Beth Gibbons

Beth Gibbons (born 4 January 1965, in Exeter, Devon, England) is the vocalist for the trip-hop band Portishead. She met bandmate Geoff Barrow in a government business start-up scheme. Barrow and Gibbons joined jazz guitarist Adrian Utley, and the sessioners John Baggott, Jim Barr and Clive Deamer to record two successful and critically praised Portishead studio albums, as well as a live album. Admired by artists as diverse as Dr. Dre and Robert Plant, the latter used Gibbons's musical associates in his own projects. Gibbons has also collaborated on a separate project with Paul Webb, aka Rustin' Man. In October 2002, the album Out Of Season, was released in the UK, and in October 2003 it was released in the US. Her Piafesque singing (partly due to her heavy smoking habit) makes her especially popular in France. She is currently working on the third Portishead album with Barrow and Utley.