Happy December, everybody!!! Welcome to 25 Days of Christmas Music!

(Image found online.  Original source unknown.)

We have officially arrived at the Christmas season so what better way to celebrate this festive time of year than with a daily countdown of great holiday songs to usher in the big day. All are welcome here even if you are not a fan of this genre or you do not observe the holiday. Great music of any kind should be enjoyed by all. I would love to hear about your favorite Christmas songs, so please share them with me in the comments.

Today is birthday #80 for The Divine Miss M, Bette Midler. Born December 1, 1945 in Honolulu, Hawaii, the future Emmy, Golden Globe, Grammy and Tony Award winner moved to NYC 60 years ago in 1965 and landed an off Broadway role the same year. By 1970, she started singing at the Continental Baths inside the Ansonia Hotel & met Barry Manilow, who became her piano accompanist. He also produced her first album, The Divine Miss M, released in November 1972. It gave her three hits & introduced her talent to the masses, leading to a 50+ year career as an entertainer in music and acting.

Her first movie role was in 1979’s The Rose, which earned her an Oscar nomination. That movie and 1988’s Beaches crossed over into chart success as well (the latter gave her a #1 record for one week in 1989 with “Wind Beneath My Wings”). She has acted in countless other movies, on Broadway and on several TV shows, including a self-titled sit-com of her own in 2000. Midler also closed out a huge chapter in television history with her poignant rendition of “One For My Baby” as Johnny Carson’s last guest on his final show in May 1992. Her performance at Yankee Stadium during the “Prayer For America” following 9/11 is still considered one of the most touching moments of the event.

She has released 14 studio albums (and a spoken word album, Mud Will Be Flung Tonight, in 1985), four soundtracks and two live albums. She has worked with artists like Bob Dylan, Tom Waits, Mick Jagger, Darlene Love, Linda Ronstadt and others. Midler also paid homage in song to two of her favorite performers with two albums-Bette Midler Sings the Rosemary Clooney Songbook in 2003 and Bette Midler Sings the Peggy Lee Songbook in 2005.

Bette Midler circa 1978. (Image found online.  Original source unknown.)

Midler and her family circa 2022 (L-R): Husband Martin Von Haselberg, their daughter, Sophie von Haselberg Guinness and Midler. (Image found online.  Original source unknown.)

Midler will also celebrate her 41st wedding anniversary this month with husband Martin von Haselberg. The couple wed on December 16, 1984 and their daughter, Sophie, was born in November 1986. She has followed in her mother’s footsteps and started acting in 2015.

October marked the 30th anniversary of The New York Restoration Project, the non-profit Midler started in 1995 on the belief that “nature is a fundamental human right”. The group has been cleaning up parks and community gardens in the five boroughs ever since. According to the group’s website, the NYRP has “built and refurbished more than 350 community green spaces”.

In 2017 at age 72, Midler starred in her first leading role on Broadway in “Hello, Dolly” which earned her the Tony Award for Best Actress in a Musical. She has more than earned her status as a NYC patron, an American treasure and a legendary performer.

Happy birthday, Bette Midler.

Barry Manilow (L) and Midler (R) circa 1972. (Image found online.  Original source unknown.)

Midler (L) and Manilow (R) circa 1998. (Image found online.  Original source unknown.)

Midler’s 2006 holiday album. (Image found online.  Original source unknown.)

Bette Midler: “I’ve Got My Love To Keep Me Warm” (2006, written by Irving Berlin).

Bette Midler: “Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy” (1972, written by Don Raye and Hughie Prince

Bette Midler: “All I Need to Know” (1983, written by Barry Mann, Tom Snow and Cynthia Weil).

Bette Midler: “Hey There” (2003, written by Richard Adler and Jerry Ross).

What are some of your favorite Christmas songs?

Until next time, happy listening!!!