I have seen her live more than any other artist. The first time was in Boston in the autumn of 1972, & the last time was in Portland in 2006. She has seen me through the confused late teens, the druggie years, the slutty era, the married man decades, Boston, NYC, LA, Las Vegas, & Seattle.
Bette Midler incorporates all the gay icon bearings of those who came before her: West’s bawdy wit, Garland’s powerhouse pipes, Davis’ acid tongue & Streisand & Minnelli’s chutzpah. How gay is her appeal? She got her start performing at a gay bathhouse, with Barry Manilow at the piano.
Midler has long been an icon & friend to the gays. As “Bathhouse Betty”, Midler was thrown into the adoration of gay men & seems to have taken pride in it. Midler: "Despite the way things turned out with the AIDS crisis, I'm still proud of those days. I feel like I was at the forefront of the gay liberation movement, & I hope I did my part to help it move forward. So, I kind of wear the label of 'Bathhouse Betty' with pride".
I didn't want to lose her when she seemed to stumble with her sentiments on same sex marriage. A half a decade ago, Midler took lots of heat from gay fans after Larry King asked her what she thought about gay marriage. Midler replied: “As soon as I'm gay I'm going to get married. What do you want me to say? I haven't done enough research or reading on it to have an informed opinion.”
I thought, Bette, why do you have research love between 2 people? Please do not forsake me. Midler has evolved on this issue. Midler: "I watch the news from time to time. To tell you the truth, I'm not on the front lines, I'm in the zone. But I'm all in favor of gay marriage. I think it's fabulous." Midler is a gay icon for the post rock n' roll, sexual revolution, gay liberation 1970s, & activist 1980s & she certainly captures the post-closeted gay attitude with: “Fuck ‘em if they can’t the can't joke!”
She is a urban garden advocate & she plays the ukulele. In a career that has spanned more than 40 years, Midler has won 4 Grammys, 4 Golden Globes, 3 Emmys, a special Tony & 2 nominations for Academy Awards. Some of her most memorable films include The Rose, Down & Out in Beverly Hills, Ruthless People, Beaches, The First Wives Club & For the Boys.
Check out her terrific Vegas act- Bette Midler: The Showgirl Must Go On. My favorite Midler moment was serenading Johnny Carson with One For My Baby in the last minutes of The Tonight Show, where she was a frequent guest. Count me as a fan. Bette Midler turns an astonishing 66 on this very day.
Bette Midler incorporates all the gay icon bearings of those who came before her: West’s bawdy wit, Garland’s powerhouse pipes, Davis’ acid tongue & Streisand & Minnelli’s chutzpah. How gay is her appeal? She got her start performing at a gay bathhouse, with Barry Manilow at the piano.
Midler has long been an icon & friend to the gays. As “Bathhouse Betty”, Midler was thrown into the adoration of gay men & seems to have taken pride in it. Midler: "Despite the way things turned out with the AIDS crisis, I'm still proud of those days. I feel like I was at the forefront of the gay liberation movement, & I hope I did my part to help it move forward. So, I kind of wear the label of 'Bathhouse Betty' with pride".
I didn't want to lose her when she seemed to stumble with her sentiments on same sex marriage. A half a decade ago, Midler took lots of heat from gay fans after Larry King asked her what she thought about gay marriage. Midler replied: “As soon as I'm gay I'm going to get married. What do you want me to say? I haven't done enough research or reading on it to have an informed opinion.”
I thought, Bette, why do you have research love between 2 people? Please do not forsake me. Midler has evolved on this issue. Midler: "I watch the news from time to time. To tell you the truth, I'm not on the front lines, I'm in the zone. But I'm all in favor of gay marriage. I think it's fabulous." Midler is a gay icon for the post rock n' roll, sexual revolution, gay liberation 1970s, & activist 1980s & she certainly captures the post-closeted gay attitude with: “Fuck ‘em if they can’t the can't joke!”
She is a urban garden advocate & she plays the ukulele. In a career that has spanned more than 40 years, Midler has won 4 Grammys, 4 Golden Globes, 3 Emmys, a special Tony & 2 nominations for Academy Awards. Some of her most memorable films include The Rose, Down & Out in Beverly Hills, Ruthless People, Beaches, The First Wives Club & For the Boys.
Check out her terrific Vegas act- Bette Midler: The Showgirl Must Go On. My favorite Midler moment was serenading Johnny Carson with One For My Baby in the last minutes of The Tonight Show, where she was a frequent guest. Count me as a fan. Bette Midler turns an astonishing 66 on this very day.
