According to a story by GayWired.com, Midler has accused television station MTV of destroying the sense of emotion that used to build up between a singer and their crowd. Now, thanks to music videos, every audience expects a carbon-copy reproduction of what they saw on TV - leaving no room for a connection between singer and listener.

Midler certainly doesn’t have that problem. She’s been connecting personally with audiences for decades, making them laugh and cry and injecting her personality into every performance. And from the sounds of it she’s going to keep doing that.

No, credit for that falls to Julie Gold. She first put the song together in 1985 as an amateur songwriter. It turns out that her skills were above par in this case, however, as the song was picked up by singer Nanci Griffith, who recorded it for her 1987 record Lone Star State of Mind. After achieving some star status with Griffith it was picked up by Midler where it hit critical claim worldwide, peaking at second place on the Billboard Hot 100 and winning her a Grammy for Song of the Year in 1991.

Much of the song’s popularity, interestingly enough, coincided with the outbreak of the first Gulf War; it worked to inspire troops from the U.S. armed forces and received a “Seven Seals Award” from the U.S. Department of Defense.

“From a Distance” is still played regularly today.

The story centers around Mary Rose Foster - aka The Rose - a successful yet lonely rock and roll star. She struggles with feelings of inadequacy and seems to want approval for her actions despite her bravado.

She finds love, however, in the form of a limousine driver who seems to accept her for who she is. But their relationship is very rocky, and her constant life of touring around the country causes it to shake apart. The final straw comes when Rose is caught making out with her former lesbian lover. Crushed, Rose overdoses on drugs, and minutes after beginning her homecoming concert (she’d previously lived in Florida), she collapses on the stage and dies.

Midler earned a Golden Globe for her performance and was nominated for an Academy Award, a BAFTA and a Cesar.

Bette Midler started appearing at the Las Vegas Colosseum in June and she’s already put on a number of shows, appearing five nights a week, every week. She’s slated to remain at the Colosseum for the next two years.

Complete with backup from her traditional trio of supporting singers the Harlettes, Midler will be belting out her greatest hits for quite some time to come. So if you’re in the region give the ticket office a call (or arrange for tickets beforehand online; she’s likely to be popular, and her shows will probably be hard to get into) and get some seats for you and your family.

Be sure to have your wallet ready, though: Midler’s shows can run as much as over $600 per seat, depending on where you want to sit. But really, if you’re a fan of her music, isn’t that little extra bit worth it?

The song is, as the title suggests, uplifting. Very gentle and soothing in its delivery, Wind Beneath My Wings is all about acceptance, affection, admiration and most importantly support for the person you love (hence the immortal line “You are the wind beneath my wings”).

Though the song has been rerecorded a number of times by other artists it is Bette Midler’s song at the end of the day, and man would argue that it is the track by which she is best known. Doubtless that will remain constant for many, many years to come.

The song was recorded for the soundtrack for the Bette Midler starring movie Beaches (see below) and won Song and Record of the Year Grammys in 1990. The song was written by Jeff Silbar and Larry Henley.

Lyrics for Wind Beneath My Wings :

It must have been cold there in my shadow,
to never have sunlight on your face.
You were content to let me shine, that’s your way,
you always walked a step behind.

So I was the one with all the glory,
while you were the one with all the strength.
A beautiful face without a name — for so long,
a beautiful smile to hide the pain.

CHORUS:
Did you ever know that you’re my hero,
and ev’rything I would like to be?
I can fly higher than an eagle,
’cause you are the wind beneath my wings.

It might have appeared to go unnoticed,
but I’ve got it all here in my heart.
I want you to know I know the truth, of course I know it,
I would be nothing with out you.

(CHORUS)

Fly, fly, fly away,
you let me fly so high.
Oh, fly, fly,
so high against the sky, so high I almost touch the sky.
Thank you, thank you, thank God for you,
the wind beneath my wings.

Although Bette Midler is often recognized as a famous pop artist, she is also an accomplished stage and screen actress.   

Bette Midler recieved her dramatic training as a drama major at the University of Hawaii, where she studied drama for three semesters.  Her first credited feature film role was in the 1979 musical drama, The Rose, which she recieved and Academy Award nomination for Best Actress. 

While Bette starred in many successful comedies, drama remained her most successful acting outlet.  Her most noted performance in a drama was her portrayal of C.C. Bloom in the 1988 drama, Beaches.  The soundtrack to the film boasted her biggest pop music hit “Wind Beneath My Wings”. 

 Bette then strayed from drama, appearing mostly in comedies throughout the 1990s.  There has been some speculation recently that Bette Midler may recieve an Oscar for her performance in the upcoming comedic drama, Then She Found Me.  The film has been in production since 2006.

Bette Midler (born December 1, 1945) is one of pop music’s most recognizeable personalities. 

Midler, a native of Hawaii, moved to New York City in 1965 and began performing off Broadway.  Some time later, Bette started singing with accompanist Barry Manilow, recording her first record, The Divine Miss M. 

The album landed Bette her first of many hits, a string which would continue through the 1980s until today.  It was during the 1980s that Bette hit the apex of her success.  It was in 1980 that Bette Midler’s “The Rose” became her first #1 hit. 

She also taped the 1980 concert film Divine Madness, which featured the Top Ten Adult Contemprorary hit “My Mother’s Eyes”.  It was at the very end of the 1980s that Bette Midler recorded her most famous hit, “Wind Beneath My Wings”.  This hit song not only topped the charts, but won a Grammy Award for Song of the Year. 

In addition to her numerous pop music hits, Better Midler is an accomplished actress and charity worker.  She is currently on tour, and will be throughout 2010.