Bette Midler is not only a leading icon of ‘70s and ‘80s cabaret and pop music, but her dazzling vocals and signature crimson tresses have transformed the buzzing diva from pop star to film goddess, gracing every type of entertainment in between.The New Jersey-born, Hawaii-raised Midler was crazy about entertaining right from her childhood, singing and acting at a young age before moving to New York in the ‘60s to pursue a musical career. She first scored a role in the Broadway hit Fiddler on the Roof, but soon reached for bigger things. Frequently accompanied by Barry Manilow, Midler made the rounds in New York nightclubs with acts that included singing show tunes and performing comedy bits. Eventually, the young starlet throbbing with potential was signed with Atlantic Records and thus began her solo music career. Her debut record The Divine Miss M was released in 1972, immediately going gold thanks to the single "Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy," a cover of the Andrews Sisters' song that easily made the Top Ten. Bette Midler was released in 1973, and the singer was off to a magnificent start in the entertainment industry. All of her successive albums reached the Top 100 on the charts, but Midler soon dove head first into a thrilling acting career.Midler made her acting debut in The Rose, a 1979 film depicting the life of Janis Joplin. Doubling as a singer for the soundtrack, Midler's performance in the title track led to another Top Ten hit song. The 1986 film Down and Out in Beverly Hills brought her equal fame, and 1989's Beaches was perhaps her most applauded film yet. The hit song "Wind Beneath My Wings" from the Beaches soundtrack became a staple in every woman's music collection, and her 1990 album Some People's Lives contained her next huge single, "From a Distance." Continuing on with albums and films, Midler also bounced into television with her own show Bette, and has since recorded an incredible Christmas album, 2006's Cool Yule.
