Richard Amsel a nationwide artists’ talent search; the artist was 22 at the time. Amsel quickly found popularity within New York's art scene, and his illustrations caught the attention of Barry Manilow, then a young singer/songwriter named who was working with Bette Midler, a newly emerging entertainer in cabaret clubs and piano bars. Manilow introduced the two, and it was quickly decided that Amsel should do the cover of her first Atlantic Records album. The cover, for "The Divine Miss M" proved to be one of the most ubiquitous of the year. More album covers and posters soon followed, as did a
Bette Midler Gallagher Levi, continuing through January 2018, in the Broadway revival of "Hello, Dolly!" for which she won her second Tony Award. In 2017 she also appeared in the role of Muv in the 2017 film "Freak Show". On April 20, 2018 it was announced that Midler will be returning to "Hello, Dolly!" on July 17 to close out the run of the successful revival. In 1991, Midler was an early sponsor of the Adopt-a-Highway, paying $2,000 a month for a crew to clean up a 2-mile section of the Ventura Freeway in Burbank, California. Signs at both ends of the