Peters was born into an Italian-American family in Ozone Park in the New York City borough of Queens, the youngest of three children. Her mot…

In January 1958, at age nine, she obtained her Actors Equity Card in the name Bernadette Peters to avoid ethnic typecasting, with the stage name taken from her father's first name. She made her professional stage debut the same mont…

Peters has recorded six solo albums and several singles. Three of her albums have been nominated for the Grammy Award. Peters's 1980 single "Gee Whiz", remaking Carla Thomas' 1960 Memphis soul hit, reached the top forty on the U.S. Billboar…