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Beth Ditto for President!
For one brief, shining (albeit horribly out of tune) moment, I was in the Gossip. Not of the TMZ variety, but as in the band led by the incomparable Beth Ditto. During the Gossip’s stunning performance at the launch of Alexander McQueen’s new flagship store on Melrose, it only took a few songs into their set for Ditto (clad in a vicious red glitter McQueen bodysuit) to venture from the stage into the well-heeled A-list crowd that included the likes of Janet Jackson, Eve, Anthony Kiedis, Rick Rubin, Tracee Ellis Ross, Kelly Lynch and Jena Malone.
During “(Take Back) The Revolution,” Ditto started sticking her microphone in the faces of unsuspecting attendees to sing the chorus. Next thing I know the damn thing is inches from my mouth. Oh boy. This is why I play guitar. I am not a singer. But I manned up and gave it the ol’ college try. I’m sure she’s heard worse.
But more than anything, experiencing Ditto’s overwhelming presence and incredible voice live for the first time aroused my inner record producer. Visions of going into an old-school basement studio somewhere in Detroit with Beth and producing the next great American soul album danced in my head. We could even call in Mark Ronson for support. With poor Amy Winehouse reduced to a drug-addled mess, Ms. Ditto is more than equipped with the pipes to pick up where Wino left off with “Back to Black.” Who knew the next Aretha Franklin would come from the woods of Arkansas?
The next time the Gossip play L.A., don’t walk, run. Beth Ditto rules OK!
—Scott T. Sterling
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