Bette Midler is one of the most multi-talented humans on the planet. Midler may be 70 years old, but the prominent actress, singer and comedian shows no signs of slowing down anytime soon. However, despite the fact that Midler has spent a considerable amount of time in the spotlight and under the scrutiny of the public eye, there are still some things that many people don’t know. With that in mind, here we present our list of 15 things you probably didn’t know about Bette Midler. Check out part one below, and stay tuned for part two, coming soon!
Number Fifteen: She Was Named After Another Hollywood Figure. In fact, Midler was named after actress Bette Davis. Her sisters are also named after figures in Hollywood. Her sister Susan is named after Susan Hayward, and her sister Judy is named after Judy Garland.
Number Fourteen: She Worked With Pineapples. Midler lived in Hawaii as a young girl, and while she was there, she actually worked at a pineapple processing plant!
Number Thirteen: She Considers Herself an Introvert. As a child, anyway. Midler has said that she was very “inward” as a child. She said, “You wouldn’t believe it but I was very shy, stayed by myself, read a lot, lived very much in my head…in my daydreams.”
Number Twelve: Her Personality Blossomed by High School. Midler was eventually voted Most Talkative and Most Dramatic by her classmates in school.
Number Eleven: She Was The Divine Miss M. Midler first performed under the stage name of The Divine Miss M as part of a cabaret at the Continental Baths, which was a gay bathhouse in new York. She was often accompanied by an unknown singer who you might just recognize as Barry Manilow.
Number Ten: She Won a Grammy for Her Debut Album. Midler was talented from the very beginning, and in fact, she won a Grammy for the very first album she released. The album was called The Divine Miss M.
Number Nine: She Looks Up to the Andrew Sisters. Midler has said in many interviews that she was greatly inspired by the Andrew Sisters and looked up to them at the beginning of her career for inspiration.