 | Ol' Red Hair is Back | Herself | TV special Emmy Award for Outstanding Comedy-Variety or Music Special Nominated — Emmy Award for Outstanding Writing in a Comedy-Variety or Music Special |
| 1984 | Art Or Bust | Herself/ Divine Miss M. |
TV special |
| 1989 | The Lottery | Music teacher | Created to demonstrate special effects; shown only at Disney-MGM Studios |
| 1990 | Earth Day Special | Mother Nature | |
| 1993 | The Simpsons | Herself | "Krusty Gets Kancelled" |
| 1997 | Diva Las Vegas | Herself/ Divine Miss M. |
TV special Emmy Award for Individual Performance in a Variety or Music Program Nominated — Emmy Award for Outstanding Comedy-Variety or Music Special |
| The Nanny | Herself | "You Bette Your Life" | |
| 1995 | Seinfeld | Herself | "The Understudy" |
| 1999 | Jackie's Back | Herself | |
| 2000-2001 | Bette | Bette | 18 episodes Nominated — Golden Globe Award for Best Actress – Television Series Musical or Comedy |
| 2009 | Loose Women | Herself | Guest Host |
| Dancing On Ice | Herself | Performed |
[edit] See also
- 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
[edit] References
- ^ FilmReference.com, Bette Midler, Biography.
- ^ Yahoo! Movies, Bette Midler: Biography.
- ^ Adherents.com, Bette Midler.
- ^ The Class of 1963! We're Radgrads!
- ^ High School Hoss Elections
- ^ a b The Oprah Winfrey Show. Original air date January 28 2008. Interview with Bette Midler.
- ^ Time magazine profile on Midler.
- ^ "Bette Midler". Houston Voice. October 1998.
- ^ Seattle Times
- ^ Burrows, Tim (2009-02-01). "Rewind 1978". The Sunday Age: p. Sunday Life magazine supplement (p. 30).
- ^ http://www.boxofficemojo.com/movies/?id=stepfordwives.htm
- ^ a b c d Aeg.com, Bette Midler.
- ^ BetteMidler.com Official site.
[edit] Further reading
"A View From A Broad" 1981
- The Saga of Baby Divine (Crown Publishers, 1984), ISBN 978-0517550403
- Bette: An Intimate Biography of Bette Midler by George Mair (Birch Lane Press, 1995), ISBN 1-55972-272-X
[edit] External links
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Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Bette Midler |
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Wikiquote has a collection of quotations related to: Bette Midler |
- Official Website
- Bette on the Boards
- 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
- Bette Midler bio, photos, stories and blogs in the Las Vegas Sun
| Preceded by none |
MTV Video Music Awards host 1984 (co-host with Dan Aykroyd) |
Succeeded by Eddie Murphy |
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