Bette Midler

Named after actress Bette Davis, Midler's vivacious personality and powerful voice have made her a hugely popular all-round entertainer. Brought up in Honolulu, she studied drama at the University of Hawaii, appearing as an extra in the 1966 film Hawaii. She used the money to move to New York, appeared in various stage shows - including Fiddler On The Roof - and sang in clubs, accompanied on piano by Barry Manilow, who produced her first album The Divine Miss M. America took her to its heart after a bubbly appearance on TV show Tonight and the album went on to sell a million copies, producing hit singles Do You Want To Dance, Friends and Boogie Woogie Boy. She won acclaim for her 1979 movie starring role in The Rose, a thinly disguised biography of Janis Joplin. Scoring a massive hit with Wind Beneath My Wings in 1989, Midler has since maintained a credible career as TV star, movie actress and pop singer.