Betty Boo and Alex James perform (as Wigwam) at the Art Plus Music Party 2006 at the Whitechapel Art Gallery
(Picture: PA)Nineties chart star Betty Boo has revealed how lockdown inspired her pop music comeback.
The singer, real name Alison Clarkson, scored massive hits with Doin’ The Do and Where Are You Baby before quitting performing to make documentaries and write songs for other acts including Girls Aloud and Hear’Say, who took her song Pure and Simple to number one on the singles chart.
But now she is back performing and writing new songs after deciding that, at 50, it was now or never.
She told BBC News: “Remember the days when only one person was allowed in the supermarket? My husband would go and get the shopping and I’d wait in the car. And during that hour, I’d come up with ideas in the Sainsbury’s car park.”
Her comeback is 35 years after she got her big break in a west London McDonalds when walking home from a Public Enemy gig she spotted rapper Professor Griff ordering food and promptly approached him with two schoolfriends and auditioned for him on the spot.
The trio were whisked off to the states where they performed with the legendary rap act before Boo came home and decided to move into making a pop career, which also included a stint performing with Blur musician Alex James.
She said she has been delighted with the response to her comeback gigs and had enough songs for two albums, and planned on putting out singles regularly to make up “for lost time”.
