Courtesy of Alan Light

Bette Midler b. 1945

Bette Midler was born and raised in Hawaii. With the money she earned as an extra in the movie Hawaii, she moved to New York in 1965 and began performing on Broadway. Five years later, she could be found performing with piano accompanist Barry Manilow, who produced her 1972 album The Divine Miss M. The album reached No. 9 on Billboard's Top 200 Chart. Midler has won four Grammy Awards, including the 1973 Best New Artist, four Golden Globes, three Emmy Awards, a Tony Award, and has been nominated for two Academy Awards, including one for her role in the 1979 film The Rose.