Bette Midler to 1969, she played the role of Tzeitel in "Fiddler on the Roof" on Broadway. After "Fiddler", she joined the original cast of "Salvation" in 1969. She began singing in the Continental Baths, a gay bathhouse in the Ansonia Hotel, in the summer of 1970. During this time, she became close to her piano accompanist, Barry Manilow, who produced her first album in 1972, "The Divine Miss M." It was during her time at the Continental Baths that she built up a core following. In the late 1990s, during the release of her album "Bathhouse Betty", Midler commented on her
Friends (Bette Midler song) Friends (Bette Midler song) "Friends" (also titled "(You Got to Have) Friends") is a 1973 hit single by Bette Midler. It was written by Buzzy Linhart and Mark "Moogy" Klingman. In the United States, the song reached #9 on the Adult Contemporary chart and reached #40 on the "Billboard" Hot 100 chart. A version of "Friends" was recorded by one of the song's co-writers, Buzzy Linhart. More of a rock sound than a pop sound, Linhart's version had an alternative title, "(You Got to Have) Friends". Bette Midler was one of Linhart's close friends during the early 1970s. While rehearsing