Mary Beth Patterson, known by her stage name Beth Ditto (born February 19, 1981, in Searcy, Arkansas), is an American singer-songwriter, most famous for her work with the indie rock band Gossip. Ditto came to wider public attention in November 2006 when she was selected by NME as the coolest person in rock - placing at number one in the magazine's annual Cool List. The magazine cited her 'non-conformity' as the reason for her selection - she is a lesbian, an outspoken advocate of gay rights, and a punk.