In 1973, a man walked into the Palace Theatre in New York City with no expectations at all regarding what he was about to experience, or how this experience would change his life.  Sure, he heard the rumors, read the reviews, but were they true?  This man entered the auditorium and sat down in his seat awaiting the performance.  Suddenly, this bawdy zany charismatic woman comes running on stage singing “Friends” and shaking her tits everywhere.  Yes, the rumors were true, and the reviews were accurate, this was The Divine Miss M, this was Bette Midler.  From that day forward the man became a dedicated fan of this amazing woman and decided to create and run a small and very comprehensive fan club in her honor.  That man was Don Bandel, and the fan club was “The Best On Bette.”  This club caught on with fans and with Bette’s endorsement and participation, became the official Bette Midler fan club.  Mr. Bandel, along with partner Linda Gentile and many other wonderful fans, worked hard to allow fans an up close personal look at Bette’s career and life.  The club, which sadly became too much for two people to run in the mid 80’s, had a profound effect on both Bette and her fans, and was responsible for raising the money to honor Bette with her star on Hollywood Boulevard.  The club also helped spark interest with fans internationally and also inspired other clubs to form, such as “The Bette Midler Club” in Holland.  “The Best on Bette” may be defunct now, but it will never be forgotten, and it will never go unaccredited.  This page is in honor of that club, Mr. Bandel’s dream, and all the people who worked so hard to bring such a wonderful experience to the fans.