From The Desk Of Beth Hart: Forgiveness

Beth Hart’s bio to this point in her 20-plus-year career is very nearly a blues cliché. A youthful beginning, doing great work while toiling in obscurity, struggling with alcohol and substances intended to keep her centered and grounded. It’s a boilerplate blues story, told many times with slight variations. Thankfully, Hart’s recent triumphs have counterbalanced her ancient travails. Last December, Hart took the stage at the Kennedy Center Opera House in Washington, D.C., along with guitar icon Jeff Beck, and performed Etta James’ classic “I’d Rather Go Blind” to celebrate Kennedy Center honoree and blues legend Buddy Guy. Hart’s scorchingly soulful vocals and Beck’s sinewy guitar lines brought Guy and the audience to their feet; that performance has been added to the commercial pressing of Bang Bang Boom Boom (Provogue/Mascot), Hart’s powerfully diverse new album. Hart will be guest editing magnetmagazine.com all week. Read our new feature on her.

Hart: When they say, “The truth will set you free,” I agree, but forgiveness is what has set my soul out to fly and feel a love I never dreamed possible. I carried so much anger and resentment at different times in my life growing up and in my 20s. I was angry at the world and even more so with myself. My problems with drugs, abusing myself, was my favorite way to hate. I never thought I was worth what was on the bottom of my shoe. Then there came a turning point to go on living that way (which was impossible), but I also was too scared to die. I knew then that I needed to start writing it all down and to talk with someone I could trust. By being honest with myself, I was overwhelmed with the mountain of shit, but through writing about my life and feelings, I came to see what I needed to do, and that was to forgive. To forgive, I needed to make the decision to see people and myself as only human. None of us are perfect. By accepting that no one has it figured out, and that that is OK, I began to see everything so much differently. I still struggle some days, but I can honestly say through forgiveness I have so much love in my life today. Forgiveness. It works every time.