The Biography Channel - Bette Midler Biography

She played small roles in a television series, ‘The Edge of Night’ (1956), before graduating as a valedictorian from Radford High School in 1963 and going on to study drama at the University of Hawaii in Manoa.

Following university, Midler made her big screen debut in an uncredited role as an extra in ‘Hawaii’ (1966), a drama with Julie Andrews and Gene Hackman. Her salary from this film enabled her to realise her life-long dream of moving to New York City where, before long, she was cast as the eldest daughter, Tzeitel, in the hit musical ‘Fiddler on the Roof’, on Broadway.

In the early 1970s, Midler began singing in clubs and news of her rich and distinctive voice began to spread. The owner of The Continental Baths, a well-known gay ‘bathhouse’ or men’s club, offered her a job, performing cabaret. It was her first opportunity to really be herself onstage and she warmed to it, naming herself the ‘Divine Miss M’. She donned tacky costumes and delivered forthright, ribald humour as a stand-up comedienne, and the crowds fell in love with her This, combined with her unforgettable renditions of songs, often accompanied on piano by Barry Manilow, soon earned her a reputation as a performer of substance.

Ahmet Ertugun, the president of Atlantic Records, heard Midler sing and immediately signed her to the label. Her debut album, ‘The Divine Miss M’, released in November 1972, reached number nine on the American Billboard’s Top 200 Chart, before going platinum. The Midler phenomenon was spreading and she was presented her first Grammy Award in 1973 for Best New Artist. Not content to sit on her laurels, the driven Midler then toured the world with the Tony award winning play ‘Clams On the Halfshell’, before returning to Broadway. She also recorded her second album, ‘Bette Midler’ (1973), followed by ‘Songs for the New Depression’ (1976).

Turning once more to screen acting, Midler was determined to hone her skills and played the Virgin Mary to John Bassberger’s Jesus Christ in an independent film ‘The Thorn’ (1974), a religious comedy, before appearing in several episodes of television series ‘Vegetable Soup’ (1976). Having gained recognition for her acting, Midler then set her sights on Hollywood. She was cast in the lead role of Mary Rose Foster in Mark Rydell’s ‘The Rose’ (1979), about a self-destructive female rock star, modelled on Janis Joplin. The unforgettable film won two Golden Globe Awards, a Grammy for the title song and Midler was nominated for an Oscar for Best Actress in a Leading Role. The rising star was shining brightly.