Beth Ditto

Beth Ditto
Beth Ditto at Roskilde Festival 2012.
Background information
Born	(1981-02-19) February 19, 1981 (age 32)
Origin	Searcy, Arkansas, US
Genres	Indie rock, post-punk, synthpop
Instruments	Vocals
Associated acts	Gossip

Mary Beth Patterson, known by her stage name Beth Ditto (born February 19, 1981, in Searcy, Arkansas),[1] is an American singer-songwriter, most famous for her work with the indie rock band Gossip.[2]

Personal life

At 13, she moved out of her mother’s house and went to live with her aunt.[3] A resident of Portland, Oregon, she is a close friend of Scissor Sisters lead singer Ana Matronic, and considers her favorite song to be "Oh Bondage, Up Yours" by X-Ray Spex. She courted mild controversy in 2006 when, during an interview for NME magazine, she claimed to have eaten squirrels as a child, saying that "people in Arkansas just do – they'd think you were a freak if you ate squid there!"[4]

Ditto is known for her noticeable stage dances and her unique and revealing image. She classes herself as a punk, and thus does not wear deodorant or shave under her armpits, having once remarked that "I think punks usually smell".[5] She also formerly contributed an advice column on body image to The Guardian newspaper.[6]

In February 2009, she was featured in London as the cover model for the premiere of Love magazine with prominent public advertising.[7] On July 9, 2009, Beth's fashion collection for the UK retailer Evans was released for sale, both online, and in selected stores across the UK.[8]

Ditto, who is a lesbian, is well known for her outspoken support of both LGBT and feminist causes.[9]

Her most recent modeling work consisted of opening the[10] Jean Paul Gaultier spring 2011 fashion show during Paris Fashion Week on October 2, 2010.

On March 15, 2013. she was arrested for second-degree disorderly conduct in Portland, Oregon outside the Bungaloo Bar (which had cut her off because she appeared to be inebriated) after throwing her shoes and purse away in the middle of the street and shouting "Obama! Obama!"[8] She was fined £286 after pleading no contest to the charge.[11]

Discography

Track listing

1. "Do You Need Someone" - 6'04
2. "Goodnight, Good Morning" - 7'00
3. "I Wrote The Book" - 3'57
4. "Open Heart Surgery" - 5'40

Singles

Awards and nominations

• 2006 – NME – Coolest Person In Rock – Won
• 2007 – NME Awards – Sexiest Woman Of The Year – Nominated
• 2008 – Glamour Awards – International Artist Of The Year – Won

References

1. ^ "Beth Ditto". emusic. Retrieved 15 July 2012. 
2. ^ "Bio". The Gossip official website. Archived from the original on 2007-10-22. Retrieved 2008-03-06. 
3. ^ Harrod, Horatia (2011-02-21). "Beth Ditto: the punk 'it' girl". The Daily Telegraph (London). Retrieved 2011-03-13. 
4. ^ http://drownedinsound.com/news/1341104
5. ^ "Listen Up: I Don’t Think We’re In Kansas Anymore". psychoPEDIA. 2006-11-20. Retrieved 2008-03-06. 
6. ^ "What Would Beth Ditto Do?". London: The Guardian. 2007-04-27. Retrieved 2009-07-14. 
7. ^ Jo Clements (16 February 2009). "15-stone Beth Ditto launches Love magazine with nude shoot". Daily Mail. Retrieved 14 June 2009. 
8. ^ a b http://www.wweek.com/portland/blog-29900-updated_beth_ditto_arrested_in_portland_friday_nig.html
9. ^ Beth Ditto (2007-06-08). "What would Beth Ditto do?". London: The Guardian. Retrieved 2008-03-06. 
10. ^ "Jean Paul Gaultier - Spring/Summer 2011 ready-to-wear show.". www.tifdb.com. Retrieved 2011-05-29. 
11. ^ "Beth Ditto fined for disorderly conduct". 3 News NZ. March 26, 2013. 
12. ^ http://pandora.nla.gov.au/pan/23790/20110530-1606/Issue1098.pdf
13. ^ UK Singles Chart - Week Ending: 12 February 2011 The Official Charts Company, Retrieved 2011-02-15.
14. ^ http://www.ultratop.be/nl/showitem.asp?interpret=Beth+Ditto&titel=I+Wrote+the+Book&cat=s
15. ^ Charts Stats "Charts Stats - Beth Ditto - EP", Charts Stats - UK Singles & Albums Chart Archive, March 13, 2011, accessed March 15, 2011.

External links

• The Gossip website
• BBC report of NME cool list
• Subculture Magazine Interview