Editing Betty Boo (section)

==Career==
===1987–1999: Betty Boo===
Clarkson studied [[audio engineering|sound engineering]] at the [[Holloway, London|Holloway]] School of Audio Engineering<ref name="independent">{{cite news |first=Giles |last=Smith |title=ARTS / Show People: This Boo is made for talking |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/arts--show-people-this-boo-is-made-for-talking-37-betty-boo-1535728.html |date=26 July 1992 |work=[[The Independent]] |access-date=2 February 2010 | location=London}}</ref> before having several [[chart-topper|hit]]s between 1989 and 1992. Originally nicknamed "[[Betty Boop]]"<ref name="independent"/> for her similarity to the cartoon character, she changed it to avoid trademark disputes. Of mixed [[Dusun people|Dusun]] and [[Scottish people|Scottish]] ancestry,<ref name="Pop comeback for fun-loving Betty">{{cite news |first=Neil |last=Smith | title=Pop comeback for fun-loving Betty | url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/4863968.stm |date=3 April 2006 |publisher=BBC | access-date=22 June 2009}}</ref><ref name="Take-off for the girl from Planet Boo">{{cite journal |author=O'Brien, Lucy |title=Feature: ''Take-off for the girl from Planet Boo'' |journal=[[The Guardian]] |issue=22 August 1990 |page=20 |author-link=Lucy O'Brien}}</ref> she had an unusual, striking [[Emma Peel]]-like look,<ref name="independent"/> dressed in mildly revealing outfits and proved to be an influential pop music figure whose "sassy, powerful music and image launched a thousand wannabe's{{sic}}".<ref name="WigWam - Check Out My WigWam Video"/> Writing for ''[[The Guardian]]'' in August 1990, [[Lucy O'Brien]] noted the difference between the "quietly spoken" Clarkson and her "lovable toughie" pop star alter-ego, describing the latter as "a cartoon combination of Betty Boop, [[Barbarella (comics)|Barbarella]] and [[Buck Rogers]]".<ref name="Take-off for the girl from Planet Boo"/>

Whilst still at school, Boo began her musical career in [[Hip hop music|hip-hop]] groups such as Hit 'N' Run<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.theguardian.com/culture/2021/jun/21/betty-boo-how-we-made-doin-the-do-slang-cunnilingus|title=Betty Boo on how she made Doin' the Do|date=21 June 2021|website=The Guardian}}</ref> and the [[She Rockers]], the latter act who were signed to the British independent record label [[Music of Life]]. The She Rockers'<ref name="Take-off for the girl from Planet Boo"/> success led her to New York and work with [[Public Enemy (band)|Public Enemy]],<ref name="Take-off for the girl from Planet Boo"/> who encouraged her to pursue a solo career.<ref name="WigWam - Check Out My WigWam Video"/> Commenting on her time spent supporting Public Enemy on tour in the US, as well as working with [[Professor Griff]] in the recording studio on the song "Give It a Rest",<ref name="Take-off for the girl from Planet Boo"/> Boo revealed that things did not go as expected: "They were producing our single and I thought it would sound like their stuff, but it didn't at all. And some of the crowds were hostile to us. They didn't throw anything, no, but they wanted to see Public Enemy and they just weren't interested in us."<ref name="Smash Hits Feature">{{cite journal |author=Sawyer, Miranda |title=Feature: ''The Spooky Double Life Of Betty Boo'' |journal=[[Smash Hits]] |issue=13–26 June 1990 |page=39 |author-link=Miranda Sawyer}}</ref>

Her big break came when she appeared as a guest vocalist on the 1989 number 7<ref name=occ/> UK hit single, "[[I Can't Dance to That Music You're Playin'#Beatmasters version|Hey DJ – I Can't Dance (To That Music You're Playing)]]" by the [[Beatmasters]],<ref name="WigWam - Check Out My WigWam Video"/> which was included in original form on their album ''[[Anywayawanna]]''. Boo's first solo single, "[[Doin' the Do]]", followed and was also a [[UK singles chart]] number 7 success for her in 1990,<ref name=occ/> selling 200,000 copies<ref name="Take-off for the girl from Planet Boo"/> and reaching number one on [[Billboard magazine|Billboard]]'s [[Hot Dance Music/Club Play|dance]] chart in the United States. One year later, the song was used as the title tune for ''[[Magic Pockets]]'' video game by the [[Bitmap Brothers]].  ''[[Boomania]]'', her platinum-selling debut album,<ref name="independent"/> was largely self-written and self-produced in her bedroom.<ref name = "WigWam - Check Out My WigWam Video"/> Her second solo single, "[[Where Are You Baby?]]", which reached number 3 in August 1990,<ref name=occ/> is her biggest solo hit to date.  "24 Hours" was the third and final single to be issued from ''Boomania'', and although it was a hit, it was less so than previous releases, stalling at number 25 in December 1990.<ref name=occ/> Her initial success was compounded at the [[Brit Awards 1991|1991 BRIT Awards]] ceremony where she was voted that year's best [[Brit Award for Best New Artist|British Breakthrough Act]].<ref name = "Pop comeback for fun-loving Betty"/><ref name = "Where have all the newcomers gone?">{{cite news | title=Where have all the newcomers gone? | url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/special_report/1999/02/99/brit_awards/277041.stm |date=15 February 1999 |publisher=BBC | access-date=22 June 2009}}</ref> In 1991, her "Why, Oh Why?" 1950s-style love [[Sentimental ballad|ballad]] featured on the soundtrack of the American film ''[[A Rage in Harlem (film)|A Rage in Harlem]]''.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.artistdirect.com/nad/store/artist/album/0,,150764,00.html |title=Rage in Harlem by Lloyd Price @ ARTISTdirect.com – Shop, Listen, Download |publisher=Artistdirect.com |access-date=25 April 2012}}</ref>

Her career suffered a setback when in July 1991, while touring Australia, Boo was revealed to be lip-synching at a concert rather than performing live. The 21st Century Dance Club in [[Frankston, Victoria|Frankston]], Australia received "hundreds of complaints" after her performance, during which Boo fled the stage after dropping her microphone, revealing she was miming to a backing track.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://i.imgur.com/qR3zFmL.jpg|title=Ocala Star Banner > Betty Boo Cuts Short Tour (archived on Google News)|date=30 July 1991|publisher=Imgur.com (original source published by James E. Doughton)|access-date=26 July 2016}}</ref>  The incident was widely reported, and Boo cancelled the remainder of her tour, citing influenza and fever.

Boo returned with a new [[recording contract|record deal]] in 1992 having signed to [[Warner Music Group|WEA]]. Her follow-up album, ''[[GRRR! It's Betty Boo]]'', suffered very disappointing sales in the UK, peaking at number 62 on the [[UK Albums Chart|albums chart]].<ref name=occ/> It did, nevertheless, spawn another UK hit single titled "[[Let Me Take You There]]", which reached number 12 in August 1992.<ref name=occ/> A further single, "I'm on My Way", featured a musical quote from [[the Beatles]]' "[[Lady Madonna]]" which, unusually, was not a sample—the song's brass riff was re-created using all the original players{{Citation needed|date=April 2021}}.  However, the single did not sell well and entered the chart at number 44 in October 1992.<ref name="occ" /> Her next single, "Hangover", fared even worse, barely scraping the Top 50 upon release in April 1993.<ref name="occ" /> Following the release of ''GRRR!'', Clarkson turned down an offer to sign with [[Madonna (entertainer)|Madonna]]'s [[Maverick Records]],<ref name="WigWam - Check Out My WigWam Video" /> and in 1999 a ''Best Of'' compilation album—effectively an expanded version of ''Boomania'' with extra remixes and a different running order—was released and sold moderately well.

=== 2006–2014: Subsequent works ===
In 2006, Clarkson formed a pop duo called [[WigWam (duo)|WigWam]],<ref name = "Pop comeback for fun-loving Betty"/> with [[Alex James (musician)|Alex James]], bassist from [[Blur (band)|Blur]].  Together, they worked with music producer [[Ben Hillier]], along with former Boo collaborators the Beatmasters.<ref name = "WigWam - Check Out My WigWam Video">{{cite web| title=WigWam – Check Out My WigWam Video | date=28 February 2006 | url=http://www.contactmusic.com/new/home.nsf/webpages/wigwamx28x02x06 |publisher=[[Contactmusic.com]] | access-date=22 June 2009}}</ref> Despite working to create "an album of experimental yet accessible 21st century pop",<ref name = "WigWam - Check Out My WigWam Video"/> just one single emerged from their musical partnership, the self-titled "WigWam" released on 3 April 2006 via [[Instant Karma (record label)|Instant Karma Records]].<ref name="Pop comeback for fun-loving Betty"/>

In August 2007, Clarkson released a new single titled "[[Jack Rokka#Productions|Take Off]]".  The song, which was playlisted on [[BBC Radio 1|Radio 1's]] dance-orientated shows, was a joint project with the London-based dance act [[Jack Rokka]] and, as such, is much more dance-orientated than her previous work. She went on to perform the collaboration in a live set at [[Manchester Pride]] in 2007, along with some of her other songs. The video sees Betty Boo's trademark look resurrected and even features the 'Boosters' – Betty Boo's backing dancers, who always appear with identical hair and outfits to hers – and the Betty Boo spiral. Clarkson appeared on [[ITV (TV network)|ITV]]'s ''[[Loose Women]]'' on 16 October 2007 to promote the single, and has also appeared as an interviewee on [[BBC Three]]'s ''The Most Annoying Pop Songs...'' show, passing comment on several songs that made the Top 100 list.

In July 2009, historian [[Kate Williams (historian)|Kate Williams]] reported on [[BBC Radio 4]]'s ''[[Broadcasting House (radio programme)|Broadcasting House]]'' that she is working with Clarkson to develop a musical version of Williams' biography ''England's Mistress: The Infamous Life of [[Emma Hamilton]]''.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.kate-williams.com/ |title=Kate Williams, historian and author |publisher=Kate-williams.com |access-date=25 April 2012}}</ref> In June 2011, Clarkson featured as Betty Boo (and is credited) on the track "Virtually Art" by [[the Feeling]] on the [[Together We Were Made#Double album edition|double-album edition]] of their 2011 release, ''[[Together We Were Made]].'' In July 2014, Betty Boo performed on stage at the Penn Festival, while in 2021 she was announced as one of the artists performing as part of the Let’s Rock retro music festival line-ups, at various dates throughout the UK.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://letsrocknorwich.com/|title=Let's Rock Norwich|website=Let's Rock Norwich}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://letsrockliverpool.com/|title=Let's Rock Liverpool 2020}}</ref>

===2022–present: Return to music===
On 10 January 2022, Boo announced the release of the single "Get Me to the Weekend".<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/music/news/betty-boo-comeback-new-music-b1990500.html|title=Betty Boo announces comeback single 30 years after retiring solo career|newspaper=The Independent|first=Maanya|last=Sachdeva|date=12 January 2022|access-date=14 January 2022}}</ref> The second single "Shining Star", was released on 12 May 2022. Her first album in 30 years, ''Boomerang'', was released on 14 October 2022.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://retropopmagazine.com/betty-boo-third-album-boomerang/ | title=Betty Boo bounces back with long-awaited third album 'Boomerang' |website=Retropop| date=29 June 2022 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web | url=https://superdeluxeedition.com/news/betty-boo-boomerang/ | title=Betty Boo / Boomerang – SuperDeluxeEdition | date=29 June 2022 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.classicpopmag.com/2022/06/betty-boo-new-album-boomerang/ | title=Betty Boo announces new album Boomerang |magazine= Classic Pop Magazine |first=Steve |last=O'Brien|date=29 June 2022}}</ref>

On 14 June 2024, Boo released the single "It Was Beautiful" (featuring HEX) from her fourth album ''Rip Up the Rulebook''.