Bette Midler facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Bette Midler
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Midler in 2021
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| Born | December 1, 1945 |
| Other names | "The Divine Miss M" |
| Occupation |
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| Years active | 1965–present |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Spouse(s) |
Martin von Haselberg
(m. 1984) |
| Children | Sophie von Haselberg |
| Awards | Full list |
| Musical career | |
| Genres |
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| Instruments |
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| Labels | |
| Associated acts | Barry Manilow |
Bette Midler (/bɛt ˈmɪdlər/ BET-_-MID-lər; born December 1, 1945) is a famous American actress, comedian, singer, and author. She has had an amazing career for over five decades. Bette has won many awards, including four Golden Globe Awards, three Grammy Awards, three Primetime Emmy Awards, and two Tony Awards. She also received a special Kennedy Center Honor.
Born in Honolulu, Hawaii, Bette started her acting journey in small plays. Later, she performed on Broadway in shows like Fiddler on the Roof. She became well-known in 1970 when she began singing at a club called the Continental Baths. There, she built a strong group of fans. Since then, Bette has released 14 studio albums and sold over 30 million records worldwide. Many of her songs became big hits, such as "The Rose", "Wind Beneath My Wings", and "From a Distance". She won Grammy Awards for Best New Artist and for her hit songs.
Bette made her first big movie appearance in the musical drama The Rose (1979). This role earned her a Golden Globe Award and an Academy Award nomination. She then starred in many other popular films. These include Beaches (1988), Hocus Pocus (1993) and its sequel (2022), and The First Wives Club (1996). Bette also won two more Golden Globe Awards for her roles in For the Boys (1991) and Gypsy (1993). In 2008, she started a big show in Las Vegas called Bette Midler: The Showgirl Must Go On. Later, she returned to Broadway in Hello, Dolly! and won a Tony Award for her performance.
Contents
- Early Life and First Steps
- Career Beginnings and Early Theatre
- Becoming a Star: The Divine Miss M
- Big Hits and Movie Roles
- More Acting and TV Appearances
- New Projects and Tributes
- Recent Years and Broadway Return
- Personal Life
- Giving Back: Charity Work
- Awards and Nominations
- Images for kids
- See also
Early Life and First Steps
Bette Midler was born in Honolulu, Hawaii, on December 1, 1945. Her family was one of the few Jewish families in their neighborhood. Her mother, Ruth, was a seamstress, and her father, Fred, was a painter. Bette was named after the famous actress Bette Davis. She grew up in Aiea and went to Radford High School. She was known for being very talkative and dramatic!
Bette studied drama at the University of Hawaii at Manoa but left after three semesters. She earned some money as an extra in the 1966 film Hawaii.
Career Beginnings and Early Theatre
Bette moved to New York City in 1965. She used the money she earned from the film Hawaii to study theatre. Her first professional stage roles were in plays like Miss Nefertiti Regrets in 1965. In 1966, she joined the Broadway show Fiddler on the Roof. She played the role of Tzeitel until 1970. After Fiddler, she joined the cast of Salvation in 1969.
In 1970, Bette started singing at the Continental Baths, a club in New York. There, she became close with her piano player, Barry Manilow. He later produced her first album. Bette was proud of her time performing there. She felt like she was helping the gay liberation movement. In 1971, Bette also starred in the rock opera Tommy with the Seattle Opera. This led to her first appearance on The Tonight Show.
Becoming a Star: The Divine Miss M
Bette released her first album, The Divine Miss M, in December 1972. Barry Manilow helped produce it. The album became a huge success, selling millions of copies. It earned Bette the 1973 Grammy Award for Best New Artist. The album featured hit songs like "Do You Wanna Dance?" and "Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy". "Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy" became her first number one hit on the Adult Contemporary chart. Bette often said that The Andrews Sisters were her idols and inspired her.
Her next album, Bette Midler, came out in 1973. It also sold nearly a million copies. In 1974, she received a Special Tony Award for her work on Broadway. From 1975 to 1978, she voiced Woody the Spoon on the TV show Vegetable Soup. In 1977, Bette's first TV special, Ol' Red Hair is Back, won an Emmy Award.
Bette made her first movie in 1979, starring in The Rose. She played a rock star in the film. Her performance earned her an Academy Award nomination and a Golden Globe Award. The movie's soundtrack also sold over two million copies. The title song, "The Rose", became a number one hit and won Bette a Grammy Award.
Big Hits and Movie Roles
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In 1981, Bette worked on the comedy film Jinxed!. The film faced some challenges and was not a big success. Bette didn't appear in any other films until 1986. During this time, she focused on her music. In 1983, she released the album No Frills. She also released a comedy album called Mud Will Be Flung Tonight in 1985.
Bette performed on the charity single "We Are the World" in 1985. She also took part in the Live Aid concert. In 1985, she signed a deal with Walt Disney Studios. She starred in many successful comedies like Down and Out in Beverly Hills (1986), Ruthless People (1986), and Big Business (1988).
In 1988, Bette voiced Georgette, a fancy poodle, in Disney's Oliver & Company. She also had a huge hit with the movie Beaches. The soundtrack for Beaches became her best-selling album. It featured her biggest hit song, "Wind Beneath My Wings". This song went to number one and won Bette her third Grammy Award.
More Acting and TV Appearances
In 1990, Bette's cover of "From a Distance" became a number one hit. That same year, she starred in the drama film Stella. She played a single mother who makes sacrifices for her daughter's happiness. In 1991, she starred in For the Boys. This role earned her another Golden Globe Award and her second Academy Award nomination.
Bette won an Emmy Award in 1992 for her performance on The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson. In 1993, she starred with Sarah Jessica Parker and Kathy Najimy in the Halloween comedy Hocus Pocus. Bette played Winifred Sanderson, the leader of three witch sisters. The movie became a cult classic over the years. Bette also hosts an annual Hulaween costume party to benefit the New York Restoration Project.
She appeared on the TV show Seinfeld in 1995. Her 1997 HBO special Diva Las Vegas won her a third Emmy Award. Bette also starred in The First Wives Club (1996). In 1997, she received the Crystal Award for her work in the entertainment industry. In 1998, Bette released her album Bathhouse Betty, named after her early performing days. She also appeared in the animated film Fantasia 2000 in 1999.
New Projects and Tributes
In 2000, Bette starred in her own TV show, Bette. She played herself, a famous celebrity. The show had high ratings at first, and Bette won a People's Choice Award for her performance. She also had a small role in the film What Women Want (2000).
After many years, Bette worked with Barry Manilow again in 2003. They recorded Bette Midler Sings the Rosemary Clooney Songbook, which was a big success. It was nominated for a Grammy Award. From 2003 to 2004, Bette toured the United States with her show Kiss My Brass. In 2004, she appeared in the film The Stepford Wives. Bette and Barry Manilow worked together again in 2005 for another tribute album, Bette Midler Sings the Peggy Lee Songbook. This album also did very well and was nominated for a Grammy.
Recent Years and Broadway Return
Bette released a Christmas album called Cool Yule in 2006, which was nominated for a Grammy. In 2007, she appeared in the film Then She Found Me.
In 2008, Bette started her Las Vegas show, Bette Midler: The Showgirl Must Go On, at The Colosseum at Caesars Palace. The show ran until 2010 and was nominated for an Emmy Award. In 2010, Bette voiced Kitty Galore in the animated film Cats & Dogs: The Revenge of Kitty Galore.
In 2012, Bette received the Sammy Cahn Lifetime Achievement Award for her amazing voice and style. That same year, she starred with Billy Crystal in the family film Parental Guidance. She played a grandmother trying to understand her daughter's modern parenting style.
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Bette returned to Broadway in 2013 in the play I'll Eat You Last: A Chat with Sue Mengers. In 2014, she sang "Wind Beneath My Wings" at the Academy Awards. Later that year, she released her 25th album, It's the Girls!, which featured songs by famous girl groups.
In 2017, Bette returned to the stage in the main role of Hello, Dolly! on Broadway. She won a Tony Award for her performance. She also voiced Grandmama in the animated film The Addams Family (2019) and its sequel (2021). In 2020, Bette played Bella Abzug in the film The Glorias.
Bette has also written several books, including children's books. In 2021, she received the Kennedy Center Honors for her lifetime achievements in performing arts. In 2022, Bette played Winifred Sanderson again in Hocus Pocus 2 for Disney+. In 2023, she starred in the comedy-drama film Sitting in Bars with Cake.
Personal Life
Bette Midler married artist Martin von Haselberg on December 16, 1984. They have one daughter, actress Sophie von Haselberg, who was born in 1986.
Giving Back: Charity Work
Bette Midler is very involved in charity work. In 1991, she helped start the Adopt-a-Highway program. She paid for a crew to clean up a section of the Ventura Freeway in Burbank, California. Signs were put up to show her support for keeping the area clean. She brought this idea to the east coast in 1995, adopting sections of other highways.
In 1995, Bette founded the New York Restoration Project (NYRP). This non-profit organization works to improve neglected parks in New York City. These parks are in neighborhoods that need more support. When the city planned to sell many community gardens, Bette led a group to save them. NYRP took over 60 of these gardens. Bette and her organization work with volunteers to keep these gardens safe and clean.
In 2003, Bette opened Swindler Cove Park, a new public park on the Harlem River. It has special educational facilities and a boathouse for rowing. The organization also offers free environmental education programs for students.
After the events of 9/11, Bette started programs to help wounded service members and their families. These programs provide resources like custom homes. She also visits military bases to thank service members before they are deployed. In 2020, Bette pledged to donate $500,000 to help Australia during the wildfires.
Awards and Nominations
Bette Midler has won many awards throughout her career. She is one of the few artists to have been nominated for an Emmy, a Grammy, an Oscar, and a Tony Award. She has won all of these except for the Oscar. Her wins include three Emmys, three Grammys, two Tonys, and four Golden Globe Awards.
The Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences has nominated Bette for an Academy Award twice:
- For Best Actress in a Leading Role, for The Rose (1979)
- For Best Actress in a Leading Role, for For the Boys (1991)
She won the Golden Globe Award for Best Actress for both of these performances. She also won Golden Globes for Best New Female Star for The Rose and Best Actress in a Television Film for Gypsy (1993).
Images for kids
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Midler at the 2010 HRC Annual Dinner
See also
In Spanish: Bette Midler para niños
- 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
- Midler v. Ford Motor Co.
