Bif Naked

from Wikipedia:

Bif Naked (born Beth Torbert June 15, 1971) is a Juno Award-winning, Indian-born American-Canadian multi-platinum record selling rock singer, writer, poet, motivational speaker and actress.

Biography

Personal life

Bif Naked was born in New Delhi to teenaged parents attending private school. She was subsequently adopted by American missionaries. She spent part of her childhood in Lexington, Kentucky, where her father was a professor at the University of Kentucky. She went to Kelsey Elementary School in The Pas, Manitoba for a couple of years. After living for a time in Dauphin, Manitoba, her family eventually settled in Winnipeg. She graduated from John Taylor Collegiate and studied theatre at the University of Winnipeg.

A noted poet, she has also released a spoken word album called Okenspay Ordway: Things I Forgot To Tell Mommy. She is heavily tattooed, getting her first, an Egyptian Eye of Horus, when she was 16. Her tattoos include a symbol of the Tao, Japanese writing, Buddhist poetry and images (such as the Bodhisattva), and Hindu imagery; she has stated on MTV that her favorite tattoo, on her left arm, reads "Survivor." She also has X's tattooed on her hands, which represent the X's drawn on the hands of minors in bars to prevent them from ordering drinks. Bif identifies as straight-edge. She is also a comic cartoonist.

The name Bif started as a nickname based on the mispronunciation of her real name, Beth. Bif has always been frank about her bisexuality, and the lyrics of her autobiographical songs (such as 1995's "Everything") detail her attractions to and relationships with women. She is also a strict raw food vegan for health (as opposed to ethical or religious) reasons.

She was diagnosed with a heart aneurysm, but corrective surgery was ruled out. Her song "Everyday," from her album Superbeautifulmonster, is in part a response to that experience.

Bif's first marriage was to her drummer. Shortly afterward, she became pregnant, and later had an abortion. The song "Chotee" refers to this experience.

Her song "Moment of Weakness" was about a man she vacationed with in Mexico.

Bif married Vancouver Sun sports writer Ian Walker in a traditional church ceremony in Vancouver on September 29, 2007. In January 2008, she announced that she had been diagnosed with breast cancer, and underwent a lumpectomy and chemotherapy. Bif Naked blogs on her website about politics, her personal life, and dealing with cancer.

Music career

Prior to her solo career, Torbert played with punk bands Gorilla Gorilla and Chrome Dog. She has toured Europe, the United States, and Canada as a headlining act, and has performed on bills with Snoop Dogg, Billy Idol, Dido, Sarah McLachlan, Sheryl Crow, Chrissie Hynde, the Foo Fighters, the Cult and many more. She recorded a version of "I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus" for the MTV: TRL Christmas CD. She was also featured on the Ready to Rumble soundtrack with a cover of Twisted Sister's "We're Not Gonna Take It", the Celebrity Deathmatch soundtrack with "Vampire", and Buffy the Vampire Slayer's soundtrack with "Lucky". The song "Lucky" was also featured in the 13th episode of the only season of Moonlight, an episode titled "Fated To Pretend" and in the 16th episode of the 2nd season of Charmed - "Murphy's Luck". The song "Dawn" off of Purge was featured in the movie American Psycho 2, starring Mila Kunis and William Shatner. She made a guest appearance in the song "Fucker", on Strapping Young Lad's album The New Black in 2006. Bif Naked also sang back-up vocals to Kay Handley on the original movie soundtrack "Josie and the Pussycats" in 2001 as the singing vocals of Rosario Dawsons charecter Val.

Bif Naked has also made guest appearances with artists such as SNFU on the songs "One Last Loveshove" and "You Make Me Thick". She also appeared on the Dead Celebrity Status album Blood Music on the track titled "In This Day And Age".

Solo albums include Bif Naked, a self-titled album, Purge, and I Bificus. In 2005, after narrowing it down from over 50 songs, she released Superbeautifulmonster with 13 tracks. The Promise was released in 2009 and was dedicated to her fans. Sick, Bluejay, You'll Never Know were mixed by Juno Award winner Mike Fraser. Bif recorded the album during her chemotherapy treatment for breast cancer. Bif is currently working on writing a book and has an acoustic side project album on the way.

She has made appearances in music videos for The Offspring's "The Kids Aren't Alright", Moist's "Believe Me" and "Silver", Liveonrelease's "Get with it" and Simple Plan's "Save You" near the end along with other people (such as Sharon Osborne and René Angélil) who have been treated for cancer. In 2011, she recorded a duet with Vancouver yogi and Nettwerk recording artist Will Blunderfield for the international version of his album Hallelujah.

Acting career

1990: Archangel, credited as "Bif Torbert," playing a Russian soldier1997: The Boys Club playing "Liquor Store Manager"1998: Television series Once a Thief, playing Nastassja Momomame in one episode1998: The Crow: Stairway to Heaven as herself, performing Spaceman from her I Bifficus Album.1999: Buffy the Vampire Slayer as herself; she performed her songs "Anything," "Lucky" and "Moment of Weakness."2000: The Chris Isaak Show and Big Sound as herself2000: Daria movie, Is It Fall Yet?, playing a bisexual art camp attendee who attempts to seduce Jane Lane.2001: She voiced the character Zoe Payne in the SSX (Snowboard Supercross) videogame series.2001: Canadian film, Lunch with Charles.2002: became the first host of the CBC Television series ZeD.2003: cameo in the zombie horror film The House of the Dead (2003).2003: Appeared as a judge of a fictitious reality show in the TV series Cold Squad.2005: Canadian Independent film Crossing, playing Bernie2006: a one episode part in The L Word, playing a character named CynthiaSince 2006 she has been one of the hosts of Bodog Fight.2007: narrated the chronicles of her and her spouse's life in Bodog's web reality show "Bif Naked Bride" up to the wedding finale.

Band membership

Current lineup

Bif Naked – vocals, background vocalsJason Darr (Out of Your Mouth/Neurosonic) – guitarJacen Ekstrom - bassFlavio Cirillo (Art of Dying/Hail the Villain) – drums

Past members

Machine (aka Steve Ricardo) (now in Death Match Union)- GuitarXFactor (aka Gene Poole) – guitar (co-writer of "Chotee")Chris Crippin (now in Hedley) – drumsGail Greenwood – bassGillian Hanna (now in Love For Money) – guitarBritt Black (now in Lillix) – guitarRich Priske – bassMike Sage – drumsDoug Fury (now in Scatterheart) - guitar, bassScotty McCarger (now in Southern Death Threat) - drumsScott Cooke - bassTim Smyth - bassGreg Mark - guitarLamar Engel - bassSean Stubbs (now in Rat Silo) - drumsAdam (ATOM) Percy (Econoline Crush) - Keyboards

Political Activism

On June 26, 2009, Bif Naked and Nazanin Afshin-Jam participated in the worldwide solidarity with the people of Iran. They performed the song someday.