American Song Archives
Bette Midler in 1973: Stunning Portrait by Alvan Meyerowitz
By Staff
Oct. 23, 2026
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A striking early-career portrait of Bette Midler captured by acclaimed concert photographer Alvan Meyerowitz during her live performance in Berkeley, California, on October 2, 1973.
Meyerowitz was a prolific chronicler of the vibrant 1970s San Francisco Bay Area music scene, documenting many of the era’s most influential performers in intimate and energetic live settings. These celebrated photographs capture Midler at a pivotal moment in her rise to stardom, shortly after the release of her groundbreaking debut album, The Divine Miss M, in 1972.
With Midler’s unmistakable stage presence and Meyerowitz’s distinctive eye for the immediacy of live performance, this photograph offers a rare glimpse of the artist at the beginning of her remarkable career—before she became the internationally recognized entertainer she is today.
A compelling piece of 1970s music-photography history, documenting Bette Midler in the formative years of her career and the extraordinary Bay Area concert scene that helped define the era.
Courtesy of Retro Photo Archive
This print is 16″x20″.
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