Bette Midler’s “The Club Tour” in 1972 refers to a series of performances she gave at various nightclubs and small venues across the country that year, often described as her cross-country club tour or simply as her early club circuit appearances.
This came right after her breakthrough residency at the Continental Baths (a famous gay bathhouse in New York City) from 1970–1972, where she built a devoted following (earning her the nickname “Bathhouse Betty”) with Barry Manilow as her accompanist on piano. By 1972, she was transitioning to bigger stages but still focused on intimate club settings to expand her audience.
Key highlights from 1972:
- She continued some shows at the Continental Baths early in the year (e.g., January dates).
- She performed in other NYC spots like The Downstairs at the Upstairs.
- She embarked on a cross-country tour, hitting various clubs and venues, including places like The Boarding House in San Francisco (December 1972) and The Troubadour in Los Angeles (around December 1972).
- She also did higher-profile gigs, like a sold-out Carnegie Hall concert on June 23, 1972 (a bold move that paid off), and appearances in Las Vegas (at the Sahara Hotel in April).
- This period helped propel her to national fame, leading to her debut album, The Divine Miss M (released later that year), and to more major tours in 1973.
Her act was high-energy, campy, and eclectic—mixing torch songs, upbeat numbers, comedy, and her signature bawdy humor—often backed by her Harlettes (backup singers). It was a pivotal year bridging her underground club roots to mainstream success.
Interestingly, much later in her career (1999), she did a nostalgic “Bathhouse Betty Club Tour” revisiting smaller gay club venues, but the 1972 one was her foundational club-hopping phase.
