Rock On The Net: Bette Midler (original) (raw)

As Bette Midler begins life as a woman in her 50's, she is showing no signs of slowing down or losing popularity. With platinum records, an Academy Award nomination, multiple Grammy Awards, a Tony Award, and an Emmy Award, Bette has a show-biz career few performers can ever achieve and one that many young hopefuls dream of - including a young girl in Hawaii in the 1950s. Bette Midler was born on December 1, 1945, in New Jersey and was raised in Honolulu, Hawaii. Even in her childhood, Bette stood out from the rest of her peers as the Jewish, white girl who dreamed of being an actress in a tropical paradise. Bette was named by her parents after Bette Davis, but was soon on her way to becoming known as "The Divine Miss M." Bette studied drama at the University of Hawaii, and at the age of 20, she moved to the mainland after being cast as an extra in the film, Hawaii. Bette's move to New York prompted her stage debut as Tzeitel in Broadway's Fiddler On The Roof for three years. Bette also began performing at the Continental Baths for audiences of gay men and quickly became a legendary sensation with gay audiences.

After signing with Atlantic Records, Bette released The Divine Miss M. The LP was produced by Barry Manilow, who use to play with her while their stars rose and contained the favorites "Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy," "Friends," "Do You Want To Dance."

Bette won a Grammy Award for Best New Artist.

The Divine Miss M was certified gold.

Bette released Bette Midler.

Bette Midler was certified gold.

Bette released Songs For The New Depression.

Bette releasedLive At Last and Broken Blossom.

Bette releasedThighs And Whispers.

Bette opened on Broadway in Divine Madness.

Bette became an author with A View From A Broad, a memoir of her European tour.

Bette had her first starring role in the movies withThe Rose. The role won her praise from the critics, increased appeal with music fans, another Grammy Award, an Academy Award nomination, and two Golden Globe Awards. The soundtrack to The Rose gave Bette pop radio success with the #1 title track and a rousing live rendition of "When A Man Loves A Woman."

# 17 Singles Artist of the Year

Bette hit the Top 40 with "When A Man Loves A Woman."

Bette hit the Top 40 with "The Rose."
The Rose soundtrack was certified gold.

Divine Madness was released.

Bette hit the Top 10 and #1 for a week with "The Rose."
The Rose soundtrack was certified platinum.

The single "The Rose" was certified gold.

Bette hit the Top 40 with "My Mother's Eyes."
Midler topped the Billboard Year-End Charts with the Top Soundtrack (The Rose).

# 158Singles Artist of the Year

Bette won a Grammy Award for Best Vocal Performance - Female ("The Rose") and was nominated for Record of the Year ("The Rose").

Bette could be seen in the filmJinxed.

Bette appeared on the cover of Rolling Stone.

# 167 Singles Artist of the Year

Bette released No Frillswhich included her version of the Rolling Stones', "Beast Of Burden" (which was nominated for 3 MTV Video Music Awards in '84). The LP also contained the favorites "Your My Favorite Waste Of Time" and "Only In Miami."
Bette embarked the "De Tour" into 1993.

# 193 Singles Artist of the Year

The video for "Beast Of Burden" was nominated for 3 MTV Video Music Awards for Best Female Video, Best Choreography, and Best Stage Performance Video.

Bette released a comedy LP, Mud Will Be Flung Tonight.

Bette could be seen in the filmDown And Out In Beverly Hills.

Bette could be seen in the filmRuthless People.

Bette could be seen in the filmOutrageous Fortune.

Bette could be seen in the filmBig Business.

Bette started her own production company called All-Girl Productions. The first endeavor of the company was the hit Beaches staring Bette and Barbara Hershey. The Beachessoundtrack gave Bette another #1 hit and what has become her swan song in concert, "Wind Beneath My Wings."

# 41Singles Artist of the Year

The Beachessoundtrack was certified gold.

Bette hit the Top 40 with "Wind Beneath My Wings."

Bette hit the Top 10 with "Wind Beneath My Wings."
The Beachessoundtrack was certified platinum and the single "Wind Beneath My Wings" was certified gold.

Bette hit #1 for a week with "Wind Beneath My Wings."

# 57 Singles Artist of the Year

The Beachessoundtrack was certified 2x platinum and The Divine Miss M was certified platinum.

Bette could be seen in the filmStella.
Bette won a Grammy Award for Record of the Year ("Wind Beneath My Wings") and was nominated for Best Female Pop Vocal Performance ("Wind Beneath My Wings").

Bette released Some People's Liveswhich contained her 3rd #1 hit, "From A Distance" and the cover "Miss Otis Regrets."

Bette hit the Top 40 with "From A Distance."

Some People's Lives was certified gold.
Bette hit the Top 10 with "From A Distance."

Bette hit #1 for a week with "From A Distance."

# 114 Singles Artist of the Year

Thesingle "From A Distance" was certified platinum.

Bette was nominated for 2 Grammy Awards for Record of the Year and Best Female Pop Vocal Performance ("From A Distance")
Bette could be seen in the filmScenes From A Mall.

Some People's Lives was certified 2x platinum.

The Beachessoundtrack was certified 3x platinum.

The single "Wind Beneath My Wings" was certified platinum.

Bette could be seen in the filmFor The Boys.
The For The Boyssoundtrack was released with Bette's interpretations of old favorites such as "Stuff Like That," "In My Life," and "For All We Know."

The For The Boyssoundtrack was certified gold.

# 185 Singles Artist of the Year

Bette joined Johnny Carson on The Tonight Show for his final show and gave a memorable performance of "One For My Baby."

Bette embarked on her first tour in 10 years, "Experience The Divine," which included a six-week stay at Radio City Musical Hall in New York.

Bette released her greatest collection - Experience The Divine - Bette Midler's Greatest Hits. The package included Bette's memorable rendition of "One For My Baby" that she sang on Johnny Carson's farewell show (the performance that also won Bette an Emmy Award).

Bette could be seen in the filmHocus Pocus.

The soundtrack to the Bette's TV presentation of Gypsy was released.
Experience The Divine - Bette Midler's Greatest Hits was certified gold andThe Rose soundtrack was certified 2x platinum.

Bette released Bette of Roseswhich contained the tracks "To Deserve You," "To Comfort You," and "In This Life." The LP continued Bette's success with pop and adult contemporary fans with a majority of the tracks being ballads.

Bette began the 'New York Restoration Project'.

Bette could be heard on the soundtrack for Oliver And Company with "Perfect Isn't Easy."
Bette of Roses was certified gold.

Experience The Divine - Bette Midler's Greatest Hits was certified platinum.

Bette could be seen in the hit film The First Wives Club.

Bette could be seen in the filmThat Old Feeling.
Bette contributed the track "Sweet And Low" to the Carnival: Rainforest Foundation Concert compilation to benefit the rainforests.

Bette appeared on HBO with Diva Las Vegas, a live concert performance nominated for 10 Emmy Awards.

Bette won an Emmy Award for Best Performance Variety or Music Program.

Bette's next LP, Bathhouse Betty, was a collection of cover tunes and new ballads with the David Foster tune, "My One True Friend" (also used in the film One True Thing). Bette has said of the LP's title: "I was in my house down in Orange County... I was all by myself and I was nervous because I don't like to be alone... it's kind of scary... somebody knocked on my door and it was a fan... he started shrieking 'Bathhouse Betty! Bathhouse Betty!' and I thought, 'oh my God! How mortifying'... it was pretty scary... but he left me with Bathhouse Betty... he was giving me an homage to my days playing the bathhouse."

Bette signed a deal with Sony Entertainment that would allow her to develop films and television shows including a sitcom starring Bette.
Bathhouse Bettywas certified gold.

Bette topped the Billboard Club Play chart for 2 weeks with "I'm Beautiful."

Bette embarked on her 32-city Divine Miss Millennium Tour which had her performing in Las Vegas on New Year's Eve.

Bette could be seen in the filmDrowning Mona.

Bette started starring in her first television sitcom, Bette, on CBS, and released a new LP, Bette.

Bette could be seen in the films Isn't She Great and What Woman Want.

Bette's TV show Bette was cancelled. The TV show had started off the season strong, but lost viewers over the past several months.

Bette of Roses was certified platinum.

Bette delivered a moving rendition of "Wind Beneath My Wings" at a memorial rally in New York for the victims of the terrorist attack.

Bette teamed up once again up with Barry Manilow on her release - Bette Midler Sings The Rosemary Clooney Songbook. Bette said the creation of Bette Midler Sings The Rosemary Clooney Songbook began with a phone call from Barry Manilow who told her he had a dream with Bette singing Rosemary Clooney songs: "The concept was absolutely brilliant. I loved Rosemary. I had a lot of respect for her, and I missed Barry. And those songs are magical."

Bette Midler Sings The Rosemary Clooney Songbook was certified gold.

Bette kicked off her 'Kiss My Brass' tour in Chicago.

Bette was nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Traditional Pop Vocal Album (Bette Midler Sings The Rosemary Clooney Songbook). Bette publicly stated that she hoped she didn't win because the late Rosemary Clooney was also in her category with The Last Concert, and Bette felt she was more deserving. Tony Bennett and k.d. langended up with the award for their LP A Wonderful World.

Bette could be seen in the remake of The Stepford Wives.

# 199 on the Top Pop Artists of the Past 25 Years chart.

Bette released Bette Midler Sings The Peggy Lee Songbook.

Bette released the holiday LP Cool Yule.

Bette was nominated for a Grammy Awardfor Best Traditional Pop Vocal Album (Bette Midler Sings The Peggy Lee Songbook).

Bette was nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Traditional Pop Vocal Album (Cool Yule).
Bette started headlining for 2 years at Las Vegas' Caesars Palance.

Bette released Jackpot - The Best Bette.

• November 4: Bette released It's The Girls.

• December 4: Bette released the compilation A Gift Of Love.

• April 20: Bette starred in the Broadway revival of Hello, Dolly!
• June 11: Bette won a Tony Award for Best Actress in a Musical (Hello, Dolly!).

iTunes Amazon.mp3	The Divine Miss MReleased: 1972 US: Platinum Billboard peak: # 9 Tracks: "Do You Want To Dance?" - "Chapel Of Love" - "Superstar" - "Daytime Hustler" - "Am I Blue" - "Friends" - "Hello In There" - "Leader Of The Pack" - "Delta Dawn" - "Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy" - "Friends"
	Bette MidlerReleased: 1973 US: Gold Billboard peak: # 6 Tracks: "Skylark" - "Drinking Again" - "Breaking Up Somebody's Home" - "Surabaya Johnny" - "I Shall Be Released" - "Optimistic Voices / Lullaby Of Broadway" - "In The Mood" - "Uptown / Don't Say Nothin' Bad (About My Baby) / Doo Doo Run Run" - "Twisted" - "Higher & Higher (Your Love Keeps Lifting Me)"
	Songs For The New DepressionReleased: 1975 Billboard peak: # 27 Tracks: "Strangers In The Night" - "I Don't Want The Night To End" - "Mr. Rockefeller" - "Old Cape Cod" - "Buckets Of Rain" - "Love Says It's Waiting" - "Shiver Me Timbers / Samedi Et Venderedi" - "No Jestering" - "Tragedy" - "Marahuana" - "Let Me Just Follow Behind"
	Live At LastReleased: 1977 Billboard peak: # 49 Rolling Stone review: Live Tracks: "Backstage" - "Friends / Oh My My" - "Bang, You're Dead" - "Birds" - "Comic Relief" - "In The Mood" - "Hurry On Down" - "Shiver Me Timbers" - "Vicki Eydie Show / Around The World / Istanbul / Fiesta In Rio / South Seas" - "Intermission: You're Moving Out Today" - "Delta Dawn" - "Long John Blues" - "Those Wonderful Sophie Tucker Jokes" - "Story Of Nanette / Nanette / Alabama Song / Drinking Again Mr. Rockefeller" - "Fried Eggs" - "Hello In There" - "Finale: Up The Ladder To The Roof / Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy / Friends"
	Broken BlossomReleased: 1977 Billboard peak: # 51 Tracks: "Make Yourself Comfortable" - "You Don't Know Me" - "Say Goodbye To Hollywood" - "I Never Talk To Strangers" - "Storybook Children" - "Red" - "Empty Bed Blues" - "Dream Is A Wish Your Heart Makes" - "Paradise" - "Yellow Beach Umbrella" - "Vie En Rose"
	Thighs And WhispersReleased: 1979 Billboard peak: # 65 Tracks: "Big Noise From Winnetka" - "Millworker" - "Cradle Days" - "My Knight In Black Letter" - "Hang On In There Baby" - "Hurricane" - "Rain" - "Married Men"
iTunes Amazon.mp3	The Rose soundtrackReleased: 1979 US: 2x Platinum Billboard peak: # 12 Rolling Stone review: Tracks: "Whose Side Are You On" - "Midnight In Memphis" - "Concert Monologue" - "When A Man Loves A Woman" - "Sold My Soul To Rock 'N Roll" - "Keep On Rockin'" - "Love Me With A Feeling" - "Camellia" - "Homecoming Monologue" - "Stay With Me" - "Let Me Call You Sweetheart" - "The Rose"
	Divine MadnessReleased: 1980 Billboard peak: # 34 Rolling Stone review: Live Tracks: "Big Noise From Winnetka" - "Paradise" - "Shiver Me Timbers" - "Fire Down Below" - "Stay With Me" - "My Mother's Eyes" - "Chapel Of Love / Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy" - "E Street Shuffle / Summer (The First Time) / Leader Of The Pack" - "You Can't Always Get What You Want / I Shall Be Released"
	No FrillsReleased: 1983 Billboard peak: # 60 Rolling Stone review: Tracks: "Is It Love" - "Favorite Waste Of Time" - "All I Need To Know" - "Only In Miami" - "Heart Over Head" - "Let Me Drive" - "My Eye On You" - "Beast Of Burden" - "Soda And A Souvenir" - "Come Back Jimmy Dean"
	Mud Will Be Flung TonightReleased: 1985 Billboard peak: # 183 Rolling Stone review: Tracks: "Taking Aim" - "Fit Or Fat ("Fat As I Am")" - "Marriage, Movies, Madonna & Mick" - "Vickie Eydie ("I'm Singing Broadway")" - "Coping" - "Unfettered Boob" - "Otto Titsling" - "Why Bother?" - "Soph"
iAmazon.mp3	BeachessoundtrackReleased: November, 1988 US: 3x Platinum Billboard peak: # 2 Tracks: "Under The Boardwalk" - "Wind Beneath My Wings" - "I've Still Got My Health" - "I Think It's Going To Rain Today" - "Otto Titsling" - "I Know You By Heart" - "The Glory Of Love" - "Baby Mine" - "Oh Industry" - "The Friendship Theme"
iTunes Amazon.mp3	Some People's LivesReleased: September, 1990 US: 2x Platinum Billboard peak: # 6 Rolling Stone review: Tracks: "One More Round" - "Some People's Lives" - "Miss Otis Regrets" - "Spring Really Can Hang You Up The Most" - "Night And Day" - "The Girl Is On To You" - "From A Distance" - "Moonlight Dancing" - "He Was Too Good To Me / Since You Stayed Here" - "All Of A Sudden" - "The Gift Of Love"
	For The BoyssoundtrackReleased: November, 1991 US:Gold Billboard peak: # 22 Tracks: "Billy-A-Dick" - "Stuff Like That There" - "P.S. I Love You" - "Girl Friend Of The Whirling Dervish" - "I Remember You / Dixie's Dream" - "Baby, It's Cold Outside" (James Caan) - "Dreamland" - "Vickie And Mr. Values" - "For All We Know" - "Come Rain Or Come Shine" - "In My Life" - "I Remember You" - "Every Road Leads Back To You"
	Experience The Divine - Bette Midler's Greatest HitsReleased: June, 1993 US: Platinum Billboard peak: # 50 Tracks: "Hello In There" - "Do You Want To Dance?" - "From A Distance" - "Chapel Of Love" - "Only In Miami" - "When A Man Loves A Woman" - "The Rose" - "Miss Otis Regrets" - "Shiver Me Timbers" - "Wind Beneath My Wings" - "Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy" - "One For My Baby (And One More For The Road)" - "Friends" - "In My Life"
	GypsysoundtrackReleased: November, 1993 Billboard peak: # 183 Bette Tracks: ""Some People" - "Small World" - "You'll Never Get Away From Me" - "Everything's Coming Up Roses" - "Together (Wherever We Go)" - "Rose's Turn"
	Bette of RosesReleased: July, 1995 US: Platinum Billboard peak: # 45 Tracks: "I Know This Town" - "In This Life" - "Bottomless" - "To Comfort You" - "To Deserve You" - "The Last Time" - "Bed Of Roses" - "The Perfect Kiss" - "As Dreams Go By" - "It's Too Late" - "I Believe In You"
	Bathhouse BettyReleased: September, 1998 US: Gold Billboard peak: # 32 Tracks: "Song Of Bernadette" - "I'm Beautiful" - "Lullaby In Blue" - "Ukukeke Lady" - "I'm Hip" - "I Sold My Heart To The Junkman" - "One Monkey Don't Stop No Show" - "Boxing" - "Big Socks" - "That's How Love Moves" - "My One True Friend" - "Laughing Matters"
	BetteReleased: October, 2000 Billboard peak: # 69 Rolling Stone review: Tracks: "That's How Heartaches Are Made" - "In These Shoes" - "God Give Me Strength" - "Just My Imagination" - "Love TKO" - "Moses" - "Nobody Else But You" - "Color Of Roses" - "Bless You Child" - "When Your Love Was Low" - "Shining Star"
	Bette Midler Sings The Rosemary Clooney Songbook Released: September, 2003 Billboard peak: # 14 US: Gold Tracks: "You'll Never Know" - "This Ole House" - "On A Slow Boat To China" (with Barry Manilow) - "Hey There" - "Tenderly" - "Come On-A My House" - "Mambo Italiano" - "Sisters" (with Linda Ronstadt) - "Memories Of You" - "In The Cool, Cool, Cool Of The Evening" - "White Christmas"
	Bette Midler Sings The Peggy Lee Songbook Released: October, 2005 Billboard peak: # 10 Tracks: "Fever" - "Alright, Okay, You Win" - "I Love Being Here With You" - "Happiness Is A Thing Called Joe" - "Is That All There Is?" - "I'm A Woman" - "He's A Tramp" - "Folks Who Live On The Hill" - "Big Spender" - "Mr. Wonderful" - "Is That All There Is?"
	Cool Yule Released: October, 2006 Billboard peak: # 33 Tracks: "Merry Christmas" - "Cool Yule" - "Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas" - "Winter Wonderland / Let It Snow" - "I'll Be Home For Christmas" - "What Are You Doing On New Year's Eve?" - "I've Got My Love To Keep Me Warm" - "O Come, O Come, Emmanual" - "Mele Kalikimaka" - "From A Distance" (Christmas Version) - "White Christmas"
	Jackpot - The Best BetteReleased: September, 2008 Billboard peak: # 66 Tracks: "In The Mood" - "This Ole House" - "Beast Of Burden" - "Just My Imagination" - "The Rose" - "When A Man Loves A Woman" - "I've Still Got My Health" - "Spring Can Really Hand You Up" - "Hello In There" - "The Glory Of Love" - "Tenderly" - "Wind Beneath My Wings" - "Do You Want To Dance" - "Baby Mine" - "From A Distance" - "Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy" - "Friends" - "Something You Heart Has Been" - "Cool Yule"
iTunes Amazon.mp3	It's The GirlsReleased: November 4, 2014 Billboard peak: # 3 Tracks: "Be My Baby" - "One Fine Day" - "Bei Mir Bist Du Schon" - "Baby It's You" - "Tell Him" - "He's Sure The Boy I Love" (with Darlene Love) - "Mr. Sandman" - "Come And Get These Memories" - "Too Many Fish In The Sea" - "Teach Me Tonight" - "Waterfalls" - "You Can't Hurry Love" - "Give Him A Great Big Kiss" - "Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow" - "It's The Girl"
iTunes Amazon.mp3	A Gift Of LoveReleased: December 4, 2015 Tracks: "Favorite Waste Of Time" - "In This Life" - "The Gift Of Love" - "Bed Of Roses" - "From A Distance" - "Wind Beneath My Wings" - "Come Rain Or Come Shine" - "The Rose" - "As Dreams Go By" - "It's Too Late" - "All I Need To Know" - "Every Road Leads Back To You" - "Shining Star" - "To Deserve You" - "Night And Day" - "(Talk To Me Of) Mendocino" - "The Hunter Gets Captured By The Game" - "Let Me Just Follow Behind"