Gay icon Own Kind of Music" and "Different") and free love. Her music was later featured in the acclaimed gay film "Beautiful Thing" (1996), adapted from the play of the same name. Singer and actress Bette Midler became recognized as a gay icon in the 1970s. After performing on Broadway, Midler began performing at the Continental Baths, a gay bathhouse in the city, where she became close to her piano accompanist Barry Manilow, who produced her first major album "The Divine Miss M" (1973). "Despite the way things turned out [with the AIDS crisis], I'm still proud of those days [singing at
Chuckii Booker album "Coming Home" released in 2007 as well as producer and arranger for Richie's Collection of Holiday Classics album for NBC's "Sounds of the Season". Booker has carved a sizeable niche for himself as a record producer for artists such as Lalah Hathaway, Troop, En Vogue, Angela Winbush, Diana Ross, Anastacia, Commissioned, Lionel Richie, and Bette Midler. Chuckii comes from a vast musical background family which includes his uncle, a jazz flautist and his grandmother, who is a gospel pianist. His mother, Selestine Booker - who has played and recorded with such Gospel artists as James Cleveland and Norman Hutchins