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Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsBette Midler sings "Wing beneath my wings" after the Memoriam at the Oscars.
While she was singing I knew that something was wrong. She wasn't hitting the high notes. It was still lovely, but something was off. She would try but pulled back each time. Sure enough, when she finished, she started to cry.
DURHAM D
(32,617 posts)Baitball Blogger
(46,775 posts)Lots of people are getting standing O's, and the look on the faces of actors were more somber than entertained.
Blue_Adept
(6,402 posts)You see that with every music performance artist as they get older. Their bodies, no matter how well taken care of, cannot hit the same kinds of notes as they can in their prime. It's an instrument and time will wear it down no matter what. She did fantastic though.
DURHAM D
(32,617 posts)And she was great as usual.
Idena Menzel not so great imo.
cilla4progress
(24,790 posts)But all the musical artists, except for U2 seemed to struggle. Nerves? Or cameras right in their faces...
justgamma
(3,667 posts)I wonder if she's been sick?
malaise
(269,239 posts)and she said something about this being intimidating - I think she cried because she nailed it - she never went for the big notes. She had me in tears - it was a beautiful rendition.
Baitball Blogger
(46,775 posts)dhill926
(16,377 posts)but I still love her...
longship
(40,416 posts)Plus, she looked absolutely marvelous. At 68!
I love Bette!
Baitball Blogger
(46,775 posts)orleans
(34,088 posts)and i wanted to see/hear what she had to say and they did a fucking cut-away then broke for commercial.
way to go.
Baitball Blogger
(46,775 posts)I got the impression she knew a lot of the people in that Memoriam and that is why she kept her voice down in a range she could control.
Manifestor_of_Light
(21,046 posts)And yes, a 68 year old woman can't hit the high notes she once did but it was a very touching performance & I think it was just fine.
I heard no applause during the In Memoriam section, and I usually hear some for well-known actresses and actors.
The last person in the in memoriam section was Philip Seymour Hoffman.
Everyone was very quiet and respectful.
Samantha
(9,314 posts)Thanks for posting this thread. I would have never known she had performed had you not done so. Here is a link:
http://news.moviefone.com/2014/03/02/oscars-2014-bette-midler-sings-the-wind-beneath-my-wings/
I thought she did a very lovely job and she did start to cry when the audience gave her a standing ovation.
Bette Midler has brought a lot of joy to my life with her performances. I wish I could thank her personally.
Sam
cilla4progress
(24,790 posts)I'm sorry but, one of the worst moments of the night!
Nerves perhaps, but that song always struck me as a little off.
monmouth3
(3,871 posts)invested. Or, her voice is pretty much gone and this was her last hurrah. She's still a great performer..
Hippo_Tron
(25,453 posts)The song (in that key) has a brief C#5 which is a moderately high note for a female. The chorus tops out at A4 which for most women is just around the beginning of the break.
IMO she was consistently under the pitch the entire song. My friend with a better ear than me explained that she always sings that way, nothing really different about tonight.
Ilsa
(61,709 posts)figure it is the years. Just the same, she was beautiful and her performance was great.
JJChambers
(1,115 posts)Orrex
(63,247 posts)But Bette Midler remains awesome.