Bette Midler to Retire from Show Biz After Vegas Run

Bette Midler, the multitalented singer, actress, and comedian, has announced that she will retire from show business after her current 30-month run of shows in Las Vegas ends.

The 62-year-old performer may be best known by younger people for her roles in movies such as "The Rose," "For the Boys," and especially "Beaches," but many people (such as myself) know her as the singer who had a string of hit pop singles in the 1970s that included jazz, swing, and pop standards. The hits by the signer who called herself "The Divine Miss M" included "Do You Wanna Dance," "Boogie-Woogie Bugle Boy," and "In the Mood," as well as the girl-group medley, "Uptown/Don't Say Nothin' Bad (About My Baby)/Da Doo Run Run."

Bette Midler has been recognized for her skill in her various endeavors: she has won four Grammy Awards, an Emmy Award, and a Tony Award, and has been nominated for two Oscars.

Midler has a daughter, Sophie Frederica Alohilani von Haselberg, who is a student at Yale.

Bette Midler's Vegas show is called "The Showgirl Must Go On" and is to debut at The Colosseum at Caesars on February 20th. Midler will replace Celine Dion as the headline act.