exclusive: Bette Midler supports the fire relief

So many celebrities and 1000s of ordinary members of the public have contributed huge sums to aid the victims of the terrible fires. One donation however has gone unreported. While entertainers like Pink, Elton John who are regular visitors to Australia and homegrown actors like Nicole Kidman and  Chris Hemsworth have come up with the cash, singer Bette Midler who hasn't visited these shores for over 15 years has just donated $500,000. All Heil Bette !.
And she's had a go at Rupert Murdoch at the same time. The entire Murdoch family, worth mega-billions have remained oddly silent. Rupert however has been sunning himself in the Caribbean with with wife Jerry 'Murdoch' nee Hall.

Whispers first saw Bette Midler in a showcase in downtown New York in 1973. We've loved her every since. Such a voice. Here's an example:

When Bette Midler Attacks!

On Sunday the Shuttle ran the tale of how Lady GaGa made a dramatic entrance onto the stage of the Monster Hall (Sydney Town Hall) in a wheel chair wearing a mermaid tail.

We pointed out that this was remarkably similar to Bette Midler's act from over 20 years ago when she appeared at the Sydney Entertainment Centre.

Midler has warmed to the theme and been twittering her fans : I’m not sure @ladygaga knows that I’ve performed my mermaid in a wheelchair for millions of people — and many of them are still alive,”

“Dear @ladygaga I’ve been doing singing mermaid in a wheelchair since 1980-You can keep the meat dress and the firecracker tits, mermaid’s mine.” Ouch !.

Everything Old is New Again

The media lapped up the Lady GaGa promotion and fell into lock step in the way that the Australian press is famed for reporting every action of the diva word for word as though it was an earth shattering news event.

Ms GaGa entered the stage at the beginning of her Sydney Town Hall concert (note to the Sunday Telegraph-not the Sydney Opera House as claimed on your website) in a wheelchair wearing a mermaid's tail.

Bette Midler 1991

'Brilliant'! they proclaimed with one voice.

One noted tabloid scribe described the colourful entertainer as "the most original performer the world has ever seen "! 
Not quite. As you can see from our pic above of Lady GaGa in her wheelchair entrance, it's remarkably similar to another entertainer-Bette Midler who 20 years ago premiered her show at the Sydney Entertainment Centre by errr..arriving on stage-in a wheelchair wearing a mermaid's tail.

Lady GaGa 2011