Bette Midler Biography

Born in Patterson, New Jersey, but raised in Hawaii, Bette Midler has enjoyed a remarkable and wide-ranging career since 1972. As a young child, she showed an interest in acting and singing, and by the early 1960’s Bette Midler found herself in New York pursuing a career in entertainment.

She quickly landed a role in Fiddler on the Roof on Broadway, and around the same time developed her own nightclub act that included not only singing pop hits and show tunes, but also a sharp-witted blend of comedy. It wasn’t long before Better Midler signed to Atlantic Records and released her debut album,  
The Divine Miss M (1972.) The album, which included a cover of the Andrews Sisters' "Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy," went on to enjoy gold status. Her follow up album, Bette Midler, was equally successful upon its release in 1973.

In 1979, Bette Midler appeared in the critically acclaimed film The Rose, a fictional account of the life of Janis Joplin. The film’s title track quickly became a massive hit and an iconic song which has endured popularity well into the new millennium. Similarly, the song “Wind Beneath My Wings,” from the 1989 film Beaches, was Bette Midler’s next pop hit, and in 1990 Some People's Lives hit the charts. On the strength of the single “From a Distance,” the album went on to sell over a million copies. For the Boys was not only a successful film but the soundtrack also went on to achieve gold status. Bette Midler Sings the Peggy Lee Songbook was released in 2005, and earned Bette Midler a Grammy nomination and sales exceeding 50,000 copies in just its first week.

Better Midler’s career continues non-stop with little sign of slowing down. She recently appeared on Broadway in the revival of Holly, Dolly! in 2017, a role which earned her a Tony Award for Best Actress in a Musical. On the big screen, Midler can also be seen in the 2017 film Freak Show.