ROCK 'N' ROLL NEWS

Bette Midler made a very speedy recovery from the emergency appendectomy that forced her to cancel the opening two dates of her current tour, though fans at the eventual opening date in Berkeley were surprised to see her appear onstage at the show's opening in a hospital bed... which she immediately bounced out of into "Friends," teasing the audience by cracking, reports ENS, "How many of you didn't think I'd show up tonight?