The Doin’ the Do singer on navigating the wild 90s, writing for other artists, and why she stepped out of the limelight for 30 years
Born in 1970, Alison Clarkson, AKA Betty Boo, is a singer-songwriter, rapper and producer. She grew up in west London with her Scottish mother, Malaysian father and brother, and her first group was rap trio the She Rockers. In 1990 she launched her solo career as Betty Boo. With her platinum-selling debut, Boomania, she achieved three Top 10 singles, a Brit award for best British breakthrough act, and international success, before stepping out of the limelight for three decades. During her hiatus, she co-wrote Hear’Say’s Pure and Simple (then the fastest-selling debut single of all time in the UK) and worked with Sophie Ellis-Bextor, Girls Aloud and Blur’s Alex James. She now lives with her film producer husband, Paul Toogood. Her new album, Rip Up the Rulebook, is out now.
It was an exciting and surreal moment when this photograph was taken. I had just won a Brit award and there was so much attention on me it felt as if I was the bride at a wedding.
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