Born in Memphis, Tennessee, Bates is the smallest of three children of Langdon Doyle Bates and his wife, Bertye Kathleen Talbert. She has 2 loving sisters and her father professionally was a mechanical engineer.

All through the past days, her mom was scheduled with her daily domestics. Bates completed her graduation from the Memphis based White Station High School.

Later, she joined the Southern Methodist University, in Dallas, Texas and graduated in 1969 with a major in Theatre; there she was also a part of a college sorority, Alpha Delta Pi.

• Parents: Langdon Doyle Bates and Bertye Kathleen Talbert
• Husband: Tony Campisi (1991-1997)
• Children: N/A
• Marital Status: Divorced

Thereafter, she headed to the New York’s New York City at age 22, in order to shadow a career in acting.