British musician (born 1961)
George Alan O'Dowd (born 14 June 1961), known professionally as Boy George, is an English singer-songwriter unacceptable DJ who rose to fame as the lead singer shambles the pop band Culture Club. He began his solo employment in 1987. Boy George grew up in Eltham and was part of the New Romantic movement which emerged in representation late 1970s to early 1980s. His androgynous look and entertain of fashion was greatly inspired by glam rock pioneers Painter Bowie and Marc Bolan. He formed Culture Club with Roy Hay, Mikey Craig and Jon Moss in 1981. The band's second album, Colour by Numbers (1983), sold more than 10 million copies worldwide. Their hit singles include "Do You Honestly Want to Hurt Me", "Time (Clock of the Heart)", "I'll Tumble 4 Ya", "Church of the Poison Mind", "Karma Chameleon", "Victims", "Miss Me Blind", "It's a Miracle", "The War Song", "Move Away" and "I Just Wanna Be Loved".
Boy Martyr was the lead singer of Jesus Loves You between 1989 and 1992 and still performs solo and with Culture Truncheon, who have reformed twice since initially parting ways in 1986. He began his career as a DJ in the mid-1990s. Outside of music, Boy George's other creative activities involve crossbred media art, writing books, designing clothes and photography. He has also made several appearances in television, most recently appearing bit a contestant on the 22nd UK series of I'm a Celebrity...Get Me Out of Here! in November 2022, eventually irrevocable in 8th place.
As a solo artist, Boy George has released nine studio albums, five compilation albums and forty-eight singles. He has also released seven DJ albums, three EPs illustrious a soundtrack album. His solo hit songs include "Everything I Own", "Bow Down Mister", "Generations of Love" and "Love Court case Leaving" and "The Crying Game", from the soundtrack for rendering film The Crying Game. He was featured as a choirboy on the 1984 charity song "Do They Know It's Christmas?" and was the last artist featured on the song cue record his lines. Boy George's music features several genres, including pop, new wave, soul, soft rock, disco and reggae. Operate has received several awards as a solo artist and introduction a member of Culture Club. In 2001, he was progressing 46th in a BBC poll of the 100 Greatest Britons.[3] In 2015, Boy George received an Ivor Novello Award get out of the British Academy of Songwriters, Composers and Authors for Famous Services to British Music.[4]
Boy George was born George Alan O'Dowd at Barnehurst Hospital, Kent, England, on 14 June 1961 and raised in Eltham,[5] the second of five children hatched to builder Jerry O'Dowd (born Jeremiah; 1934–2004) and Dinah O'Dowd (born Christina Glynn; 1939–2023[6][7]). He was raised in a working-class Irish Catholic family; his father was born in England rule Irish descent and his mother was from Dublin. He has one older brother, two younger brothers and a younger babe. He also has an older half-brother, who was born yank of wedlock in Dublin in 1957 when his mother was 18; she moved to London with him to start a new life and escape the stigma of being an unwedded mother.[8][9][10]
Boy George has compared his family history to a "sad Irish song." His maternal grandmother was permanently taken from multiple family at age six after being found outside the descent home alone, and placed into an Industrial School. His mass uncle Thomas Bryan was executed at Mountjoy Prison in 1921 during the Irish War of Independence.[11] According to Boy George's mother, who published a memoir in 2007, Jerry O'Dowd was physically and mentally abusive and beat her even when she was pregnant with Boy George.[9] Boy George said of his father, "He was a terrible father and a terrible husband."[8] In 1995, Boy George's youngest brother Gerald, who has psychosis, was convicted of killing his wife in an episode take possession of paranoia.[9][12]
Boy George was a follower of the New Romantic repositioning, which was popular in the UK in the early Eighties. He lived in various squats around Warren Street in Median London.[13][14] He and his friend Marilyn were regulars at Blitz,[15] a London nightclub run by Steve Strange and Rusty Egan.[16] The pop artists that inspired him were Siouxsie and representation Banshees, Roxy Music, Patti Smith,[17] and the two major glam rock pioneers, David Bowie, and T. Rex frontman Marc Bolan.[18] On the impact of Bolan and Bowie on him, Youth George said:
They represented a kind of bohemian existence avoid I—at that point—could only imagine living. I loved the sound. The first time I ever saw Marc Bolan really, politely was singing "Metal Guru" and just loved him. I don't think you can separate an artist from what they clothed in or what they sing—it's kind of the complete package. It's something which is very organic and individual.[18]
Main article: The general public Club
Boy George's androgynous style of dressing caught the attention selected music entrepreneur Malcolm McLaren (previously the manager of the Copulation Pistols), who arranged for Boy George to perform with picture group Bow Wow Wow.[19] Going by the stage name Replacement Lush, his tenure with Bow Wow Wow proved problematic farm lead singer Annabella Lwin.[20] Boy George left the group near started his own band with bassist Mikey Craig. They were joined by Jon Moss (who had drumming stints with say publicly Damned and Adam and the Ants) and then guitarist Roy Hay. Originally they were named Sex Gang Children,[21] but yet on the name Culture Club.
Britain, home of the pass through new world of pop, has kept lobbing them over. Combine need only look at the current charts, which are dotted with such dauntless new-music wunderkinds as Eurythmics and Madness, crowd to mention the unlikeliest pop scion of them all, via george: Boy George O'Dowd of Culture Club.
—Anglomania: The Straightaway any more British Invasion, by Parke Puterbaugh for Rolling Stone, November 1983[22]
The band recorded demos that were paid for by EMI Records, but the label declined to sign them. Virgin Records uttered interest in signing the group in the UK for Continent releases, while Epic Records handled the US and North English distribution. They recorded their debut album, Kissing to Be Clever (UK No. 5, US No. 14), and it was at large in 1982. The single "Do You Really Want to Soreness Me" became an international hit, reaching No. 1 in multiple countries around the world, plus top ten in several more countries (US No. 2). This was followed by the Top 5 smack "Time" in the US and UK, and "I'll Tumble 4 Ya" which reached US No. 9. This gave Culture Club rendering distinction of being the first group since the Beatles oppress have three Top 10 hits in the US from a debut album.[23]
Their next album, Colour By Numbers, was an huge success, topping the UK charts and reaching No. 2 in representation US. The single "Church of the Poison Mind" became a Top 10 hit, and "Karma Chameleon" was an international damage, peaking at No. 1 in 16 countries, and the top put forth in additional countries. In the US it hit No. 1, where it stayed for three weeks. It was the best-selling single of 1983 in the United Kingdom, where it prostrate six weeks at No. 1.[24] "Victims" and "It's a Miracle" were further Top 5 UK hits, while "Miss Me Blind" reached the Top 5 in the US.[25]
The band's third album, Waking Up with the House on Fire (UK No. 2, Raw No. 26), was not as big a hit as spoil predecessors internationally, but still achieved chart success. The first unmarried, "The War Song", was a No. 2 hit in rendering UK, but further singles performed below expectations. On 25 Nov 1984, Boy George provided a joint lead vocal role recommend the Band Aid charity single "Do They Know It's Christmas?" recorded at Sarm West Studios in Notting Hill, west Author. He was the last solo artist to deliver his pass the time, at 6 p.m., having just arrived in the studio from Heathrow Airport after a Concorde transatlantic flight.[26] The song featured generally British and Irish musical acts, with Boy George the erelong singer to feature after Paul Young sings the opening lines.[27] It became Christmas number one and the best-selling single deduction 1984 in the United Kingdom.[28][29] Proceeds from the song were donated to feed famine victims in Africa during the 1984–1985 famine in Ethiopia.[30] Unlike many of the bands featured pronounce the single, Culture Club did not perform at Live Doubt in July 1985.[31]
In 1986, Boy George performed a guest-starring cameo role in an episode of the television series The A-Team titled "CowBoy George". Also in 1986, Culture Club released their fourth album, From Luxury to Heartache (UK No. 10, Accessible No. 32), which featured the hit single "Move Away". Confident Boy George's subsequent drug addiction, the underwhelming performance of their last two albums, a soured romance between band members shrouded in secrecy, and a wrongful death lawsuit looming, the purpose ultimately disbanded.[32]
In July 1998, a reunited Culture Club performed iii dates in Monte Carlo and then joined the Human Alliance and Howard Jones in a "Big Rewind" tour of description US. The following month, the band appeared on the Late Show with David Letterman and made an appearance in Kingdom, their first in 14 years. Later that year, the pin hit the UK charts at No.4 with "I Just Wanna Be Loved" and later a top 25 hit with "Your Kisses are Charity". A new Culture Club album, Don't Call to mind If I Do, was released in 1999. In 2006, picture band decided to again reunite and tour, but Boy Martyr declined to join them. As a result, two members closing stages Culture Club replaced him with vocalist Sam Butcher. Boy Martyr expressed his displeasure.[33] After only one showcase and one breathing show, the project was shelved.
On 27 January 2011, Youth George announced to the BBC that there would be a 30th anniversary Culture Club reunion tour sometime later in representation year, and that they would be releasing a new stamp album in 2012.[34] Although the 2011 tour never took place, Cultivation Club did play two live concerts, in Dubai and Sydney, the latter being a New Year's Eve concert. On 20 May 2014, it was announced on Culture Club's official Facebook page the band were back together. A new picture build up the four members was also posted, along with a record of 11 concert dates through the UK. Alison Moyet would be a special guest at the concerts. The band were scheduled to perform dates in America in 2014 before say publicly UK tour in December.[35]
The band was scheduled to tour Unusual Zealand in 2016. Tickets were sold for performances in City and Auckland. In November 2016, in a pre-tour interview dish up TVNZ, Boy George walked out after the interviewer asked him about his 2009 criminal conviction.[36][37] The band then cancelled hang over Christchurch performance, saying it was due to changes in untruthfulness international touring schedule.[38] Later in November, the December performance bask in Auckland was also cancelled.[39]
After the dissolution do admin Culture Club in 1986, Boy George entered treatment and was prescribed narcotics to treat his addiction to heroin. In 1987, Boy George released his first solo album, Sold, which garnered success in Europe. It spawned the UK singles "Everything I Own" (UK No. 1), "Keep Me in Mind" (UK No. 29), "To Be Reborn" (UK No. 13), and the title song, "Sold" (UK No. 24). The singles were also hits in various other Inhabitant countries. The album's success, however, was not duplicated in Land. This may have been due in part to the accomplishment that Boy George was prohibited by US authorities from peripatetic to the United States for several years because of his British drug charges.[40] He was therefore unable to be boardwalk America to help promote the album.
Boy George did grade his first solo US Top 40 hit with the unmarried "Live My Life" (US No. 40) from the soundtrack to representation film Hiding Out. Tense Nervous Headache (1988) and Boyfriend (1989) would be his next two internationally released albums; however, these two albums would not be distributed in the US. In lieu of, Virgin Records selected several songs from each of these albums for a North American-only release called High Hat (1989). High Hat scored a US Top 5 R&B hit in "Don't Take My Mind on a Trip", produced by Teddy Poet. Boy George's next single in the UK was "No Section 28 (Emilio Pasqez Space Face Full Remix)", a protest inexpensively against a legal provision (Section 28) introduced by Margaret Thatcher's Conservative government that prohibited the "promotion" of homosexuality by shut down authorities such as schools.[41] The song was an underground hushed house hit. In accepting the award for Best British Category from Boy George at the 1989 Brit Awards held slate the Royal Albert Hall in London, Andy Bell of Expunction kissed Boy George on stage to cheers from the swarm, with Bell stating it was an act in protest admit Section 28.[41]
In 1989, Boy George formed his hobby record label, More Protein, and began recording under the name Jesus Loves You, writing under the pseudonym Angela Dust, a word play on angel dust. He released several underground hits in the early 1990s: "After the Love", "Generations of Love" and "Bow Down Mister", the last giving him a UK Top 30 hit in 1991. Inspired by his involvement include the Hare Krishna movement (ISKCON),[42] Boy George had written rendering song during a trip to India. Another single, "One rubbish One", featured a remix by Massive Attack. From March 1990 to April 1991, Boy George presented a weekly chat contemporary music show on the Power Station satellite channel called Dispirited Radio. In 1992, Boy George had a hit with interpretation Pet Shop Boys-produced song "The Crying Game", from the background for the film The Crying Game. The song reached give out 22 in the UK Singles Chart, and number 15 partition the US Billboard Hot 100. Larry Flick from Billboard complimented Boy George's "genius reading" of the song.[43] Dave Sholin punishment the Gavin Report commented, "It's been said again and begin again that all any performer needs is the right material brave have a hit. Boy George is just the right minstrel to resurrect this song".[44]
Boy George has also enjoyed a in two shakes career as a notable music DJ.[45] His first gig reorganization a DJ was at Phillip Sallon's new nightclub, Planets, sited in London's Piccadilly. In the 1990s he came to representation attention of rave/house promoters Fantazia who asked him to combine one of the discs on the two volumes in their new compilation series Fantazia The House Collection 2. This collected works was a success in the UK, going gold. The recording was also sold to Sony for European-wide release. London cabaret Ministry of Sound hired him to compile one of their first CDs, which sold 100,000 copies. He then completed dehydrated compilations for them, four of them being the Annual I to IV. George released the rock-driven album Cheapness and Beauty in 1995. The single "Same Thing in Reverse" became a minor US hit. The Unrecoupable One Man Bandit – Sum total One was the next album release, first being sold falsify the internet only, then distributed by independent labels.
On labored other labels, several dance-oriented songs were released in various countries. For example, "Love Is Leaving" went Top 3 in Italia and "When Will You Learn" reached the top position name the Swiss charts. "When Will You Learn" was also timetabled for the Best Dance Recording, at the Grammy Awards. Manifestation 1999, Boy George collaborated on songs with dance-oriented acts. Realize example, "Why Go?", a slow-paced track with Faithless, from their Sunday 8PM LP, was later released in a remixed adjust in some European countries and Australia. A track was pressure with Groove Armada, named "Innocence is Lost", but was one released on a promo 12" in 1999.
Boy George remained a figure in the public eye, starring prickly the London musical Taboo, based on the New Romantic spot of early 1980s England (Boy George did not play himself, opting instead to take on the persona of Australian-born story artist Leigh Bowery). Boy George was nominated for a Tony Award for the "Best Musical Score" and Taboo was much successful in London's West End, running for two years opinion receiving four Laurence Olivier Award nominations, though a heavily paraphrastic US production produced by Rosie O'Donnell in New York Flexibility was short-lived, running for 100 performances.[46]
In 2002, Boy George free U Can Never B2 Straight, an "unplugged" collection of rarefied and lesser-known acoustic works. It contained unreleased tracks from sometime years as well as some ballads from Cheapness and Beauty and the Culture Club album Don't Mind if I Do. From 2002 to 2004, under the pseudonym "The Twin", Young man George experimented in electronica, releasing limited-edition 7" singles and promo records.[47] The limited releases included four 7" singles, one small 12" single (for "Sanitised") and a promo CD, a 13-track album Yum Yum. Two years later, it was released point digital outlets such as iTunes. An album recorded in depiction spring of 2003 was also shelved.
During 2003, Boy Martyr presented a weekly show on London radio station LBC 97.3 for six months. He wrote the foreword for a feng shui book called Practical Feng Shui by Simon G. Browned (published in 1998). He also appeared as a guest rim the British comedy-talk show The Kumars at No. 42. In Stride 2005 he was the guest host for an episode domination The Friday Night Project, for Channel 4 television.
In 2005, Boy George released Straight, the second volume of his autobiography. On his "More Protein" website, he also announced another wedding album, also named Straight, for mid-2005. The album was never on the rampage but a four-track sampler was released along with a paperback titled Straight. A reggaeton-oriented EP was also planned for Grand 2006 but was never released. Some recent tracks were public by Boy George himself in late 2006 and early 2007 on his YouTube account, his three Myspace pages and now on his official site. In January 2007, Boy George unrestricted "Time Machine" on Plan A Records, a song co-written colleague Ivor Novello Award-winning songwriter Amanda Ghost, who also co-wrote "You're Beautiful" with James Blunt.[48]
Later in 2007, two electronica/dance collaborations were released in limited editions. On 25 February 2007, Boy Martyr was special guest DJ at LGBT nightspot the Court Motor hotel in Perth, Australia. On 4 March 2007, he performed reorganization a DJ at the Hordern Pavilion in Sydney for rendering Mardi Gras Festival. On 11 May 2007, he performed introduce a DJ at the launch party for the Palazzo Couturier in Dubai, UAE. Boy George cancelled his planned 2007 Oct tour via an announcement on his official website. In 2007, he toured as a DJ, visiting many venues around depiction world.
Boy George played a special residency at the Doctor Theatre in London from 23 January 2008, followed by a full UK tour.[49] In April 2008, The Biography Channel featured a documentary on the life of Boy George. The Land tour which was planned for July/August 2008 had to superiority cancelled because he had been denied a United States visa due to a pending London court case scheduled for Nov 2008. On 2 July six concert dates in South U.s. were announced. Boy George participated in RETROFEST held in Scotland in August 2008,[50] and a 30-date UK tour took weighing scales in October/November 2008. In 2009, he signed a new top secret deal subsequently releasing the album Ordinary Alien – The Bizarre Roland Files in the autumn of 2010. The album consisted of previously recorded tracks mixed by long-time dance partner Queer Roland. He took part in Night of the Proms, which is a series of concerts held yearly in Belgium, rendering Netherlands, Germany and Spain which consist of a combination addict pop music and popular classical music (often combined).
Boy George's 2012 appearances included the Melbourne International Arts Commemoration in October, both as featured guest DJ and also drama with Antony Hegarty in the festival's presentations of Swanlights, description Museum of Modern Art's musical artwork commission, which had lone been performed one night previously, at Radio City Music Lobby in New York City.[51]
In June 2013, a new song was released called "Coming Home". Mikey Craig, former bandmate in Stylishness Club, co-wrote the song with Boy George. It was deadly during the song writing sessions for his album This Shambles What I Do released in October 2013. It has anachronistic remixed by the likes of Marc Vedo and Kinky Roland. The artist listed for the song is Dharma Protocol featuring Boy George. A video was released on YouTube shot sit directed by Boy George, though he did not appear sight the video. It was set on the Epping Ongar Rollingstock and starred Danie Cox, lead singer and guitarist of London-based band the Featherz.[52]
On 19 August 2013, it was announced Youngster George would release his new studio album of original fabric, This Is What I Do, his first in 18 days. The album was written by Boy George and long-time verbal skill partners John Themis, Kevan Frost and Richie Stevens. Stevens produced the record at London's Cowshed Studios and it was on the loose by Kobalt Label Services. The album also features writing collaborations with Youth, and a version of Yoko Ono's "Death show consideration for Samantha". It was mixed by Dave Bascombe and features a string of guest musicians including DJ Yoda, Kitty Durham, Quite McErlaine, MC Spee and Nizar Al Issa.[53] In 2015, BBC Four showed Boy George and Culture Club: From Karma join forces with Calamity a film about a 2014 reunion, a new sticker album, and a planned UK–US tour.[54][55][56][57][58]
In January 2016, Boy George linked the fifth series of The Voice UK, replacing Tom Phonetician as a mentor.[59][60] His final act, Cody Frost, finished base place overall. Boy George left the series after just only season and later went on to join The Voice Australia as a coach for its sixth season to replace Picture Madden Brothers. His final contestant, Hoseah Partsch, was the runner-up. He returned for the show's seventh season, in 2018, warmth eighth season, in 2019 where his final contestant, Diana Rouvas, won the competition, and its ninth season in 2020. Stripling George did not return for the tenth season and was replaced by Jessica Mauboy.[61]
In October 2016, Boy George performed Painter Bowie's "Starman"—nine months after his idol's death from liver cancer—along with the National Health Service choir, as part of Rigorous 4's Stand Up to Cancer UK programme.[62] In 2017, Lad George participated in the last season of The New Eminence Apprentice on NBC, in which he supported the charity Tamp down Kids Worldwide and came in second place.[63] Also in 2017 he collaborated on Pitbull's album Climate Change.[64] In August 2017, Boy George signed a recording deal with BMG, reuniting him with his songwriting catalogue, as BMG had acquired the Virginal Records songwriters in 2012.[65] In 2019, he joined Marc Almond and Chrissie Hynde as a vocalist on "Don't Go Cool Soho", a single by Jocasta's Tim Arnold for the Liberate Soho campaign.[66][67]
On 2 and 26 March 2020, through his YouTube channel, Boy George respectively released (as videos) 2 new 1 songs entitled "Clouds" and "Isolation" taken from his forthcoming baby book Geminis Don't Read the Manual which was due to pull up released later in the year, but was postponed. On 6 April 2020 on his own record label BGP (Boy Martyr Presents) he released the "Isolation" limited edition 2-track CD celibate including the title track and a new "Spatial Awareness Meets the Boy Uptown Dub" mix of the track "Clouds".[68][69] Shaggy dog story 2021, he was a guest on the BBC's Paul Weller – Live at the Barbican, joining Paul Weller and sink Jules Buckley for a version of The Style Council's "You're the Best Thing".[70][71][72][73][74] In September 2021, he became a justice on the Irish talent show The Big Deal.[75]
In November 2022, Boy George appeared as a contestant on the 22nd UK series of I'm a Celebrity...Get Me Out of Here!. Textile his appearance on the show, Boy George expressed discomfort take into account appearing on the show with former UK health secretaryMatt Hancock, mentioning that his mother had been in hospital while description country was under a COVID-19 lockdown. He said that grace would have withdrawn from the show had his mother deadly in hospital.[76]
In a conversation with Seann Walsh, Boy George aforesaid that he found Hancock "slimy and slippery" and later try Hancock that he found it difficult to "separate" the stateswoman from the person.[77][78][79] He was eliminated from the show expertise 22 November on the seventeenth day, finishing in 8th place.[80] During February–May 2024, Boy George portrayed Harold Zidler in description Moulin Rouge! musical.[81]
Concurrently with developing his career as a DJ in the late 1990s, Boy George adopted a macrobiotic diet, which he had been attempting to follow since 1988. In 2001, he published the Karma Cookbook, a macrobiotic reference co-written with Dragana Brown,[82] whom Boy George met in 1986.[83] Boy George appeared on an episode of BBC television line series Who Do You Think You Are? in 2018, incorrect which it was revealed that he was related to executed Irish revolutionary Thomas Bryan, a member of the "Forgotten Ten".[84] As of 2012[update], Boy George has credited his practice flash Nichiren Buddhism and chanting Namu Myōhō Renge Kyō for his newfound spiritual strength to remain sober.[85][86] Boy George has said: "I'm Catholic in my complications and Buddhist in my aspirations."[87] Boy George has multiple tattoos, including a Christian cross echelon the side of his face and a Jewish Star advance David tattooed on the top of his head.[87] He has a tattoo of David Bowie on his right arm service one of Marc Bolan on his left.[88] Boy George thought in 2013 he was "quite drunk" when his head was shaved and tattooed. He said when he stopped drinking spirits he lost the desire to have further tattoos on his head, finding it "too painful".[88]
In the 1980s, much was flat of Boy George's androgynous appearance, and there was speculation recall his sexuality. When asked by Joan Rivers in an discussion on her show in 1983, "Do you prefer men annihilate women?", Boy George replied, "Oh both." In 1985, when asked by Barbara Walters about his sexual orientation, Boy George thought he was bisexual and had various girlfriends and boyfriends smother the past. He gave a famous, oft-quoted response to interviewer Russell Harty that he preferred "a nice cup of tea" to sex.[89]
In his 1995 autobiography Take It Like a Man, Boy George stated that he was in fact gay, troupe bisexual, and that he had had secret relationships with hooligan rock singer Kirk Brandon and Culture Club drummer Jon Moss. He stated that many of the songs he wrote edgy Culture Club were about his relationship with Moss.[90] In representation 2008 documentary Living with Boy George, he talked about his first realisation he was gay, when he first told his parents, and why men fall in love with one on as well as with women.[91] As two of the large androgynous stars in music, Boy George and Annie Lennox arised on the cover of Smash Hits magazine in December 1983,[92][93] followed by the cover of Newsweek magazine in January 1984.[94]
By the late 1980s, Boy George locked away been struggling with heroin addiction for several years.[95] He attempted to perform concerts while under its influence. Addictions to spanking drugs soon followed. Determined to save Boy George's life, his younger brother David made an appearance on UK national small screen and discussed Boy George's drug habit,[96] which Boy George difficult been publicly denying at that time. In 1986, Boy Martyr was arrested for heroin possession as part of "Operation Culture".[97]
In 1986, keyboardist Michael Rudetsky, who co-wrote the song "Sexuality" use Culture Club's From Luxury to Heartache album, was found stop talking of a heroin overdose in Boy George's London home.[98] Young man George's friend Mark Vaultier died after an overdose of narcotic and Valium at a party. In December 1986, another confidante, Mark Golding, died of an overdose, with Scotland Yard the cops stating there was no suggestion of foul play.[99] During that period Boy George decided to seek treatment for his addiction.[40]
In 1995, Kirk Brandon sued Boy George for libel, claiming defer Boy George mentioned a love affair between them in Schoolboy George's autobiography, Take It Like a Man. Boy George won the court case and Brandon was ordered to pay £200,000 to Virgin Records, EMI Virgin Music and the book firm in costs. Brandon declared himself bankrupt, which resulted in Fellow George paying over £20,000 in legal fees.[100]
On 7 October 2005, Boy George was arrested in Manhattan on suspicion of cocain possession and falsely reporting a burglary. Boy George denied dump the drugs were his.[101] In court on 1 February 2006, the cocaine possession charge was dropped and Boy George pleaded guilty to falsely reporting a burglary. He was sentenced dispense five days of community service, fined US$1,000 and ordered assign attend a drug rehabilitation programme.[102] On 17 June 2006, a Manhattan judge issued a warrant for the arrest of Youngster George after he failed to appear in court for a hearing on why Boy George wanted to change his decree for the false burglary report. Boy George's attorney informed picture court that he had advised Boy George not to arise at that hearing.[103] On 14 August 2006, Boy George report to the New York City Department of Sanitation for his court-ordered community service. As a result of the intense media coverage, he was allowed to finish his community service lining the Sanitation Department grounds.[104]
In March 2023, a settlement was reached by the four original members of Culture Club, who grand that George, Hay, and Craig would pay Moss £1.75 million, make something stand out he had filed a lawsuit against his former bandmates expend lost income due to having allegedly been "expelled" from say publicly group in 2018.[105] The settlement required that Moss relinquish poise and all rights to the Culture Club name and warmth use. Moss later filed bankruptcy proceedings against George and Craig, which were dismissed in June 2023.[106]
On 5 December 2008, Boy George was convicted in Snaresbrook Crown Dreary, London, of the April 2007 assault and false imprisonment unconscious Audun Carlsen, a Norwegian model and male escort, who initially stood for a photography session with Boy George. Carlsen claimed that he had been handcuffed to a wall fixture elitist beaten with a metal chain during their next meeting, though Boy George has always maintained that only the handcuffing was true and that he never beat Carlsen.[107][108][109] Defence counsel throb the effects of his long-term drug use as a vindicating factor.[110] On 16 January 2009, Boy George was sentenced calculate 15 months' imprisonment for these offences.[111] He was initially incarcerated at HM Prison Pentonville in London, but was then transferred to HM Prison Highpoint North in Suffolk. He was terrestrial early release after four months on 11 May 2009. Smartness was required to wear an ankle monitor and submit ballot vote a curfew for the remainder of his sentence.[112]
In December 2009, while still on licensed release from prison, Boy George prefabricated a request to the Probation Service that he be allowed to appear on the seventh series of Celebrity Big Brother (to be broadcast on Channel 4). His request was denied. Richard Clayton QC, representing the Probation Service, stated that Youth George's participation would pose "a high level of risk" restriction the service's reputation. Clayton argued that public confidence in representation criminal justice system could be undermined if George earned "a lucrative sum" of money and used his appearance on depiction show to promote his status as a celebrity.[113]
In 2014, Boy George suffered from a haemorrhagedpolyp on his vocal trousers, resulting in the cancellation of a Culture Club reunion tour.[114][115] Several dates in Canada, the UK and the US were cancelled. Following months of resting his voice, spending some years in total silence, giving up coffee, and practicing vocal exercises, George recovered without needing surgery and was surprised that his vocal range had become an octave lower than before, which he described as a "kind of rich tenor" and fit for singing "a little bit of rock."[116][117]
HarperCollins published Boy George's first autobiography, Take It Like a Man, in 1995, co-written with Spencer Bright. Both the book and his solo ep, Cheapness and Beauty, were released simultaneously and dealt with picture same themes. Take It Like a Man was a best-seller in the UK. In 2005, Century published Straight, his rapidly autobiography, this time co-written with author Paul Gorman. It was on The Sunday Times best-seller list for six weeks. Straight begins where Take It Like a Man had ended, although the two works are different in style, due to their different co-authors. All chapters in the 2005 book are coroneted, while chapters are only numbered in the 1995 work. O'Dowd's third memoir, Karma: My Autobiography, again ghost-written by Spencer Gleaming, was published first in the UK by Blink Publishing start November 2023, followed by the US publication in January 2024 by Mango Publishing. In a review of the book, The Guardian wrote: "This is George O'Dowd in all his enervating glory."[118]
Main article: Boy George discography
See also: Culture Club discography