Okay gays, here she is “Trash with a bit of Flash”… The Divine Miss M. performing at the start of her career at the Continental Baths

It was here that Midler’s brassy “fag hag” persona (“I am the last of the truly tacky women”) took shape … When Midler opened her mouth, the orgy parted like the Red Sea. Her musical director for her formative years was the aforementioned Manilow, who would perform, it has been said, wearing only a towel himself, as he sat at his piano.

also via Dangerous Minds . The article and accompanying clips are really worth a look, detailing how Midler was performing at both the baths and on mainstream shows like The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson