Singing and comedy late at night after the Broadway show was where Bette got her big break. She developed a popular nightclub act that included comedy and singing of a variety of kinds of material, (show tunes, pophits, even a takeoff on The Andrew Sisters). She told dirty jokes and belted out songs in Manhattan's Continental Baths in 1971, and she became a campy cult figure on the local gay scene. She was noticed by an executive from the David Frost show. Her appearances on David Frost's show, The Tonight show, and in nightclubs exploded into hit pop albums. She was signed to Atlantic Records and released The Divine Miss M (1972), which went gold and won her a Grammy Award as Best New Artist. Her secon album Bette Midler (1973) was similarly successful.

The Bette Midler album made the US Top Ten, and she received the After Dark Award for performance of the year. After that she released two more albums, Songs for the new Depression, in 1974 and, Broken Blossom in 1977. Find out more...