1997 proved very productive for Beth. She toured incessantly, supporting the likes of John Martyn, Tindersticks, John Cale, Mark Eitzel and Everything But The Girl before selling out her own headline tours and playing her first Glastonbury Festival.

She also made her American debut, playing with Sheryl Crow and Emmylou Harris on the Lilith Fair tour before headlining her own dates in the autumn, the overwhelmingly favourable response to which saw the start of her enduring reputation in the United States.

Back in the studio, Orton collaborated with the Chemical Brothers once again, contributing a vocal to their smash hit number one album, Dig Your Own Hole, before recording her own Best Bit EP, its soulful sound highlighted by Orton's two duets with the folk-jazz legend, Terry Callier.

Beth's second album, Central Reservation, was released in the spring of 1999. Terry Callier was again featured together with guest appearances from the likes of Dr. John, Ben Harper, Mazzy Star's David Roback and Ben Watt of Everything But The Girl. The album was far more reflective than Trailer Park, with dance beats exchanged for a purer folk sound. The result, however, was equally captivating. Central Reservation was a popular and critical hit, with Beth again being shortlisted for the Mercury Music Prize. The following year, 2000, Beth Orton won the Best British Female accolade at the UK's Brit Awards.

In 1999 she returned to America for the annual Lilith Fair tour, followed by such prestigious dates as the Newport Folk Festival and, in 2000, her own headlining concert series, all of which came as she was riding a wave of commercial and critical success – indeed, Stolen Car from Central Reservation was Beth’s first American hit.

It was to take another two years for Orton to release her third album, which came in July 2002. Daybreaker was epic in its scope and ambition with a massive soundscape ranging from the Chemical Brothers-produced title track to the country inflections of God Song, a tune that featured guest vocalist Emmylou Harris.

Daybreaker was distinguished by an impressive array of producers, mixers and musicians. In addition to the Chemical Brothers, Beth Orton invited old friends and new conspirators William Orbit, Ben Watt, Johnny Marr, Jim Keltner, Ryan Adams and Victor Van Vugt to help shape the album's widescreen qualities.

It was an immediate success on both sides of the Atlantic, the accolades complemented by the applause for Beth Orton’s powerful live show that toured Europe &ndas; including a sell out concert at London’s Royal Albert Hall – and America in the wake of the album's release. By this time Beth's reputation as both a songwriter and performer was such that her place in modern music was assured. Just as significantly, however, for Beth Orton Daybreaker came as the closing statement, the final chapter, in her opening trilogy of albums.

Beth Orton's new album Comfort of Strangers was released in Feb February 2006.