Genre: Vocal
Bette Midler (born December 1, 1945) is an American singer, actress and comedienne, also known (by her informal stage name) as The Divine Miss M. During her career, she has won four Grammy Awards, four Golden Globes, three Emmy Awards, and a Tony Award, and has been nominated for two Academy Awards. She is currently performing a new concert show, The Showgirl Must Go On, live five nights a week as one of the current headliners at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas (together with Cher and Elton John).
In 1945, Midler was born in Honolulu, Territory of Hawaii. She is the daughter of Ruth (née Schindel), a seamstress and housewife, and Fred Midler, a house painter who worked at a Navy base in Hawaii. Her parents were from Paterson, New Jersey and moved to Honolulu shortly before Midler was born. She was named after the actress Bette Davis although Davis pronounced her first name in two syllables, and Midler uses one. Midler's family was one of the few Jewish families in a mostly Asian neighborhood. She was raised in nearby Aiea and attended Radford High School in Honolulu. She was voted in Hoss Election 1961 "Most Talkative" and in her Senior Year (Class of 1963) "Most Dramatic". She majored in drama at the University of Hawaii (though she only attended for three semesters), and earned money in the film Hawaii (released in 1966) as an extra, playing a seasick passenger in the film she was billed on the call sheet as Miss David Buff.
Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bette_Midler