Salt Lake Tribune
‘Show Biz Will Eat You Alive’
By Jack Lloyd
March 5, 1976
PHILADELPHIA – Dazzling rock singer Bette Midler demonstrated a rare moment of feeling about her occupation prior to her opening this week of a concert series. What advice, she was asked, would she have for youngsters eyeing a career in show business?
“I’d tell them ‘Don’t bother,’ ” she’snapped.
“The nature of the business eats you up. It eats you alive. Talent has nothing to do with it. It’s the qualities you have to have in order to succeed – great anxiety, violent insecurity. The very nature of the
business breeds fear.”
“Everywhere there is bitterness and jealousy. The worst part of having success is to try finding someone who is happy for you. You don’t really find that – not in this business.”
“What the success breeds is fear. One day you’re on top and the next day you’re in the gutter.”
Wow, that is somewhat interesting advice. I’m sure it was given in a heat of passion.
I think she was still stung by that review of her second album from Rolling Stone…IMO