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{{Use British English|date=January 2014}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2017}}
{{Infobox musical artist <!-- See Wikipedia:WikiProject Musicians -->
| name = Boy George
| background = solo_singer <!-- mandatory format: please do not change or remove -->
| image = File:Boy George by Dean Stockings.jpg
| image_size = 220px
| alt = George posing in front of the camera wearing a leather jacket
| birth_name = George Alan O'Dowd
| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1961|6|14|df=yes}}
| birth_place = [[Eltham]], London, England
| genre = {{flatlist|
* [[New wave music|New wave]]
* [[Soul music|soul]]
* [[Pop music|pop]]
* [[soft rock]]
* [[disco]]
}}
| occupation = {{flatlist|
* Singer
* songwriter
* disc jockey (DJ)
* fashion designer
* performer
* photographer
* producer
* actor
}}
| instrument = {{flatlist|
* Vocals
* turntables
}}
| years_active = {{Start date|1979}}–present
| label = {{flatlist|
* [[EMI Music|EMI]]
* [[Virgin Records|Virgin]]
* [[Epic Records|Epic]]
* [[More Protein]]
* Plan A Records
* Very Me Records
* [[Kobalt Label Services|Kobalt]]
* [[BMG Rights Management|BMG]]
}}
| associated_acts = {{flatlist|
* [[Culture Club]]
* [[Jesus Loves You (band)|Jesus Loves You]]
* [[Bow Wow Wow]]
* [[Leigh Bowery]]
}}
| website = {{Official website|http://www.boygeorgeuk.com}}
}}
'''Boy George''' (born '''George Alan O'Dowd'''; 14 June 1961) is an English singer, songwriter, DJ and fashion designer. He is the lead singer of the [[Grammy Awards|Grammy]] and [[Brit Award]]-winning pop band [[Culture Club]]. At the height of the band's fame, during the 1980s, they recorded global hit songs such as "[[Do You Really Want to Hurt Me]]", "[[Time (Clock of the Heart)]]" and "[[Karma Chameleon]]" and George is known for his soulful voice and [[Androgyny|androgynous]] appearance. He was part of the English [[New Romantic]] movement which emerged in the late 1970s to the early 1980s.

His music is often classified as [[blue-eyed soul]], which is influenced by [[rhythm and blues]] and [[reggae]]. He was lead singer of [[Jesus Loves You (band)|Jesus Loves You]] during the period 1989–1992. His 1990s and 2000s-era solo music has [[Glam rock|glam]] influences, such as [[David Bowie]] and [[Iggy Pop]]. More recently, he has released fewer music recordings, splitting his time between songwriting, DJing, writing books, designing clothes, and photography. In 2015, Boy George received an [[Ivor Novello Award]] from the [[British Academy of Songwriters, Composers and Authors]] for Outstanding Services to British Music.<ref>[http://theivors.com/boy-george/ "Boy George, The Ivors"]. The Ivors. Retrieved 31 December 2017</ref>

== Career ==

=== Early life and career ===
Boy George was born George Alan O'Dowd in [[Eltham]], [[London]], on 14 June 1961, to Irish parents Jeremiah and Dinah O'Dowd, and has four brothers and one sister.<ref name="biography.com">{{cite web | url=http://www.biography.com/people/boy-george-433170|title=Boy George Biography: Singer (1961–)|publisher=[[Biography.com]] ([[FYI (TV network)|FYI]] / [[A&E Networks]])| accessdate=28 January 2016| archivedate= 14 January 2016 | archiveurl = https://web.archive.org/web/20160114213348/http://www.biography.com/people/boy-george-433170 | deadurl=no}}</ref> George was a follower of the [[New Romantic]] movement which was popular in [[UK|Britain]] in the early 1980s. He lived in various [[squatting|squats]] around Warren Street in [[Central London]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.timeout.com/london/music/boy-georges-old-squat-it-happened-here |title=Boy George's old squat: It happened here |publisher=Time Out|accessdate=29 December 2013}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.theguardian.com/music/musicblog/2012/sep/03/criminalising-squatters-hurts-british-music |title=Criminalising squatters will hurt British pop music |publisher=Guardian|accessdate=29 December 2013}}</ref> He and his friend [[Marilyn (singer)|Marilyn]] were regulars at [[Blitz Kids|Blitz]],<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.theblitzkids.com/site_archive/theblitzkids/menuboy.html |title=Boy George |publisher=The Blitz Kids |accessdate=25 August 2011 |deadurl=yes |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20110830193512/http://theblitzkids.com/site_archive/theblitzkids/menuboy.html |archivedate=30 August 2011 |df= }}</ref> a London nightclub run by [[Steve Strange]] and [[Rusty Egan]].<ref>{{cite news| url = https://www.theguardian.com/music/2015/feb/13/steve-strange | title=Steve Strange obituary| first=Adam |last=Sweeting|date= 13 February 2015 |accessdate= 28 January 2016| archivedate=29 December 2015 | archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20151229102019/http://www.theguardian.com/music/2015/feb/13/steve-strange| deadurl=no}}</ref> The pop artists that inspired him were [[Siouxsie and the Banshees]], [[David Bowie]], [[T. Rex (band)|T. Rex]], [[Roxy Music]] and [[Patti Smith]].<ref>{{citation |first=Steve |last=Baltin |url=http://www.billboard.com/articles/events/greatest-of-all-time/6760743/boy-george-top-5-pop-bands-of-all-time |title=Boy George Picks His Top 5 Pop Bands of All Time |work=[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]]|date=12 November 2015 |accessdate=10 December 2015}}</ref>

=== Culture Club ===
Boy George's [[androgynous]] style of dressing caught the attention of music entrepreneur [[Malcolm McLaren]] (previously the manager of the [[Sex Pistols]]), who arranged for George to perform with the group [[Bow Wow Wow]]. Going by the stage name Lieutenant Lush, his tenure with Bow Wow Wow proved problematic with lead singer [[Annabella Lwin]]. George eventually left the group and started his own band with bassist [[Mikey Craig]]. They were joined by [[Jon Moss]] (who had drumming stints with [[The Damned (band)|the Damned]] and [[Adam and the Ants]]) and then guitarist [[Roy Hay (musician)|Roy Hay]]. Realising they had a cross-dressing Irish singer (George), a black-Briton (Craig), a Jewish drummer (Moss) and an ethnic Englishman (Hay), they settled on the name [[Culture Club]], referring to the various [[Multiculturalism|ethnic backgrounds]] of the members.<ref>{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.tn/books?id=Y3FYzMPH2OwC&pg=PT53&lpg=PT53&dq=why+the+band+culture+club+is+called+as+such?&source=bl&ots=0URL0dvSv0&sig=LH6r17NXoGKe6JT9r7IBgslAnaQ&hl=fr&sa=X&redir_esc=y#v=onepage&q=why%20the%20band%20culture%20club%20is%20called%20as%20such?&f=false|title=Encyclopedia of Gay and Lesbian Popular Culture|last=Prono|first=Luca|date=2008|publisher=ABC-CLIO|isbn=9780313335990|language=en}}</ref>

The band recorded demos that were paid for by [[EMI Records]] but the label declined to sign them. [[Virgin Records]] expressed interest in signing the group in the UK for European releases, while [[Epic Records]] handled the US and North American distribution. They recorded their debut album ''[[Kissing to Be Clever]]'' (UK No. 5, US No. 14,) and it was released in 1982. The single "[[Do You Really Want to Hurt Me?]]", became an international hit, reaching No.&nbsp;1 in a dozen countries around the world, plus top ten in several more countries (US No.&nbsp;2). This was followed by the Top 5 hit "[[Time (Clock of the Heart)|Time]]" in the US and UK, and "I'll Tumble 4 Ya" which reached US No.&nbsp;9. This gave Culture Club the distinction of being the first group since [[the Beatles]] to have three Top 10 hits in the US from a debut album.<ref>{{cite web|title=Culture Club the distinction of being the first group since The Beatles to have three Top Ten hits in America from a debut album|url=http://www.electricsoulshow.com/component/tags/tag/447-culture-club-the-distinction-of-being-the-first-group-since-the-beatles-to-have-three-top-ten-hits-in-america-from-a-debut-album|website=Electricsoulshow.com|accessdate=8 March 2017}}</ref>

Their next album, ''[[Colour By Numbers]]'' was an enormous success, topping the UK charts and hit No.&nbsp;2 in the US. The single "[[Church of the Poison Mind]]" became a Top 10 hit, and "[[Karma Chameleon]]" became an international hit, peaking at No.&nbsp;1 in sixteen countries, and the top ten in additional countries. It hit No.&nbsp;1 in the US where it stayed for three weeks. It was the best-selling single of the year in the United Kingdom, where it spent six weeks at [[List of Number 1 singles from the 1980s (UK)|No.&nbsp;1]]. "Victims" and "It's a Miracle" were further Top 5 UK hits, while "Miss Me Blind" reached the Top 5 in the US.

The band's third album ''[[Waking Up with the House on Fire]]'' (UK No. 2, US No. 26) was not as big a hit as its predecessors. Although the first single, "[[The War Song]]", was a No.2 hit in the UK, further singles performed below expectations. George then provided a lead vocal role on the [[Band Aid (band)|Band Aid]] international hit single "[[Do They Know It's Christmas]]". The single featured mostly British and Irish musical acts, and proceeds from the song were donated to feed [[famine]] victims in Africa during the [[1984–1985 famine in Ethiopia]]. Unlike many of the bands featured on the single, Culture Club did not perform at [[Live Aid]] in July 1985.

In 1985, George performed backing vocals to [[Feargal Sharkey]]'s number one hit "[[A Good Heart]]". In 1986, George performed a guest-starring cameo role in an episode titled "Cowboy George" of the television series ''[[The A-Team]]''. Also in 1986, Culture Club released their fourth album, ''[[From Luxury to Heartache]]'' (UK No. 10, US No. 32) which featured the hit single, "[[Move Away]]". However, word shortly began circulating in tabloids that George was addicted to drugs. He was arrested in Britain for possession of cannabis. Shortly thereafter, keyboardist Michael Rudetsky, who co-wrote the song "Sexuality" on Culture Club's ''From Luxury to Heartache'' album, was found dead of a heroin overdose in George's London home. Rudetsky's parents filed a wrongful death suit in Britain against George, seeking financial damages for their son's death. With George's 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 group ultimately disbanded. George won the court case against the Rudetskys and was not required to pay any monetary damages. He would agree to seek treatment for his addiction. George, however, would lose another friend, Mark Vaultier, who overdosed on [[methadone]] and [[Valium]] at a party. George never made it to the party. He had been arrested en route to the party on suspicion of carrying drugs.

{{As of|2012}}, Boy George has credited his practice of [[Nichiren Buddhism]] and chanting Nam Myoho Renge Kyo for his newfound spiritual strength to remain sober.<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://www.starpulse.com/news/Lucy_Hobson/2013/09/08/boy_george_buddhism_has_kept_me_sober |title=Buddhism Has Kept Me Sober |publisher=StarPulse |date=8 September 2013 |accessdate=13 October 2013 |deadurl=yes |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20131014174922/http://www.starpulse.com/news/Lucy_Hobson/2013/09/08/boy_george_buddhism_has_kept_me_sober |archivedate=14 October 2013 |df= }}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|url=http://punkglobe.com/boygeorgeinterview1112.php |title=A Successful Human Being |publisher= PunkGlobe |date=3 May 2012 |accessdate=13 October 2013}}</ref>

==== Reunions ====
In July 1998, a reunited [[Culture Club]] performed three dates in [[Monte Carlo]] and then joined [[the Human League]] and [[Howard Jones (musician)|Howard Jones]] in a "Big Rewind" tour of the US. The following month, the band appeared on the ''Late Show with David Letterman'' and made an appearance in Britain, their first in 14 years. Later that year, the band 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 Mind If I Do (Culture Club album)|Don't Mind If I Do]]'', was released in 1999 but was a commercial failure.

In 2006, the band decided to again reunite and tour; however, George declined to join them for this tour. As a result, two members of Culture Club replaced George with vocalist Sam Butcher. George expressed his displeasure.<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/entertainment/6043794.stm |title=Boy George slams new Club singer |publisher=BBC News |date=12 October 2006 |accessdate=1 October 2009}}</ref> Finally, after one showcase and one live show, that project was shelved.

On 27 January 2011, George announced to the [[BBC]] that there would be a 30th anniversary Culture Club reunion tour sometime later in the year and that they would be releasing a new album in 2012.<ref>[http://new.music.yahoo.com/blogs/amplifier/86557/boy-george-and-his-sparkly-hat-promise-culture-club-reunion/ "Boy George and His Sparkly Hat Promise Culture Club Reunion – Amplifier"]. New.music.yahoo.com (27 January 2011). Retrieved 27 March 2011.</ref> Although the 2011 tour never took place, Culture Club did play two live concerts, in [[Dubai]] and [[Sydney]], the latter being a New Year's Eve concert. In interviews given shortly before the concerts, the group confirmed that they were indeed recording new material though this has yet to surface.

On 20 May 2014, it was announced on several Boy George pages on [[Facebook]], as well as the official Culture Club site on the same social network, that the band is back together. A new picture of the four members was also posted, along with a list of 11 concert dates through the UK. [[Alison Moyet]] would be a special guest on the concerts. The band was scheduled to perform selected dates in America in autumn 2014 before the UK tour in December.<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://metro.co.uk/2016/09/20/80s-pop-legends-culture-club-featuring-boy-george-are-returning-to-london-for-a-one-off-show-6139974/|title=Boy George's band Culture Club are playing a one-off London show|date=2016-09-20|work=Metro|access-date=2018-01-26|language=en-GB}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.mirror.co.uk/3am/celebrity-news/boy-georges-culture-club-finally-3677610|title=Boy George's Culture Club finally reunited after 15 years split|last=Martin|first=Gavin|date=2014-06-12|work=mirror|access-date=2018-01-26}}</ref>

According to the sales tickets service, prior to these live dates Culture Club would be going into the studio to record new material, with producer Youth, who had previously worked with [[Paul McCartney]], [[the Verve]] and [[Embrace (English band)|Embrace]] among others, for a new album meant to be released in early 2015. The release date was later changed to "early 2016" but as of September of that year, pre-orders were still being taken and the album (titled "Tribes") was unreleased.

=== Solo career: late 1980s ===
After the dissolution of Culture Club in 1986, Boy George entered treatment for his addiction. He was prescribed narcotics to treat his addiction to heroin. In kicking his heroin addiction, he then became addicted to the prescription narcotics that were used during his treatment. In 1987, he released his first solo album, ''[[Sold (album)|Sold]]'', which garnered mild success in Europe. It spawned the UK singles "Everything I Own" (UK No.&nbsp;1), "Keep Me in Mind" (UK No.&nbsp;29), "To Be Reborn" (UK No.&nbsp;13), and the title song, "Sold" (UK No.&nbsp;24). The singles were also hits in various other European countries. The album's success, however, was not duplicated in America. This may be due in part to the fact that George was prohibited by US authorities from travelling to the United States for several years because of his British drug charges. He was therefore unable to be in America to help promote the album.

George did score his first solo US Top 40 hit with the single "Live My Life" (US No.&nbsp;40) from the soundtrack to the 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. Instead, 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 Riley (new jack swing)|Teddy Riley]]. George's following single in the UK was "No Clause 28 (Emilio Pasqez Space Face Full Remix)", a [[protest song]] against a [[Section 28|legal provision]] banning local authorities from promoting homosexuality. The song was an underground [[acid house]] hit.

=== Solo career: 1990s ===
In 1989, George formed his own record label, [[More Protein]], and began recording under the name [[Jesus Loves You (band)|Jesus Loves You]], writing under the pseudonym Angela Dust, a word play on [[angel dust (disambiguation)|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 in the [[International Society for Krishna Consciousness|Hare Krishna]] movement ([[ISKCON]]),<ref>Boy George with Spencer Bright, ''Take It Like a Man'' (Harper Collins, First U.S. Edition, 1995) pp. 481–482. On page 482, he says, "I enjoy the rituals of offering obeisances to [[Krishna]] and chanting, especially when there are hundreds of devotees jumping and banging drums. At that moment it seems like the human ego is truly transcended. I do find the sexual attitudes far too rigid, though I admit the cycle of desire is fraught with anxiety and disappointment. I don't choose to cut off from it, maybe I enjoy the pain." On page 481 he says, "'Bow Down Mister' swept me up in a spiritual whirl and I became an unlikely queer envoy for [[Krishna Consciousness]]."</ref> George had written the song during a trip to India. Another single, "One on One", featured a remix by [[Massive Attack]].

{{Listen|filename=01-Bow Down Mister (A Small Portion 2 B Polite Mix).ogg
|title=Bow Down Mister (A Small Portion 2 B Polite Mix) excerpt|description=An excerpt from ''Bow Down Mister (A Small Portion 2 B Polite Mix)''}}

From March 1990 to April 1991, George presented a weekly chat and music show on the [[Power Station (television)|Power Station]] satellite channel called ''Blue Radio''. In 1992, George had a major US and UK hit with the song "[[The Crying Game (song)|The Crying Game]]", from the soundtrack for the [[The Crying Game|film of the same name]]. The film became a surprise hit and the single reached the No.&nbsp;15 in the US. Although he had had several solo hits in Europe, this would be Boy George's biggest US hit since Culture Club's "Move Away" reached the US Top 20.

He has also enjoyed a second career as a notable music DJ.<ref>For example, in 2001 he toured the U.S. and Canada as part of the "Big DJ, Small Club" series, sponsored by [[Benson & Hedges]]. Michel Raphael, "Bean there". ''[[National Post]]'', 14 August 2001: B1, B2.</ref> His first gig as a DJ was at Phillip Sallon's new nightclub, Planets, located in London's [[Piccadilly]]. In the 1990s he came to the attention of legendary rave/house promoters [[Fantazia (dance)|Fantazia]] who asked him to mix 1 of the discs on the 2 volume in their new compilation series ''[[Fantazia (dance)|Fantazia]] The House Collection 2''. This compilation was a success in the UK, going gold. The album was also sold to Sony for European-wide release. London nightclub [[Ministry of Sound]] hired him to compile one of their first CDs, and it promptly sold 100,000 copies. He then completed some compilations for them, five of them being the Annual I to V.

In 1993, George was featured on the [[P.M. Dawn]] single "More Than Likely" which became a moderate US and UK hit.

George released the rock-driven album ''[[Cheapness and Beauty]]'' in 1995, but the album was not successful, although the single "Same Thing in Reverse" became a minor US hit. ''The Unrecoupable One Man Bandit - Volume One'' was the next album release, first being sold on the internet only then distributed by independent labels. Another project from the time was a new group that would include Boy George and two long-time musicians, John Themis and Ritchie Stevens. Initially named 'Shallow', it was later renamed 'Dubversive'. The project took place in 1997 and was to include trip-hop, dub and reggae. The project was not picked up by any major labels but some of the songs were later included on the 2002 Culture Club Box Set, and some others appeared on eBay in 2004.

On some other labels, several dance-oriented songs were released in various countries. For example, "[[Love is Leaving (Boy George song)|Love Is Leaving]]" went Top 3 in Italy and "When Will You Learn" reached the top position in the Swiss charts. "When Will You Learn" was also nominated for the Best Dance Recording, at the [[Grammy Award]]s. In 1999, Boy George collaborated on songs with dance-oriented acts. For example, "Why Go?", a slow-paced track with [[Faithless]], from their ''[[Sunday 8pm]]'' LP, was later released in a remixed form in some European countries and Australia. A track was done with [[Groove Armada]], named "Innocence is Lost", but was only released on a promo 12" in 1999.

=== Solo career: 2000s ===
[[File:Boy George At Ronnie Scotts.jpg|thumb|240px|left|Boy George performing at [[Ronnie Scott's Jazz Club]] in 2001]]
Boy George remained a figure in the public eye, starring in the London musical ''[[Taboo (musical)|Taboo]]'', based on the New Romantic scene of the early 1980s (George did not play himself, opting instead to take on the persona of Australian-born performance artist [[Leigh Bowery]]). Boy George was nominated for a [[Tony Award]] for the "Best Musical Score" and ''Taboo'' was a great success in London's West End, though a heavily altered American production produced by [[Rosie O'Donnell]] in New York City was short-lived (100 performances, versus the two-year run in London).

In 2002, Boy George released ''[[U Can Never B2 Straight]]'', an "unplugged" collection of rare and lesser known acoustic works. It contained unreleased tracks from previous years as well as some ballads from ''Cheapness and Beauty'' and the Culture Club album ''[[Don't Mind if I Do]]''. It received the best reviews of Boy George's solo career, many of them highlighting his strong song writing abilities. The record was only released in the UK and Japan, and reached No.&nbsp;147 on the UK album charts.

From 2002 to 2004, under the pseudonym "The Twin", Boy George experimented in [[electronica]], releasing limited edition 7" singles and promo records.<ref>{{cite web|title=Boy George Biography|url=http://www.musictory.com/music/Boy+George/Biography|website=Musictory.com|accessdate=28 March 2017}}</ref> The limited releases included four 7" singles, one limited 12" single (for "Sanitised") and a promo CD, a 13-track album ''[[Yum Yum (album)|Yum Yum]]''. Two years later, it was released via digital outlets such as [[iTunes]]. An album recorded in the spring of 2003 was also shelved. A collaboration with electronic combo T–Total, the album was a collection of covers of songs by [[Jefferson Airplane]], [[David Bowie]], [[John Lennon]], [[Dusty Springfield]], [[T. Rex (band)|T. Rex]] and [[Eurythmics]] among others.

During 2003, he 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. Brown (published in 1998). He also appeared as a guest on the British comedy-talk show ''[[The Kumars at No.&nbsp;42]]''. In March 2005 he was the guest host for an episode of ''[[The Friday Night Project]]'', for [[Channel 4]] television.

In 2005, George released ''Straight'', the second volume of his autobiography. On his "More Protein" website, he also announced another album, also named ''Straight'', for mid-2005. The album was never released but a four track sampler was released with the book of the same name. A reggaeton oriented EP was also planned for August 2006 but was never released. Some recent tracks were shared by George himself in late 2006 and early 2007 on his YouTube account, his three Myspace pages and sometimes on his official site. In January 2007, Boy George released "Time Machine" on Plan A Records. "Time Machine" was co-written by double [[Ivor Novello Awards|Ivor Novello Award]]-winning songwriter [[Amanda Ghost]] who also co-wrote "[[You're Beautiful]]" with [[James Blunt]].<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/entertainment/5322888.stm |title=Boy George 'enjoyed' street sweep |publisher=BBC News |date=7 September 2006 |accessdate=1 October 2009}}</ref>

Boy George has run his own fashion line for some years, called "B-Rude". B-Rude has shown at fashion shows in London, New York and Moscow. On 24 December 2006, George appeared on a one-off BBC TV programme ''Duet Impossible'' in which he performed with himself from the 1980s and joked about his street cleaning.

Later in 2007, two electronica/dance collaborations were released in limited editions. In the spring, the track "You're Not the One" was remixed from an old demo and released with the dance combo "Loverush UK" reaching the top 20 in the UK dance chart. It was a digital-only release, available in many digital retailers like iTunes. Also on iTunes, a new collaboration with trip-hop/electro band Dark Globe, called "Atoms", was released on 19 November. The single contains eight versions, from the slow original to electro remixes by Ariya and Henrik Schwarz. Also in late 2007, an EP titled "Disco Abomination" appeared on the internet, available for download on several underground outlets. It included new remixes of tracks like "Turn 2 Dust", "Love Your Brother", and covers of "Don't Wanna See Myself" and "Go Your Own Way". Most of the versions are remixes done by German producer Kinky Roland.

On 25 February 2007, George was special guest DJ at LGBT nightspot, the Court Hotel in [[Perth]], [[Australia]]. On 4 March 2007, he performed as a DJ at the Hordern Pavilion in Sydney for the [[Mardi Gras]] Festival. On 11 May 2007, he performed as a DJ at the launch party for the [[Palazzo Versace Dubai|Palazzo Versace]] in [[Dubai]], [[UAE]]. George cancelled his planned 2007 October tour via an announcement on his official website. In 2007, he toured as a DJ, visiting many venues in locations such as Stuttgart, Rotterdam, Auckland, Brisbane, Melbourne, Sydney, Dubai, Montreal, Toronto, London, Blackpool, Coventry, Munich, Lyon, Paris, Rio de Janeiro, Brussels and Moscow.{{Citation needed|date=August 2013}}

In January 2009, George was sentenced to 15 months in prison for falsely imprisoning a male escort (Auden Carlsen) by handcuffing him to a wall and beating him with a metal chain. The incident, which happened in April 2007, stemmed from George's belief that Carlsen had attempted to hack into his computer while he was visiting George's flat for a nude photo session.<ref>[https://www.theguardian.com/uk/2009/jan/16/boy-george-sentenced-handcuffing-male-escort The Guardian (Boy George gets 15 months...)]</ref> After being released from prison, George resumed his DJ career embarking on a worldwide tour of clubs. He played a special residency at the Shaw Theatre in London from 23 January 2008, followed by a full UK tour.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://thelondonpaper.typepad.com/thelondonblog/2008/01/boy-george-live.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080127102402/http://thelondonpaper.typepad.com/thelondonblog/2008/01/boy-george-live.html |dead-url=yes |archive-date=27 January 2008 |title=Review: Boy George live last night (thelondonpaper) |publisher=Thelondonpaper.typepad.com |date=24 January 2008 |accessdate=1 October 2009 |df= }}</ref> In April 2008, ''[[The Biography Channel]]'' featured a documentary on the life of Boy George. The American tour which was planned for July/August 2008 had to be cancelled because he had been denied a United States visa due to the pending London court case scheduled for November 2008. On 2 July six concert dates in [[South America]] were announced. Boy George participated in RETROFEST held in Scotland in August 2008,<ref>[http://scotlandonsunday.scotsman.com/13299/FACT-FILE-Retrofest.4093903.jp "Fact File: Retrofest",] ''Scotland on Sunday'', 25 May 2008</ref> and a 30-date UK tour took place in October/November 2008.

In 2009, he signed a new record deal subsequently releasing the album ''[[Ordinary Alien|Ordinary Alien – The Kinky Roland Files]]'' in the autumn of 2010. The album consisted of previously recorded tracks mixed by longtime dance partner Kinky Roland. He took part in [[Night of the Proms]], which is a series of concerts held yearly in Belgium, the Netherlands, Germany and Spain which consist of a combination of pop music and popular classical music (often combined).

=== Solo career: 2010–present ===
George's 2012 appearances included the [[Melbourne International Arts Festival]] in October, both as featured guest DJ and also performing with [[Antony Hegarty]] in the festival's presentations of ''[[Swanlights]]'',<ref>'Cries From the Heart, Crashing Like Waves', Jon Pareles, ''The New York Times'', 27 January 2012 https://www.nytimes.com/2012/01/28/arts/music/antony-and-the-johnsons-at-radio-city-music-hall.html?_r=0</ref> the [[Museum of Modern Art]]'s musical artwork commission, which had only ever been performed one night previously, at [[Radio City Music Hall]] in New York City.

June 2013 saw the release of a new song, "Coming Home". Mikey Craig, former bandmate in [[Culture Club]], co-wrote the song with George. It was written during the song writing sessions for his album ''[[This Is What I Do (Boy George album)|This Is What I Do]]'' released in October 2013. It has been 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 and directed by Boy George, though he did not appear in the video. It was set on the [[Epping Ongar Railway]] and starred Danie Cox, lead singer and guitarist of London-based band [[the Featherz]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.davidbowie.com/news/see-danie-cox-and-feathers-london-free-51711 |title=See Danie Cox and The Feathers in London For Free – David Bowie Latest News |publisher=Davidbowie.com |date=24 May 2013}}</ref>

On 19 August 2013, it was announced George would release his new studio album of original material, ''This Is What I Do'', his first in 18 years. The album was written by George and longtime writing partners John Themis, [[Kevan Frost]] and Richie Stevens. Stevens produced the record at London's Cowshed Studios and it was released by [[Kobalt Label Services]]. The album also features writing collaborations with [[Youth (producer)|Youth]], and a version of [[Yoko Ono]]'s "[[Death of Samantha (song)|Death of Samantha]]". It was mixed by Dave Bascombe and features a string of guest musicians including [[DJ Yoda]], [[Kitty, Daisy & Lewis|Kitty Durham]], [[Ally McErlaine]], MC Spee and Nizar Al Issa.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/music/news/a510922/boy-george-announces-first-new-album-in-18-years-this-is-what-i-do.html |title=Boy George announces first new album in 18 years 'This Is What I Do' – Music News |publisher=Digital Spy |date=29 August 2013}}</ref>

In January 2016, George joined the [[The Voice UK (series 5)|fifth series]] of ''[[The Voice UK]]'',<ref>{{Cite web|title = How Boy George got a second chance|url = http://www.thetimes.co.uk/tto/magazine/article4646600.ece|website = The Times|accessdate = 6 January 2016|language = en-GB}}</ref> replacing [[Tom Jones (singer)|Tom Jones]]<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.theguardian.com/media/2015/aug/14/tom-jones-losing-spot-the-voice-boy-george |title=Tom Jones heads for green, green grass of home after losing spot on The Voice |work=theguardian.com |date=14 August 2015 |first=Alasdair |last=Glennie |accessdate=17 August 2015}}</ref> as a mentor. His final act, Cody Frost, finished third place overall. George left ''[[The Voice UK]]'' after just one season. He later joined ''[[The Voice (Australian TV series)|The Voice Australia]]'' as a coach for its [[The Voice (Australia season 6)|sixth season]]. His contestant, [[Hoseah Partsch]], was the runner-up.

Boy George participated in the 8th season of ''[[The Celebrity Apprentice]]'' on NBC, in which he supported the charity [[Safe Kids Worldwide]] and came in second place.<ref>{{Cite web|title = Vince Neil, Boy George Join 'Celebrity Apprentice'|url = https://www.rollingstone.com/tv/news/vince-neil-boy-george-join-celebrity-apprentice-20160129|website = Rolling Stone|accessdate = 29 January 2016|language = en-GB}}</ref>
He collaborated on [[Pitbull (rapper)|Pitbull]]'s upcoming album ''[[Climate Change (album)|Climate Change]]'', released in 2017.<ref>[http://www.klatsch-tratsch.de/2016/10/08/pitbull-kennt-keine-reue/289277]</ref>

In August 2017, Boy George signed a recording deal with [[BMG Rights Management|BMG]], reuniting him with his songwriting catalogue, as BMG had acquired the [[Virgin Records]] songwriters in 2012.<ref>http://www.musicweek.com/labels/read/boy-george-signs-to-bmg/069525</ref>

== Legal troubles ==
By the late 1980s, George had been struggling with heroin addiction for many years.<ref>Boy George with Spencer Bright, ''Take it Like a Man'', London, Sigwick & Jackson, 1995</ref> He attempted to perform concerts while under its influence. Addictions to other drugs soon followed. Determined to save George's life, his younger brother David made an appearance on UK national television and discussed George's drug habit, which George had been publicly denying at that time. In 1986, Boy George was arrested for heroin possession as part of "Operation Culture." <ref>{{Cite news |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/crime/boy-george-chained-male-escort-to-a-wall-in-his-flat-400244.html |title=Boy George 'chained male escort to a wall in his flat' |work=The Independent |location=UK |accessdate=5 April 2009 |last=Dugan |first= Emily | date=14 November 2007}}
</ref>

In 1995, [[Kirk Brandon]] sued George for libel claiming that George mentioned a love affair between them in George's autobiography, ''[[Take It Like a Man (autobiography)|Take It Like a Man]]''. George won the court case and Brandon was ordered to pay [[pound sterling|£]]200,000 to [[Virgin Records]], EMI Virgin Music and the book publisher in costs. Brandon declared himself bankrupt, which resulted in Boy George paying over £20,000 in legal fees.<ref>Boy George (with Paul Gorman) ''Straight'', London: Century, 2005</ref>

On 7 October 2005, George was arrested in [[Manhattan]] on suspicion of [[cocaine]] possession and falsely reporting a burglary. George denied that the drug was his.<ref>[http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/americas/4321328.stm "Musician Boy George has appeared in court&nbsp;..."], BBC News, 8 October 2008</ref> In court on 1 February 2006, the cocaine possession charge was dropped and George pleaded guilty to falsely reporting a burglary. He was sentenced to five days of community service, fined US$1,000 and ordered to attend a drug rehabilitation programme.<ref>[http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/4786814.stm "Singer Boy George has had a charge of possessing cocaine dropped by a New York court"], BBC News, 8 March 2006</ref> On 17 June 2006, a Manhattan judge issued a warrant for the arrest of Boy George after he failed to appear in court for a hearing on why George wanted to change his sentence for the false burglary report. George's attorney informed the court that he had advised George not to appear at that hearing.<ref>[http://wcbstv.com/national/Boy.George.New.2.269050.html "Boy George Angers NYC Judge"] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080629225629/http://wcbstv.com/national/Boy.George.New.2.269050.html |date=29 June 2008 }}, wcbstv from AP report, 17 June 2006</ref> On 14 August 2006, George reported to the New York City Department of Sanitation for his court-ordered community service. As a result of the swarming media coverage, he was allowed to finish his community service inside the Sanitation Department grounds.<ref>[http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/14343349/ "A feisty Boy George reports for garbage duty"], msnbc, 14 August 2006</ref>

===False imprisonment conviction===
On 5 December 2008, George was convicted in [[Snaresbrook]] [[Crown Court]], London, of the assault and [[false imprisonment]] of Audun Carlsen—a Norwegian who initially stood for a photography session with George, but on their next meeting George handcuffed him to a wall fixture, traumatising him, and subjected him to violence. George's defence gave the effects of his long-term drug use as a mitigating factor.<ref name="SamJones">Jones, Sam and Lewis, Paul [https://www.theguardian.com/uk/2009/jan/16/boy-george-sentenced-handcuffing-male-escort "Boy George gets 15 months for falsely imprisoning male escort",] ''The Guardian'', 16 January 2009.</ref> On 16 January 2009, George was sentenced to 15 months' imprisonment for these offences.<ref>{{Cite news | publisher=BBC News | url = http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/london/7832565.stm | title = Boy George jailed for 15 months |date = 16 January 2008 | accessdate = 16 January 2008}}</ref> George was initially incarcerated at [[HM Prison Pentonville]], but was then transferred to [[HM Prison Highpoint North]]. He was given early release after four months for good behaviour on 11 May 2009. George was required to wear an ankle monitor and submit to a curfew for the remainder of his sentence.<ref>Swash, Rosie, "[https://www.theguardian.com/music/2009/may/12/boy-george-released-early-jail Boy George released early from jail]", ''[[The Guardian]]'', 12 May 2009</ref>

On 23 December 2009, George had his request to appear on the [[Celebrity Big Brother 2010 (UK)|final series of Celebrity Big Brother]] (to be broadcast on Channel 4) turned down by the [[Probation Service]]. Richard Clayton QC, representing the Probation Service, said George's participation would pose "a high level of risk" to the service's reputation. Clayton argued that if he used the show to promote his status as a celebrity and earn "a lucrative sum of money" it could undermine public confidence in the criminal justice system.<ref>{{Cite news| url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/8428048.stm |publisher=BBC News | title=Boy George loses Big Brother plea | date=23 December 2009 | accessdate=26 April 2010}}</ref>

== Personal life ==
When George was with Culture Club, much was made of his [[androgynous]] appearance, and there was speculation about his sexuality. Although he never flatly denied that he was gay, when asked in interviews about his sexual orientation, George gave various answers. In 1985, when asked by Barbara Walters about his sexual orientation, George said he was bisexual and had various girlfriends in the past. He gave a famous, oft-quoted response to an interviewer that he preferred "a nice cup of tea" to sex.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.icons.org.uk/theicons/collection/cupoftea/biography/copy_of_tea-the-basics |title=Becoming an Icon – A Cup of Tea – Icons of England |publisher=Icons.org.uk |accessdate=1 October 2009 |deadurl=yes |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20090930100751/http://www.icons.org.uk/theicons/collection/cupoftea/biography/copy_of_tea-the-basics |archivedate=30 September 2009 |df= }}</ref>

In ''[[Take It Like a Man (autobiography)|Take It Like a Man]]'', George stated that he had secret relationships with punk rock singer [[Kirk Brandon]] and [[Culture Club]] drummer [[Jon Moss]]. He stated many of the songs he wrote for Culture Club were about his relationship with Moss.<ref>{{cite book|title=Take It Like A Man, The Autobiography of Boy George|author1=George O'Dowd|author2=Spencer Bright|publisher=Pan Books (Macmillan Publishers Ltd)|year=1995|isbn=0-330-32362-8}}</ref>

In 2006, in an episodic documentary directed by Simon George titled ''The Madness of Boy George'', George declared on camera he was "militantly gay".<ref>[http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0884758/ The Madness of Boy George (TV 2006)], IMDB.com</ref> In a 2008 documentary ''Living with Boy George'', he talks about his first realisation he was gay, and when he first told his parents. He discloses that he understands why men fall in love with one another as well as with women.<ref>[http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1380803/ Living with... Boy George (TV 2008)], IMDB.com</ref>

Concurrently with developing his career as a DJ in the late 1990s, George adopted a [[macrobiotic diet]], which he had been attempting to follow since 1988. In 2001, he published the ''[http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/929777.Karma_Cookbook Karma Cookbook]'', co-written with Dragana Brown,<ref>[http://www.huffingtonpost.com/author/dragana-brown Profile of Dragana Brown]; ''[[Huffington Post]]''. Retrieved 5 March 2017.</ref> a private macrobiotic cook and teacher, whom George had first met in 1986.<ref>Mitchel Raphael, "Bean there". ''[[National Post]]'', 14 August 2001: B1, B2.</ref>

==Transfer of icon to Church of Cyprus==
In January 2011, George transferred an 18th-century [[icon]] of Christ to the [[Church of Cyprus]].<ref name=icon>[http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-12228059 Boy George returns Christ icon to Cyprus church] BBC.co.uk 19 January 2011</ref> The icon, which had adorned his home for 26 years, had been looted from the church of [[Charalampus|St Charalampus]] from the village of [[Neo Chorio, Nicosia|New Chorio]], near [[Kythrea]]. George had originally purchased the icon from a London art dealer eleven years after the [[Turkish invasion of Cyprus]]. He returned the icon at the [[Saints Cosmas and Damian|Saints Anargyroi]] Church, [[Highgate]], [[North London]].<ref name="icon"/><ref>Representation of the Church of Cyprus to the European Union, [http://churchofcypruseu.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=96&Itemid=1&lang=english The post-byzantine icon of Jesus Christ returns to the Church of Cyprus London] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110708153455/http://churchofcypruseu.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=96&Itemid=1&lang=english |date= 8 July 2011 }}, January 2011. (broken link April 2014)</ref>

== Memoirs ==
[[Harper Collins]] published his first autobiography, ''[[Take It Like a Man (autobiography)|Take It Like a Man]]'', in 1995, written with Spencer Bright. The book was released at the same time as George's solo album ''[[Cheapness and Beauty]]'' and dealt with the same themes, including a number of photographs. ''Take It Like a Man'' was a best-seller in the UK.

In 2005, [[Random House|Century]] published ''Straight'', his second autobiographical book, this time written with author [[Paul Gorman]]. It was in ''[[The Sunday Times (UK)|The Sunday Times]]'' best-seller list for six weeks. This latter autobiography starts off where the former had stopped, though the two works are different in style, due to their different co-authors, and all of the chapters have a title in the 2005 book, while the 1995 autobiography only featured numbered sections.

Gorman has also ghost-written ''Cry Salty Tears'', the memoirs of George's mother Dinah O'Dowd, which was published by [[Arrow Books]], in January 2007. The same year also saw the publication of ''Straight'' in paperback.

== References in popular culture ==
* Boy George was portrayed on film by [[Douglas Booth]] in the 2010 BBC2 [[Docudrama|drama documentary]] ''[[Worried About the Boy]]''.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b00sh5lt |title=Two Programmes – Worried About the Boy |publisher=BBC |date=16 May 2010 |accessdate=23 September 2010}}</ref>
* On the BBC series ''[[Ashes to Ashes (TV series)|Ashes to Ashes]]'', a [[look-alike]] appears as the cloakroom attendant at the Blitz Club.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/tvandradio/3670630/Ashes-to-Ashes-Life-after-Mars.html |title=Ashes to Ashes: Life after Mars |publisher=Telegraph |date=20 January 2008}}</ref>
<!--
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==Tours==
{{Main|List of Boy George concert and DJ tours}}
-->

== Awards ==
{| class=wikitable
|-
! Year !! Awards !! Work !! Category !! Result
|-
| 1993
| [[MTV Video Music Awards]]
| rowspan="2" | "[[The Crying Game]]"
| Best Video from a Film
| {{nom}}
|-
| 1994
| rowspan="2" | [[Grammy Awards]]
| Best Male Pop Vocal Performance
| {{nom}}
|-
| 1999
| "[[When Will You Learn]]"
| Best Dance Recording
| {{nom}}
|-
| rowspan="3" | 2004
| [[Tony Awards]]
| rowspan="3" |''[[Taboo (musical)|Taboo]]''
| Best Original Score
| {{nom}}
|-
| rowspan="2" | [[Drama Desk Awards]]
| Outstanding Music
| {{nom}}
|-
| Outstanding Lyrics
| {{nom}}
|-
| rowspan="2" | 2011
| [[Popjustice £20 Music Prize]]
| rowspan="2" | "[[Somebody to Love Me (Mark Ronson & The Business Intl. song)|Somebody to Love Me]]" (ft. [[Mark Ronson]])
| Best British Pop Single
| {{nom}}
|-
| [[UK Music Video Awards]]
| Best Pop Video (UK)
| {{nom}}
|-
| 2015
| [[Ivor Novello Awards]]
| Himself
| Outstanding Contribution to British Music
| {{won}}
|-
| 2016
| [[International Dance Music Awards]]
| "Just Another Guy" (ft. [[Vanilla Ace]] & [[Katerina Themis]])
| Best Indie Dance Track
| {{nom}}
{{end}}

== Discography ==
{{main article|Boy George discography}}
{{see also|Culture Club discography}}
{{Div col}}
* ''[[Sold (album)|Sold]]'' (1987)
* ''[[Tense Nervous Headache]]'' (1988)
* ''[[Boyfriend (Boy George album)|Boyfriend]]'' (1989)
* ''[[The Martyr Mantras]]'' (1991)
* ''[[Cheapness and Beauty]]'' (1995)
* ''The Unrecoupable One Man Bandit'' (1998)
* ''[[U Can Never B2 Straight]]'' (2002)
* ''[[The Twin (EP)|The Twin]]'' (2002-2004)
* ''[[Yum Yum (album)|Yum Yum]]'' (2004)
* ''[[Ordinary Alien]]'' (2010)
* ''[[This Is What I Do (Boy George album)|This Is What I Do]]'' (2013)
{{div col end}}

==Notes==
{{Reflist|colwidth=30em}}

== References ==
{{refbegin}}
* De Graaf Kasper, Garret Malcolm (1983), ''When Cameras Go Crazy'', London, UK, [[Virgin Books]] & New York, NY, USA, [[St. Martin's Press]]; {{ISBN|0-312-17879-4}} (Culture Club's official biography)
* Boy George with Spencer Bright (1995), ''Take It Like a Man'', London, [[Sidgwick & Jackson]] (Boy George's first official autobiography)
* Boy George with Paul Gorman (2004), ''Straight'', London, Century (Boy George's second official autobiography – republished in 2007 with updates – first edition includes EP of the same name)
{{refend}}

== External links ==
{{sisterlinks|d=Q312883|c=category:Boy George|n=no|b=no|v=no|voy=no|wikt=no|m=no|mw=no|species=no|s=no}}
* {{Official website}}
*{{DMOZ|Arts/Music/Bands_and_Artists/C/Culture_Club/|Culture Club}}
* {{IMDb name|0004954}}
* {{IBDB name}}
{{Boy George|state=uncollapsed}}
{{Culture Club}}

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Boy George}}
[[Category:1961 births]]
[[Category:20th-century English singers]]
[[Category:20th-century English writers]]
[[Category:21st-century English singers]]
[[Category:21st-century English writers]]
[[Category:British people convicted of drug offences]]
[[Category:Bow Wow Wow members]]
[[Category:Club DJs]]
[[Category:Culture Club members]]
[[Category:English autobiographers]]
[[Category:English expatriates in the United States]]
[[Category:English male singers]]
[[Category:English new wave musicians]]
[[Category:English people convicted of assault]]

Revision as of 00:08, 1 March 2018

Some randome guy

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