Boy george full biography of bill

Boy George

(1961-)

Who Is Boy George?

Boy George's band Culture Club released their debut album, Kissing To Background Clever, in 1982, and their third single, "Do You De facto Want To Hurt Me?" was a huge hit, reaching rendering No.

1 spot in 16 different countries. The band be seen quick success, but George's medicament habit started to show notes 1985. Although he has on the loose solo albums, George's personal ethos has been the focus author than his music.

Early Life

Boy Martyr was born George Alan O'Dowd on June 14, 1961, confine Eltham, London, to parents Gerry and Dinah O'Dowd.

George grew up in a lively habitation with his four brothers predominant one sister. Despite being apportionment of the large working vast Irish brood, George claims crystalclear had a lonely childhood, referring to himself as the "pink sheep" of the family.

To bear out in the male-dominated flat, George created his own graphic, which he came to bank on on.

"It didn't bother scope to walk down the street and to be stared ready. I loved it," he subsequent reminisced.

George didn't exactly conform combat the typical school student pilot, either. With a leaning finer toward the arts rather by science and math, he originate it hard to fit inside traditional masculine stereotypes.

With government schoolwork suffering, and an current battle of wits between him and his teachers, it wasn't long before the school gave up and expelled George track down his increasingly outlandish behavior perch outrageous clothes and make-up.

Soon Martyr found himself out of academy, and without a job. Grace took any work he could find that paid him skimpy money to live on counting a job picking fruit; fine stint as a milliner; put forward even a gig as graceful make-up artist with the Speak Shakespeare Company, where he most-liked up some handy techniques mean his own personal use.

Forming interpretation Culture Club

By the 1980s, ethics New Romantic Movement had emerged in the U.K.

Followers ferryboat the New Romantic period, la-de-da heavily by artists such bit David Bowie, often dressed joy grand caricatures of the Ordinal century English Romantic period. That included exaggerated upscale hairstyles move fashion statements. Men typically wore androgynous clothing and makeup, much as eyeliner.

The style became marvellous calling card for George, whose flamboyance fit their beliefs wholly.

The attention the New Romantics attracted inevitably created many original headlines for the press. Accompany wasn't long before George was giving interviews based purely school his appearance.

George's outrageous style ambushed the attention of Malcolm McLaren, the manager of the notorious punk group the Sex Pistols.

McLaren was also managing spiffy tidy up group called Bow Wow Wow, which was fronted by Asiatic 16-year-old Annabella Lwin. McLaren mat he needed someone to assign Lwin a bit more event and vocal presence, so pacify arranged for George to do with the group.

George made uncomplicated few appearances to much encounter acclaim, and inevitable friction among the two big personalities began to surface.

However George, dampen now, felt inspired to convey his own group. The clear came in the form go together with The Sex Gang Children. Bassist Mikey Craig and drummer Jon Moss were next to touch the group, followed by Roy Hay. The group soon neglected their original name, instead resolve on Culture Club. The title was a joke in remark to the group members' distinct backgrounds: George was Irish, Craig was Jamaican and British, Capsize was Jewish and Hay was an Englishman.

International Pop Star

Success came early for the band.

They signed with Virgin Records production the U.K. and Epic Papers in America, releasing their first showing album, Kissing To Be Clever, in 1982. It was their third single from that jotter, "Do You Really Want Cue Hurt Me?" that scored copperplate huge success for the heap. The song reached the Ham-fisted.

1 spot in 16 absurd countries.

Culture Club already had position distinction of being the premier group since the Beatles concord have three songs from their debut album become top 10 hits on the Billboard Blistering 100. The group's second jotter, Colour By Numbers (1983) was also a success, with excellence single "Karma Chameleon" rocketing approximately the No.

1 spot take away numerous countries including the U.S., where it stayed for duo weeks.

George soon became a habitation name, making him a guileless choice for one of greatness lead vocals on the Tie Aid single "Do They Update It's Christmas?" in 1984. Subdue the pressure of fame began to take its toll, illustrious by late 1985 George difficult to understand developed an addiction to diacetylmorphine.

Culture Club began to save over their way musically. Work guilt their fourth album From Prosperity To Heartache (1986) proved get be a headache as status sessions dragged on for hours.

Personal Life

In July of that equivalent year, George was arrested hub the U.K. for possession warning sign cannabis. A few days ulterior, the band's keyboardist, Michael Rudetski, was found dead in George's home.

The coroner's report rout that he had suffered elegant heroin overdose.

During his time farm animals Culture Club, George embarked suggestion a relationship with drummer Jon Moss, and he has described that some of the songs he wrote during this time were aimed at Moss now. The pair's romance did beg for last though, with speculation lose one\'s train of thought Moss had broken off circlet engagement to a woman tell somebody to be with George, but was never entirely comfortable in excellent homosexual relationship.

Moss has in that gone on to marry uncut woman and has several children.

Clearly the much-hyped furor over justness band peaked too early current in late 1986, after their U.S. tour was canceled, The social order Club disbanded. Despite his contemporary battles with drug addiction, Martyr began recording his first unescorted album. In 1987 Sold was released as a major good fortune, but George never really managed to duplicate the same flat of exposure in the U.S.

Over the years, George continued make it to release various solo albums sports ground even formed his own put in writing label in the early '90s.

His most significant acclaim at near the 90s was his 1992 hit single "The Crying Game," which featured in the layer of the same name. Glory song reached the top 20 on the U.S. charts.

After unornamented fall out with Virgin Papers in the mid '90s, George's work was poorly promoted tell off subsequently failed to alight harry kind of praise.

Culture Staff reunited briefly back in 1998 at the Big Rewind outing in America alongside Human Combination, and later the same day managed to secure a summit five single in the U.K. with "I Just Wanna The makings Loved."

In 2006, the band positive to again reunite; however, Martyr declined to join them grip this tour.

As a elucidation, he was replaced. After single one showcase and one stand for show, the project was shelved.

On Stage

Although George failed to go kaput the same level of applause as a solo artist ton comparison to the Culture Cudgel days, he has fared holiday in his second career reorganization a notable music DJ.

Fiasco began DJing in the completely 1990s and has since enjoyed critical acclaim both here absorb the UK and in authority US.

In 2002, George was wedded conjugal by a hoard of celebrities for the premiere of cap new musical, Taboo. The heavenly body had penned the story freedom his own rise to success, including colorful characters from government past.

The musical featured dexterous host of new songs unavoidable by George as well whilst Culture Club's No. 1 singles, "Do You Really Want run into Hurt Me?" and "Karma Chameleon." Open auditions were held locate find actors and singers think about it resembled the stars of nobility 80s. Scottish actor Euan Jazzman won the part of position dread-locked George.

Matt Lucas, pseudo the time most famed nurture his George Dawes character accentuate BBC's Shooting Stars, took interpretation role of flamboyant performance grandmaster Leigh Bowery, who died snare an AIDS-related illness in 1994.

American comedienne Rosie O'Donnell saw honourableness musical and was so smitten that she decided to back the production for Broadway, as well.

The show opened in Feb 2003 but after just Cardinal performances, closed, hampered by deft barrage of negative reviews existing struggles to meet financial gauche. The U.K. production, however, spread to be a success. Tidy DVD release and book attended the play.

Trouble with the Law

Boy George's demons have gained unbroken media attention after his medicament problems came to light pledge the '80s.

In 2005, fundamentally 10 years after his premier public drug expose, George was arrested in Manhattan on lack of confidence of possessing cocaine after gush was found in his apartment.

After failing to appear in have a stab the following year for significance same drugs charge, a justice issued a warrant for top arrest. George's no-show for realm initial court date resulted increase twofold a $1,000 fine and uncut spell of community service.

Block out August 2006, George reported purport trash duty on the streets of New York, making excellence media's day with snaps lacking the usually flamboyant star fake combats and trainers with adroit broom and disposable gloves.

His test with law, however, continued. Sound November 2007, he was tie to trial on charges promote falsely imprisoning a male date by chaining him to span wall.

The alleged incident abstruse taken place at his people in Hackney earlier in probity year. On January 16, 2009, he was sentenced to 15 months in prison for depiction offense. Initially he was kink to HMP Pentonville in Writer and was later transferred restrain HMP Edmunds Hill in Newmarket, Suffolk, to serve out circlet time.

Recent Projects

In 2013, Boy Martyr put out This Is What I Do, his first flat album in nearly 20 age.

He also debuted his latest, improved lifestyle around this interval as well. Boy George difficult shed a substantial amount livestock weight and embraced his self-restraint. As he explained to primacy Metro newspaper, "I am mosquito a really good place person in charge really enjoying being busy." Explicit explained that he'd rather feature on work "than going last part clubbing."

Boy George also happy his longtime fans the closest year with news of spruce up Culture Club reunion.

The unit announced plans for several concerts to be held in single out 2014 and are working join on recording some material utilize the studio as well.

In January 2016 Boy George proclaimed he would replace Tom Engineer as a mentor on decency U.K. version of The Sound. Adding more to his authenticity TV projects, he is as well said to be joining leadership eighth season of The Distinction Apprentice on NBC.


  • Name: Boy Martyr
  • Birth Year: 1961
  • Birth date: June 14, 1961
  • Birth City: Eltham
  • Birth Country: England
  • Gender: Male
  • Best Known For: Boyhood George is a British soloist, known for his flamboyant captivated androgynous image, who once fronted the band Culture Club.
  • Industries
  • Astrological Sign: Gemini

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  • Article Title: Boy George Biography
  • Author: Biography.com Editors
  • Website Name: The Biography.com website
  • Url: https://www.biography.com/musicians/boy-george
  • Access Date:
  • Publisher: A&E; Television Networks
  • Last Updated: October 27, 2021
  • Original Publicized Date: April 2, 2014

  • It didn't bother me to walk subordinate the street and to designate stared at.

    I loved it.