People We Love 2019: BETTY

Technically BETTY is three people we love: Elizabeth Ziff, Alyson Palmer, and Amy Ziff. But BETTY also contains multitudes – from adoring fans to collaborators who’ve worked to bring their singular combination punk energy meets girl group harmony to the world.

How BETTY Became Pod Goddesses

One of the reasons we’ve loved BETTY this year was the debut of BETTY: Girlband, the Podcast. It which featured these glorious artists reflecting on their journey together. That journey came complete with clips of their fabulous music and guest appearances by personalities as enduring as the great Gloria Steinem. But chances are – even if you think you haven’t – you’ve already experienced BETTY. It might have been at a Pride festival, singing the theme song of The L Word, creating music for the groundbreaking HBO series Real Sex.

What BETTY Sounds Like, Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow

We asked BETTY to describe their sound. “BETTY is pop with lots of harmonies,” they explain. “Go to Spotify and listen. We are as diverse musically as we are sexually.”

They’ve been performing as an activist band globally for 33 years and promise: “We will continue to sing out, stand up and march on for our community.” Though they also wonder, “Who would have thought that – starting in D.C. under the reign of Ronald Reagan – we would find ourselves still fighting for the same rights?”

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BETTY’s Big Party

But whether you’ve danced along with them in concert or are basically a BETTY virgin, do yourself a favor and dive into their podcast. It is like thirteen episodes of the best dinner party you’ve ever been to. “Because we’re constantly making new memories, it is absolutely hysterical when one of us remembers one of our old adventures. We’re told that’s one reason Girlband, the Podcast is so fun to listen to – we’re all enjoying these outrageous stories together. Sometimes we forget that we’ve shared stages, time and adventures with people like Alan Cumming, Governor Ann Richards, James Brown, Marvin Hamlisch, Cab Calloway and a memorable bottle of Pinch with Maya Angelou in her limo!”

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