Overview
Bego's biography of the Divine Miss M covers the singer and actress's life from her early years in Hawaii where she was born to her current standing among the entertainment elite. Midler's career as a brassy and bawdy nightclub act moved up a rung when her cover of "Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy" entered the Top Ten in 1972. By 1979, she had earned an Oscar nomination and a Grammy for her contributions to the film The Rose. Since then she has won over audiences with her performances in Down and Out in Beverly Hills, Ruthless People, Beaches, and The First Wives Club, and earned a second Oscar nomination for For the Boys. As a singer, she's scored successes with "From a Distance" and the number one single "Wind Beneath My Wings." Fans of this all-around entertainer, who continues to appear in films and record music, will find that Bette Midler is the authoritative resource on the star's life.Synopsis
This is a fascinating book that brings that brings to life the dynamic redhead.
Publishers Weekly
Growing up a self-proclaimed "ugly, fat little Jewish girl with problems," Bette Midler traded in her job at a Hawaiian pineapple processing plant for a trip to the Big Apple where, in the early 1970s, she re-created herself as the Divine Miss M, a brassy, bawdy cabaret act performing in a gay bathhouse. By the end of the decade, she had an Oscar nomination (for The Rose) to go with her two Grammys, two Golden Globes and Tony award. After a rough start (her 1982 movie Jinxed was prophetically titled; it was followed by a breakdown and a slump in record sales), the '80s found her excelling at writing a children's book (The Saga of Baby Divine, 1983), wedding Martin von Haselberg (1984), revitalizing her film career with a string of Disney hits (including Down and Out in Beverly Hills, Ruthless People and Beaches) and motherhood. Bego has churned out more than 40 star bios in the last 25 years (Cher: If You Believe in 2001 and Madonna: Blonde Ambition in 2000), and he's in top form with this fast-paced, affectionate and incredibly detailed biography of the diminutive belter. Midler fans will also appreciate the exhaustive filmography, discography, concert tours, Web sites, memorable quotes from her films and episode guide to her failed sitcom, Bette. 24 pages of photos. (Dec.) Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information.