Bette Midler has a bit of a history of singing off late night hosts in their final seasons, and on Tuesday night, she continued the trend with Stephen Colbert. In fact, The Divine Miss M got a bit emotional as she serenaded the CBS host with a “Lord of the Rings” spin on her most famous song.
As Midler took the stage (stopping by the show to promote her annual Hulaween benefit for the New York Restoration Project), Colbert noticed she had brought a scroll of paper with her that looked a bit like a diploma. When he joked that it was her diploma, she retorted that it was actually his.
“I want to beg you, don’t go!” she bellowed, grabbing Colbert by the lapels. “Don’t
go!”
At that Colbert assured her that he’s not going until May, to which Midler retorted that she won’t be back on the show before then. But, jokes aside, Midler offered Colbert very serious praise.
“I worked this up for you because I wanted to thank you personally and publicly for all you did for me for these last nine and a half years,” she said. “I would not, and I mean this from the bottom of my heart, I would not — I’m going to cry — I would not have made it through without you. I really wouldn’t have. Your voice of sanity, and reason, and honesty and most important, honor.”
Unrolling the scroll, Midler revealed it was lyrics, and began singing Colbert his own personal rendition of “Wind Beneath My Wings.”
“It must have been cold here at ‘The Late Show,’ despite the high ratings and awards,” she sang. “You need a gig that’s more worthwhile, now that you’re more in demand than Epstein’s file.”
“Did you ever know that you’re my Frodo?” Midler continued singing. “You stand for what’s right, with wit and class. Thank you. And I hold you high as the great eagles because you never kissed the orange ass.”
Colbert was, of course, moved by the performance, and the audience erupted in cheers multiple times as it went on. According to Midler, Eric Kornfeld wrote most of the lyrics, and it was her son-in-law that reminded her of Colbert’s long-documented love of the “Lord of the Rings” franchise.
You can watch Bette Midler’s full serenade for Stephen Colbert in the video above.
