1

Bette Midler and Adrienne Barbeau are like daughters to Peg since working with them.

2

There have been some revolutions as far as artists receiving payment when they work overseas. BETTE MIDLER worked in Europe recently and got paid in gold bullion because of the dollar fluctuation. But ABBA, the Swedish group, worked out a barter agreement with the Iron Curtain countries whereby they payoff in terms of national commodities such as grain and oil! Even the BEE GEES tried working out this arrangement, so you see, money' isn't everything!

3

Bette Midler's speech teacher at Honolulu's Radford H.S. says, "She sang like a toad," but fellow alums say her mournful routines about being "the only Jewish girl in a Samoan neighborhood" were all shtik. Bette was outgoing, made honor society and beat out a boy for president of the 425-member class of '63. "When she came back for the tenth reunion," a classmate says, "guys were saying, 'Why didn't she look like that in school?'”

4

Britain's Laurence Oliver saw Bette Midler perform in L.A. and gushed afterwards: "It was the happiest experience I've had in the theatre!"

5

BETTE MIDLER: "CHEAP" LIBERATION!
The Women's Liberation movement has spawned many women who would give their very souls - not to mention their pocketbooks - to see equality for ladies everywhere. But it appears Bette Midler isn't one of them. It's not that she doesn't believe in the movement - after all, she did appear at Joan Hackett's fundraiser for the passage of the ERA Amendment - but it does seem she is a bit reluctant to put her money where her mouth is. Stars like Valerie Harper and Polly Bergen were donating $5,000 each to the cause. Even Jon Voight came up with a $1,000 pledge. But last and certainly least among the celebrity pledges - was Bette's for . . . $473! . . . "Odd" sum indeed!

6

Midler in the middle: The Divine Bette came out swimming when punks ganged up on manager Aaron Russo.  

7

Q: I was wondering why we never see Bette Midler on TV, except for the first Sher [Cher] show in which she never got to sing alone. Does she plan to do a special? 

A: Midler is such an irrepressible free spirit, it's doubtful if she'll ever have her own TV show. Networks get nervous unless their insecure officials can utterly control a performer.