andPOP - Pop Culture With Substance

Bif Naked: the quintessential tough girl, a rocker-chic legend with the colorful sleeves to prove it.  Personally, I expected a woman with flinty attitude, an intimidating squint and perfected sneer, traits that typically accompany the genre that Naked is immersed in.  Instead, I was greeted with is a larger-than-life, genuinely sincere personality in a small package.    

The recent pixie-cut compliments her defined features, creating emphasis on her intensely observant eyes and quick smile. Naked’s an animated character, a chronic hand-talker with a subtle wit that is almost unnoticeable.

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We all know Bif Naked as a tough as nails punk rocker chick who creates in your face rock anthems with a side of sweetness.

Bif’s been through a lot these last few years, including being diagnosed with breast cancer and recording a new album entitled ‘Promises’ while simultaneously going through 13 months of chemo and radiation therapy.

Bif sure is one tough lady. The album is set to be released on May, 5th, 2009 and Bif took to her official blog to let the world know that she is a fighter. “I had planned to release a record in 2009 and it is not in my being to let ANYTHING stop me,” she writes.

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Canadian rocker Bif Naked has been diagnosed with breast cancer.

The singer, 36, broke the news of her diagnosis Sunday on George Stroumboulopoulos’ radio show. The announcement comes just three months after her highly-publicized wedding to Vancouver Sun sports writer, Ian Walker.

Naked, whose real named is Beth Torbert, says she wants to remind women of the importance of breast-self-examination.

Her manager Peter Karroll said the singer discovered the lump in her breast during self-examination shortly before Christmas.

She is scheduled to undergo a lumpectomy this week, followed by chemotherapy.

“It’s serious enough for [doctors] to escalate all of their medical treatments,” Karroll said. “It’s not the worst and it’s not the easiest [level of cancer]. It’s stage 2 in that she’s getting some extensive surgery, a lumpectomy, and they’re going into her lymph nodes in one arm. The cancer is an aggressive form.”

Naked is known for leading a healthy lifestyle that involves no smoking, a strict fitness regimen and a vegan raw food diet.

“She thought she was indestructible, given her lifestyle, so she’s really concerned that other women do the checks,” Karroll said.

Naked, who has the word “survivor” tattooed on her arm, says she will take things “one day at a time” and keep up a positive attitude.

“I have never been one to give up when an obstacle is placed in front of me. I am in the fight of my life and I’m lucky to have the support of my husband Ian, and many friends, and family members.

“With the help of my BodogMusic family I plan to continue working on these recording projects in between the cancer treatments and come out the other side with two great albums and a clean bill of health.

“I’m glad it’s me and not my mom,” she said. “I’m glad it’s me and not my sister; I’m glad it’s me and not any of my friends. I am ready for the fight.”

Naked is a platinum-selling Juno Award winner, known for hit songs like “Daddy’s Getting Married” and “I Love Myself Today.”

She is currently working on her sixth album, the follow-up to 2005’s “Superbeautifulmonster,” as well as another recording project, “Jakkarta,” with heavy metal guitarist La Machina.

You could call it a moment of weakness, as Bif Naked got married in a surprisingly traditional ceremony this past weekend.

Naked, whose real name is Beth Torbert, wore a white dress that fell to the floor in several tiers. Adornments around the veil and the reception at an Indian restaurant paid respect to her heritage, as she was born in New Delhi.

Her dashing groom is Ian Walker, a sports writer with the Vancouver Sun.

More than 100 family and friends attended the Vancouver wedding at St. Andrew’s-Wesley United Church.

The newlyweds celebrated their nuptials by getting tattoos together. Naked inked Walker’s signature on her skin, and Walked planted a stylized “B” on his hip.

Rocker Bif Naked shed a tear on Saturday as she and now-husband Ian Walker exchanged wedding vows in St. Andrews Wesley United Church in Vancouver.

After dating just over a year, the couple made things official in a 30-minute ceremony where the Winnipeg-raised singer wore a cream coloured mini-dress and a pink veil. The reception was later held at an Indian restaurant in downtown Vancouver.

Although these are nuptials number two for Bif, she tells CBC that Walker is the real deal. “Ian, he was just like so positive all the time, always very, very positive, very polite,” she said of her sports journalist hubby, “he melted my heart, he just did.”