name to know: Beth Ditto

There are a handful of things in life that will make me gush and Beth Ditto is definitely one of them. If you don't know who Ditto is, I'm here to help. Not only is she the front woman for The Gossip, she's probably one of the most kick ass people (notice I didn't say women) in the music business. She's the girl from high school who really didn't give a fuck, she was comfortable with herself and her style and although she might have gotten a lot of shit from people, you always knew she was going to do big things.

This Searcy, Arkansas native is fiesty. She hasn't compromised herself to make it to the top and that's something that her fans respect. Ditto is open about her life- yeah she's a lesbian, yeah she weighs over 200lbs, nah she doesn't shave her pits or use deodorant, and fuck yeah she knows how to rock. The Gossip's breakout hit, which did significantly better in Europe than in the U.S., was "Standing In The Way of Control" and was written about the U.S. government's refusal to legalize gay marriage. When something is on her mind, Ditto speaks up. Last year she gained press for her refusal to play in Topshop stores as part of a promotion because the store does not carry "plus" sizes.

A really incredible moment for Ditto and her fans was when she did the cover for On Our Backs, a lesbian erotica magazine, semi-nude. She later told Curve magazine, "It was kind of a radical thing to do. I got my period just ten minutes before we got there, and I was totally bleeding. I was doing it with my tranny boyfriend, who I'm in love with, and I was totally bleeding - how radical is that?- and I'm a fat person, and I'm a femme. It felt really good". Ditto doesn't care if you think she's out for shock value- she is who she is and if you're shocked, well, that's your issue not hers. A nude cover for NME was soon to follow.

Ditto is currently on tour with The Gossip in Europe until the end of August and is still writing a column for the British newspaper The Guardian; the advice column is aptly named "What Would Beth Ditto Do?".

The Gossip- Jealous Girls
"no matter what the price, they can't take me"

For more information on The Gossip, check them out at their website or on their myspace.