BERNADETTE PETERS FACTS:
Genre: Pop, Show Tunes
Hometown: Queens, New York
Albums: Bernadette (1980); Now Playing (1981); I'll Be Your Baby Tonight (1996); Sondheim, Etc. - Bernadette Peters Live At Carnegie Hall (1997); Bernadette Peters Loves Rodgers and Hammerstein (2002); Sondheim Etc., Etc. Live At Carnegie Hall: The Rest of It (2005);
Awards: 2 Tony Awards, 3 Drama Desk Awards, 4 Grammy Awards
Hits: "Gee Whiz"
Other: Successful in film, television, stage, and music.
Bernadette Peters has been in show business for almost her entire life. With a career that has spanned more than five decades, the New York City-native has been a mainstay on Broadway for quite some time and remains an active performer. She has tried her hand at everything from recording solo albums to penning children's books.
Peters got her start at a very young age, and made her debut at just 9-years-old. Throughout the early '60s she continued to build her resume and eventually landed roles in off-Broadway productions of The Sound of Music and Riverwind. Her first role on Broadway came in 1967, and by 1969 she was given a starring role in the La Strada. In 1971 she earned her first Tony nomination for her role in On the Town.
Though she experienced a growing success on stage, Peters soon made the segue into television and film. Throughout the '70s and '80s she starred in a number of well-received movies including the 1979 Steve Martin classic The Jerk and the 1982 version of the classic musical Annie. During this time she continued to act on stage as well, and in 1985 Peters won her first Tony Award for her role in Andrew Lloyd Weber's Song and Dance.
With the success of her acting, both on stage and on screen, Peters decided to begin a music career, and in 1980 she released her self-titled debut album. The record was a moderate success, and featured the single "Gee Whiz," which broke into the top 40 charts in the United States. She released another record in 1981, Now Playing, which was unable to match the popularity of debut.
However, she still made waves in the music industry during the '80s, as two of the recordings from plays that she starred in, 1984's Sunday in the Park With George and 1988's Into the Woods, both won Grammy Awards. She was nominated as a solo artist in 1996 for her album I'll Be Your Baby Tonight, which was her first new album in 15 years, and featured covers of popular tunes from John Lennon, Lyle Lovett and Billy Joel.
Peters has also become famous over the years for her legendary stage shows. After debuting her solo act at Carneigie Hall in 1996, she began touring throughout the U.S. and Canada, and she released the single, "Stella's Song" in 2010.