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
Bette (TV series) Bette (TV series) Bette is an American sitcom which premiered on October 11, 2000 on the CBS network. It was the debut of Bette Midler in a lead TV series role. 16 episodes were aired on CBS, with its final telecast on March 7, 2001. Eighteen episodes in total were produced, with the final two broadcast on HDTV simulcasting and in foreign markets. "Bette" was created by Jeffrey Lane, with Midler serving as one of the executive producers. The sitcom had Midler playing herself – a "divine celebrity" who is adored by her fans. To apply some ambiguity, neither Bette's