From
1971 to 2015, there have been more than two
dozen women who have trod the stage as The
Harlettes, backing up Bette Midler in all of
her live performances.
Well-known ex-members are Melissa Manchester,
Katey Sagal, and Jenifer Lewis.
The typical tenure is 2 to 3 years. One
Harlette once jokingly described the job as
"Show Biz Boot Camp."
Here’s Bette introducing the Harlettes in a
show recorded for HBO in the 1970's:
Here are some great Harlettes moments:
Three
of the early Harlettes -- Sharon Redd, Ula
Hedwig and Charlotte Crossley -- recorded
an album in 1978 after they left the
Midler shows. They called themselves
“Formerly of The Harlettes.” The
album was well-received, but hardly sold
at all. Here are two selections from
it:
Does
Your Mama Know About Me?
(co-written by Tommy Chong!)
and
Roll
Me Through the Rushes
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