Bif Naked Biography




Bif Naked
extracted from Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia, distributed under the GNU Free Documentation License

This article needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding reliable references. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (July 2007)
Bif Naked
Bif Naked performing in Milan, 2006
Bif Naked performing in Milan, 2006
Background information
Birth name Beth Torbert
Born June 15, 1971 (1971-06-15) (age 37)
New Delhi, India
Origin Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada
Genre(s) Rock, pop punk
Occupation(s) Singer-songwriter, actress, poet, cartoonist
Instrument(s) Singer, guitar
Years active 1994–present
Label(s) Bodog, Her Royal Majesty
Website www.bifnaked.com

Bif Naked (born Beth Torbert on June 15, 1971) is a Juno Award-winning Canadian rock singer-songwriter, poet, cartoonist, and actress.

Contents

Biography

Personal life

Torbert was born in New Delhi, India and adopted by American missionaries.1 Part of her childhood was spent in Lexington, Kentucky, where her father was a professor at the University of Kentucky. After living in Dauphin, Manitoba, her family eventually settled in Winnipeg.23 She graduated from John Taylor Collegiate and studied theatre at the University of Winnipeg.

Naked is often referred to as "The Princess of Punk", or "The Punk rock Goddess". A noted poet, she has also released a spoken word album. She is heavily tattooed, getting her first, an Egyptian Eye of Horus, when she was sixteen. 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 is on her left arm, it reads "Survivor". Naked is also a very good comic cartoonist.

Torbert has always been frank about her bisexuality,2 and the lyrics of her autobiographical songs (such as her 1995 hit "Everything") detail her attractions to and relationships with both men and women. She is also a strict raw food vegan for health (as opposed to ethical or religious) reasons. She also identifies as straight edge.45

When she was diagnosed with a heart aneurysm, corrective surgery was ruled out. She wrote the song "Everyday", from her album Superbeautifulmonster, in part as a response to that experience. Bif has many exes in her life. She married her drummer and got pregnant, she later had an abortion, she wrote the song "Chotee" after that, using lyrics such as "So long my baby...". Back in the day she thought she liked this guy so much, she went to Mexico with him, that was her "Moment of Weakness". Bif married Vancouver Sun sports writer Ian Walker in a traditional church ceremony in Vancouver on September 29, 2007. 6 In January 2008, she announced that she had been diagnosed with breast cancer, and is scheduled for a lumpectomy, to be followed by chemotherapy.7 Bif Naked actively blogs on her MySpace page about such topics as politics, and her personal life dealing with cancer and whatnot. Her dog, Annastasia "Anna" Louisa Monalisa Molinare, passed away as of September 21, 2008. Bif is now finishing chemo, and is ready to get back on the road.

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 re-recorded a rocking 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".

After narrowing it down from over fifty songs, she released Superbeautifulmonster in 2005 with thirteen tracks. Albums before this included Bif Naked, a self-titled album, Purge, and I Bificus to name a few. She made a guest appearance in the song "Fucker", on Strapping Young Lad's album The New Black in 2006. She does plan to release a new album in late 2008, early 2009.

Naked also appears briefly in Simple Plan's music video, "Save You" near the end of the video along with other people (such as Sharon Osborne and René Angélil) who have battled and received medication for cancer.

Acting career

  • 1990: Appeared in the film Archangel, credited as "Bif Torbert", playing a Russian Soldier
  • Appears in Moist's music video for the song "Believe Me" and "Silver"
  • 1997: The Boys Club playing "Liquor Store Manager"
  • 1998: the television series Once a Thief, playing Nastassja Momomame in one episode
  • In 1999, she played herself in Buffy the Vampire Slayer; she performed her songs "Anything," "Lucky," and "Moment of Weakness".
  • In 2000, she appeared as herself in the Chris Isaak Show, and Big Sound.
  • In 2000, she appeared in the Daria movie, Is It Fall Yet?, playing a bisexual art camp attendee, who attempts to seduce Jane Lane.
  • In 2001, she appeared in the Canadian film, Lunch with Charles.
  • In 2002, she became the first host of the CBC Television series ZeD.8
  • She had a cameo in the zombie horror film The House of the Dead (2003).
  • She played Bernie in the 2005 Canadian Independent film Crossing.
  • She had a one episode part in the The L Word in 2006, playing a character named Cynthia.
  • Since 2006 she can be found as one of the hosts of Bodog Fight.9
  • She voiced the character Zoe Payne in the SSX (Snowboard Supercross) videogame series.
  • She is one of the three judges on Bodog's Battle of the Bands 2007.
  • In 2007 she narrated the chronicles of her and her spouse's life in Bodog's web reality show "Bif Naked Bride" up to the wedding finale.

Fans

Bif has always been appreciative of all of her devoted fans. Torbert openly blogs for her fans to read, and keeps them posted on new albums, tour dates, etc. Her fans are not just interested in her music, they care for Bif as a human being, as a friend. One fan, Mason, used to comment her everyday on MySpace, and tell her he loved her10. Bif is respectful because she understands that her fans are what keeps her in business.

Band membership

Current lineup

Past members

  • Gene Poole – guitar (co-writer of "Chotee")
  • Chris Crippin (now in Hedley) – drums
  • Gail Greenwood – bass
  • Gillian Hanna (now in The Flairs) – guitar
  • Britt Black (now solo) – guitar
  • Rich Priske – bass
  • Mike Sage – drums

Discography

Singles

1998 "Spaceman" I Bificus
1998 "Chotee" I Bificus
1998 "Lucky" I Bificus
1999 "Moment of Weakess" I Bificus
2000 "Twitch" Another 5 Songs and a Poem
2000 "We're Not Gonna Take It" Another 5 Songs and a Poem
2001 "I Love Myself Today" Purge
2002 "Tango Shoes" Purge
2003 "Leader" Purge
2003 "Choking on the Truth" Purge
2003 "Rich and Filthy" Essentially Naked
2004 "Back in the Day" Essentially Naked
2005 "Let Down" Superbeautifulmonster
2005 "Nothing Else Matters" Superbeautifulmonster
2006 "Everyday" Superbeautifulmonster
2007 "My Greatest Masterpiece" Crossing - Soundtrack

Studio albums

  • Four Songs and a Poem (EP) – 1994
  • Bif Naked – 1995
  • Okenspay Ordway: Things I Forgot To Tell Mommy – 1997
  • I Bificus – 1998
  • Another 5 Songs and a Poem (EP) – 2000
  • Purge – 2001
  • Essentially Naked (greatest hits album) – 2003
  • Superbeautifulmonster – 2005

Music videos

  • "Everything" (1994)
  • "My Whole Life"
  • "Tell On You"
  • "Daddy's Getting Married" (directed by William Morrison 1996)
  • "Spaceman"
  • "Lucky"
  • "Moment of Weakness" (1999) (directed by Marcos Siega)
  • "We're Not Gonna Take It"
  • "Chotee"
  • "Twitch" (1999)
  • "I Love Myself Today"
  • "Tango Shoes"
  • "Choking On The Truth"
  • "Back In The Day"
  • "Rich and Filthy"
  • "Let Down"
  • "Nothing Else Matters"
  • "Everyday"
  • "My Greatest Masterpiece" (2007)

References

  1. ^ "New tattoo and wedding vows for Bif Naked", CBC News (2007-09-30). Retrieved on 26 November 2008. 
  2. ^ a b Dudley Saunders (December 1999). "A Blast Called Bif", 'Interview'. Retrieved on 10 September 2006. 
  3. ^ "Bif Naked". The Canadian Pop Encyclopedia. Jam!. Retrieved on 2008-11-26.
  4. ^ Hammett, Cait (2001-07-16). "Is That a Mic Between Bif Naked's Legs?". Chart. Retrieved on 2008-11-26.
  5. ^ Miles, Kate (Fall, 2003), "Giving Back", Faze, http://www.fazeteen.com/fall2003/bifnaked.htm, retrieved on 7 November 2007 
  6. ^ "Bif Naked To Tie The Knot With Vancouver Sun Sports Writer" (2007-08-17). Retrieved on 2008-11-26.
  7. ^ Kerry Gold (January 2008). "Bif Naked diagnosed with breast cancer", The Globe and Mail. Retrieved on 6 January 2008. 
  8. ^ Sandra Sperounes, "Indie artists have a new home in ZeD", Edmonton Journal, March 22, 2002, pg. E.4.
  9. ^ Bodog bio for Bif Naked
  10. ^ www.myspace.com/bifnaked

External links