Betty McQuade, best known for her hit ‘Midnight Bus’, has died in Brisbane on December 26, 2011 at age 70 after a long illness.
Betty McQuade
Betty’s sister Rachel has announced her death in an obituary stating, “no more pain now Bet”.
Betty’s biggest hit ‘Midnight Bus’ was written by John D. Loudermilk. He once said her version was his favourite.
Loudermilk wrote ‘Midnight Bus’ in 1960 and Betty recorded his song in 1961. He released it as a b-side for his megahit ‘Tobacco Road’.
Betty, from Melbourne, was not the only Melbournian to have a hit with the song. She was born in Scotland, emigrated to Brisbane and ended up working in Melbourne.
In 1972, Johnny Chester also had a hit with the song. Chester was also a support act for the one and only Australian tour by The Beatles in 1964.
Betty’s version of ‘Midnight Bus’ peaked at #6 in Melbourne in 1961 but wasn’t a hit in Perth and Brisbane where it reached #17 in Brisbane and #1 in Perth in 1965.
