The first song I remember hearing
My dad would constantly play Rock Around the Clock by Bill Haley, because he played the guitar. So my fascination with music started with rock’n’roll.
The first single I bought
I would go down to WH Smith at Hammersmith to buy all my stationery for school. I had a little bit more pocket money one week and I bought Don’t Stop ’Til You Get Enough by Michael Jackson. My dad was a train driver on the Central line, and that same week, he found a 45 single of Pop Muzik by M in an Our Price bag. So I got two records for the price of one.
The song I do at karaoke
Pure & Simple by Hear’Say, because I wrote it, so I know it really well. It’s a great sing-along track because everyone knows the chorus, so I sing it at festivals for a bit of fun.
The song I inexplicably know every lyric to
I used to practise rapping to Sucker MCs by Run-DMC, because the timing is very clear with a strict backbeat, as a little test to see if I could rap or not.
The best song to play at a party
Cold Rock a Party by MC Lyte ft Missy Elliott – which samples a slowed-down version of Upside Down by Diana Ross – has got such a good swagger. I always play it when I do a DJ set.
The song I can no longer listen to
I did a record with the Beatmasters called Hey DJ back in ’89. We were driving down the M4 to perform at the Radio 1 Roadshow at Weston-super-Mare, singing along to Personal Jesus by Depeche Mode on the radio, and suddenly we had a blowout and ended up in a ditch. I had to wear a neck brace for a bit, so I can’t hear that song without thinking about the crash.
The song I wish I’d written
Teenage Kicks by the Undertones is just the perfect pop song. It still sounds fantastic today.
The song I can’t help singing
Can’t Stop the Feeling! by Justin Timberlake, from the movie Trolls, is such a feelgood track. The video has James Corden, Zooey Deschanel and the cast of Trolls just dancing around, so it’s just great fun. I always turn it up when I hear it on the radio.
The song I want played in my funeral
When my mum was in hospital, she was listening to the Beautiful South’s version of Everybody’s Talkin’ by Harry Nilsson, which features in the movie Midnight Cowboy. So I played it at my mum’s funeral. I just love the lyrics: “I’m going where the sun keeps shining.” I like to think that heaven is a nice place, as that’s where my mum has gone.
Betty Boo’s new single Right By Your Side ft David Gray is out now, and new album Boomerang is out 14 October
