BetteBack March 15, 1973: Bette’s Banter Not All ‘Divine’

The Pittsburgh Press
March 15, 1973

Instagram: @bettebae

She crooned. She screamed. She sang her heart out to that adoring mob of fans at the Syria Mosque. But most of all, Bette Midler characterized herself with an earthy, irreverent and absolutely crackpot pile of conversation that left the mob sore in the sides and screaming for more. Below are some random comments from Bette. Dig her:

“That’s me. The Divine Miss M – the last of the truly tacky women. I hope you didn’t come looking for Karen Carpenter.”

“I’m gonna sing you some of the grossest blues I know.”

“What? You didn’t pay $3.50 to get into this place? You paid more? Honey, you was raahhbbeed!!”

“We’re on a tour of the tackiest cities in the country of which Pittsburgh is without a doubt No. 1, followed hot on it’s heels by Passaic, N.J., and D.C.”

“Actually I enjoyed Carly Simon‘s ‘You’re So Vain‘ the first 300,000 time I heard it on AM radio.”

“In the last six months things have gotten hot, so here I am in the Syria Mosque-owtiz, riding the old gravy train.”

“This county is mondo bizarro – just filled with people who are demented.”

“I can’t help feeling that no matter how bad things are, it’ll turn out all right in the end.”

“When we die, we’re not gone. We just start over again as somebody else.”

Hope you enjoyed the visit by Miss M. She may never return. That’s how immense a star she’s going to be.