Boy George: The 1980s icon turns 60

Boy george
The 1980s icon turns 60

Weird hair, flashy make-up, colorful outfits: this is Boy George (60). The singer has always broken rules, stereotypes and, by the way, records. In the 1980s he was revered as a youth icon. A few decades have passed and Boy George is no longer regularly on stage. He celebrates his 60th birthday on June 14th. A look back shows the highs and lows of his life as well as his most beautiful moments.

George Alan O’Dowd, born in Kent, UK, stepped out of line at an early age. He was an advocate of the New Romantic movement and was particularly noticeable for his androgynous clothing style. David Bowie (1947-2016) was one of his greatest role models, both musically and fashionably. “I don’t think you can separate an artist from what they wear or what they sing – it’s a total package. It’s something very natural and individual,” said Boy George 2013 in an interview with “Clash” magazine.

The birth of Culture Club

Boy George was originally supposed to make his debut with the band Bow Wow Wow. Sex Pistols manager Malcolm McLaren (1946-2010) became aware of him at the time, but dropped him again after a short time. Shortly thereafter, Boy George founded his own group, the Sex Gang Children, with bassist Mikey Craig (61), drummer Jon Moss (63) and guitarist Ron Hay (59). They later renamed themselves the Culture Club.

And Boy George was to make his big breakthrough with Culture Club. In 1982 her debut album “Kissing to Be Clever” was released with the hit single “Do You Really Want to Hurt Me?”, Which was number one in the charts worldwide. In the following year Culture Club managed to conquer the USA with their second album “Color By Numbers”. The single “Karma Chameleon” topped the US Billboard charts and stayed at number one for three weeks. In Great Britain the hit became the most successful song of the year. Boy George and his bandmates became a big name in the music business.

The downside of success

What Boy George’s fans didn’t know for a long time: The musician was addicted to drugs, especially heroin. His drug addiction, but also a broken relationship with Jon Moss ensured that Culture Club split up in 1986 for the time being. In an interview with Piers Morgan (56) on “Life Stories”, George even confirmed that he had once spent $ 400 a day on heroin. The singer also came into conflict with the law: in 2005 he was sentenced to cleaning streets in New York for making a false emergency call.

Another shock followed in 2008: During a psychotic phase, George chained a sex worker to the wall and hit him. As a result, he was sentenced to 15 months in prison, but was released after four months behind bars. Shortly thereafter, the former pop icon swore off drugs and alcohol. In 2018, according to an interview with Radio Nova, he celebrated his ten-year abstinence.

The new beginning

In 2016 Boy George became a coach on the fifth season of “The Voice UK”. Shortly thereafter, however, the hit singer moved to Australia, where he acted as a mentor for the candidates for “The Voice Australia” from seasons six to ninth. In 2019 he won the show with Diana Rouvas (37). For the tenth season he was replaced by country singer Keith Urban (53).

In spring 2018 George released two new singles, which should be found on his upcoming album “Geminis Don’t Read The Manual”. The record would actually have celebrated its release last year, but was postponed due to the corona pandemic. A new release date has not yet been announced.

Although he had spent a lot of time in Australia in recent years, George now lives in London. “London is my home, I feel healthiest when I’m here”, he told the British Guardian in 2018. According to his own statements, he owes his sobriety to the Japanese Nichiren Buddhism, which he has been practicing for years. “I’m happy a lot. I mean, really, what should I complain about?” told the musician in 2016 the “Evening Standard”.

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