The Mix Net
Vanessa Williams’ Save the Best for Last was Offered to Bette Midler First
By Alexandria Wyckoff
August 14, 2026
The powerful ballad became the biggest hit for the multi-talented singer and actress. However, Vanessa told Jesse Tyler Ferguson on his Dinner’s on Me podcast she wasn’t the first choice for the tune, bette midler.
In fact, two incredibly famous singers were approached to sing the song.
However, the artist bette midler had not yet been considered.
Vanessa sighed.
However, the real story behind Save the Best for Last is that I was third dibs on that s***.
So they gave it to Bette Midler, who passed.
“They gave it to [Barbra] Streisand, and she passed.” “And I was, like, the third one up.”
Additionally, Vanessa released Save the Best for Last as third single from her 1991 album The Comfort Zone (bette midler). It became her most popular song, topping the Billboard Hot 100 for five weeks. It also earned the Ugly Betty star Grammy Award nominations for Record of the Year and Female Pop Vocal Performance.
Nevertheless, she faced tough competition in 1992. It included Whitney Houston’s I Will Always Love You.
