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 SOAPBOX: Drop And Give Me GLAMOUR!
Gay men took me under their wing in the late ’60s and they never really let me go. They’re always interested and they’re always amused, and thank God! I’m not one of those girls who says, “Get those gay guys away from me!” Not me! I know who my fans are.
It was a lucky, lucky break for me that I wound up at the Continental Baths at the time that I did. When I started, I used to go all over town picking up sheet music and playing with pickup bands. I was fortunate to actually have 20 minutes worth of material to stand up in front of the crowd at the Baths, who were pretty discerning, even though they had no clothes on.
I was not distracted even a little bit, and neither were they! They came to be entertained, and they were surprised at the level of entertainment. It was a real show. It had sequins, it had boas, it had high heels and it had pretty good arrangements and jokes. Jokes! They were stunned.
I was very lucky that my best friend was Mr. Gerard, my hairdresser from Fiddler On The Roof, who was a hilarious guy. We would come in and throw that wig on me and just cackle, cackle, cackle. He would tell me what was going on in the gay community, and we would write the material for them. Thank God he helped me out! He was a darling, darling man. We never looked back! We went all over the country playing and had a ball.
I remember almost every night, because I met so many wonderful people. I used to play rooms that were like 9’ by 12’ so, of course, you knew everyone in the crowd. Sometimes they stood on tables. It was crazy.
I just want to say that if everyone who claimed they saw me at the Baths, actually did, I would have been playing Madison Square Garden. There is no gay person that I meet that doesn’t say he was there. Now there are 20-year-old kids saying it. Of course you were, darlin’.
I don’t really think a lot about how I’m going to keep my crowd. I do what makes me happy. I sing the songs that move me—the melody or the lyric or the point I’m at in my life. I’ve always tried to remain true to who I am and what I like. The few times I’ve ventured away from that, I’ve really fallen flat on my face. After you do that enough, you get the picture.
People come and go, the inspiration comes and goes. The older you are, the harder it is to find inspiration because you’ve seen so much. Some things last and some things don’t. Some things are forever and some things just fade. Almost everything that I see makes an impression on me, even if it’s just walking down the street.
Last year was all about the gay movie. If I were to star as a lesbian, I’d have to costar with a woman who’s going to make me laugh. I’d go with Joy Behar! She’s a riot. I’m a really good audience—I really like to laugh. And Meryl Streep is hilarious! I like the funny women.
I saw Transamerica, and I thought it was one of the most amazing performances I’ve seen in my life. Felicity Huffman gave voice to a community that doesn’t always get one. I’ve known people like her character in my lifetime, and I think other people have, too. I had never seen that before on the screen. It was really genius.
I’m thinking about recording and also putting together another live show. I’d like to produce, I think, a live show for someone else. I need to start Diva Boot Camp, where I tell all these people how to do it, ’cause they don’t know how!
Talking to an audience is an art. It’s something you can learn, but people don’t bother. They figure if you put on pasties and a G-string, you can get away with murder! That’s cheating the crowd. It’s not cheap to go to a show. I’d explain to them what to do and where they should go for inspiration.
I’ve been inspired by many performers and I’ve worked with some great writers, but I must tell you, I do write for myself as well. I have to assert myself and put my two cents in. Otherwise I’ll be sitting under a PILE of gay men. Again!
Experience the divine at bettemidler.com
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