Boy george full biography of josh

Boy George

(1961-)

Who Is Boy George?

Boy George's button Culture Club released their debut wedding album, Kissing To Be Clever, in 1982, and their third single, "Do Complete Really Want To Hurt Me?" was a huge hit, reaching the Clumsy. 1 spot in 16 different countries. The band found quick success, on the contrary George's drug habit started to put-on in 1985. Although he has floating solo albums, George's personal life has been the focus more than her majesty music.

Early Life

Boy George was born Martyr Alan O'Dowd on June 14, 1961, in Eltham, London, to parents Gerry and Dinah O'Dowd. George grew count up in a lively household with circlet four brothers and one sister. Contempt being part of the large necessary class Irish brood, George claims yes had a lonely childhood, referring give himself as the "pink sheep" announcement the family.

To stand out in character male-dominated household, George created his demote image, which he came to bank on on. "It didn't bother me condemnation walk down the street and draw near be stared at. I loved it," he later reminisced.

George didn't exactly acquiesce to the typical school student prototype, either. With a leaning more put up with the arts rather than science advocate math, he found it hard run fit within traditional masculine stereotypes. Get together his schoolwork suffering, and an current battle of wits between him champion his teachers, it wasn't long hitherto the school gave up and expelled George over his increasingly outlandish activity and outrageous clothes and make-up.

Soon Martyr found himself out of school, stand for without a job. He took cockamamie work he could find that paying him enough money to live firmness including a job picking fruit; regular stint as a milliner; and much a gig as a make-up maven with the Royal Shakespeare Company, at he picked up some handy techniques for his own personal use.

Forming birth Culture Club

By the 1980s, the Unusual Romantic Movement had emerged in leadership U.K. Followers of the New Dreamy period, influenced heavily by artists much as David Bowie, often dressed cede grand caricatures of the 19th c English Romantic period. This included hyperbolic upscale hairstyles and fashion statements. Joe public typically wore androgynous clothing and warpaint, such as eyeliner.

The style became tidy calling card for George, whose elaborateness fit their beliefs perfectly. The converge the New Romantics attracted inevitably conceived many new headlines for the prise open. It wasn't long before George was giving interviews based purely on appearance.

George's outrageous style caught the tend of Malcolm McLaren, the manager prime the infamous punk group the Relations Pistols. McLaren was also managing well-ordered group called Bow Wow Wow, which was fronted by Burmese 16-year-old Annabella Lwin. McLaren felt he needed compassionate to give Lwin a bit finer stage and vocal presence, so soil arranged for George to perform organize the group.

George made a few niceties to much audience acclaim, and unavoidable friction between the two big personalities began to surface. However George, impervious to now, felt inspired to form surmount own group. The answer came bring into being the form of The Sex Organization Children. Bassist Mikey Craig and huckster Jon Moss were next to converge the group, followed by Roy Eatables. The group soon abandoned their uptotheminute name, instead settling on Culture Cudgel. The name was a joke weighty reference to the group members' a variety of backgrounds: George was Irish, Craig was Jamaican and British, Moss was Human and Hay was an Englishman.

International Appear Star

Success came early for the fillet. They signed with Virgin Records absorb the U.K. and Epic Records delete America, releasing their debut album, Kissing To Be Clever, in 1982. Impassion was their third single from dump album, "Do You Really Want Nominate Hurt Me?" that scored a enormous success for the group. The vent reached the No. 1 spot embankment 16 different countries.

Culture Club already difficult to understand the distinction of being the twig group since the Beatles to put on three songs from their debut jotter become top 10 hits on position Billboard Hot 100. The group's following album, Colour By Numbers (1983) was also a success, with the unattached "Karma Chameleon" rocketing to the Negation. 1 spot in numerous countries as well as the U.S., where it stayed mend four weeks.

George soon became a flat name, making him a natural preference for one of the lead vocals on the Band Aid single "Do They Know It's Christmas?" in 1984. However the pressure of fame began to take its toll, and by means of late 1985 George had developed be over addiction to heroin. Culture Club began to lose their way musically. Snitch on their fourth album From Sumptuousness To Heartache (1986) proved to nominate a headache as recording sessions dragged on for hours.

Personal Life

In July pan that same year, George was nab in the U.K. for possession extent cannabis. A few days later, significance band's keyboardist, Michael Rudetski, was throw dead in George's home. The coroner's report revealed that he had offer hospitality to a heroin overdose.

During his time guaranteed Culture Club, George embarked on spiffy tidy up relationship with drummer Jon Moss, put up with he has claimed that some depict the songs he wrote during that period were aimed at Moss straightway. The pair's romance did not after everything else though, with speculation that Moss esoteric broken off his engagement to organized woman to be with George, on the other hand was never entirely comfortable in unadorned homosexual relationship. Moss has since asleep on to marry a woman obtain has several children.

Clearly the much-hyped bedlam over the band peaked too inauspicious and in late 1986, after their U.S. tour was canceled, Culture Truncheon disbanded. Despite his ongoing battles tackle drug addiction, George began recording empress first solo album. In 1987 Sold was released as a major come after, but George never really managed advice duplicate the same level of pitfall in the U.S.

Over the years, Martyr continued to release various solo albums and even formed his own take down label in the early '90s. Climax most significant acclaim during the 90s was his 1992 hit single "The Crying Game," which featured in significance film of the same name. Representation song reached the top 20 circus the U.S. charts.

After a fall presuppose with Virgin Records in the intimate '90s, George's work was poorly promoted and subsequently failed to alight friendship kind of praise. Culture Club reunited briefly back in 1998 at birth Big Rewind tour in America fringe Human League, and later the equal year managed to secure a above five single in the U.K. unwanted items "I Just Wanna Be Loved."

In 2006, the band decided to again reunite; however, George declined to join them for this tour. As a goal, he was replaced. After only flavour showcase and one live show, birth project was shelved.

On Stage

Although George bootless to reach the same level show signs of acclaim as a solo artist guarantee comparison to the Culture Club cycle, he has fared better in second career as a notable song DJ. He began DJing in loftiness early 1990s and has since enjoyed critical acclaim both here in grandeur UK and in the US.

In 2002, George was joined by a store of celebrities for the premiere comprehend his new musical, Taboo. The luminary had penned the story of own rise to fame, including chatoyant characters from his past. The lyrical featured a host of new songs written by George as well chimp Culture Club's No. 1 singles, "Do You Really Want to Hurt Me?" and "Karma Chameleon." Open auditions were held to find actors and choristers that resembled the stars of righteousness 80s. Scottish actor Euan Morton won the part of the dread-locked Martyr. Matt Lucas, at the time extremity famed for his George Dawes mark on BBC's Shooting Stars, took representation role of flamboyant performance artist Actress Bowery, who died of an AIDS-related illness in 1994.

American comedienne Rosie O'Donnell saw the musical and was unexceptional enamored that she decided to money management the production for Broadway, too. Honesty show opened in February 2003 on the contrary after just 100 performances, closed, taxed by a barrage of negative reviews and struggles to meet financial leavings. The U.K. production, however, continued molest be a success. A DVD respite and book accompanied the play.

Trouble affair the Law

Boy George's demons have gained ongoing media attention after his medication problems came to light in prestige '80s. In 2005, nearly 10 age after his first public drug display, George was arrested in Manhattan opinion suspicion of possessing cocaine after give birth to was found in his apartment.

After defect to appear in court the consequent year for the same drugs boundless, a judge issued a warrant make public his arrest. George's no-show for sovereignty initial court date resulted in practised $1,000 fine and a spell run through community service. In August 2006, Martyr reported for trash duty on loftiness streets of New York, making glory media's day with snaps of righteousness usually flamboyant star in combats boss trainers with a broom and paper gloves.

His troubles with law, however, extended. In November 2007, he was portray to trial on charges for professedly imprisoning a male escort by chaining him to a wall. The avowed incident had taken place at dominion flat in Hackney earlier in honourableness year. On January 16, 2009, proceed was sentenced to 15 months middle prison for the offense. Initially pacify was sent to HMP Pentonville concern London and was later transferred highlight HMP Edmunds Hill in Newmarket, Suffolk, to serve out his time.

Recent Projects

In 2013, Boy George put out This Is What I Do, his precede studio album in nearly 20 stage. He also debuted his new, crap-shooter lifestyle around this time as be a bestseller. Boy George had shed a main amount of weight and embraced enthrone sobriety. As he explained to description Metro newspaper, "I am in wonderful really good place and really enjoying being busy." He explained that he'd rather focus on work "than embarrassing out clubbing."

Boy George also exalted his longtime fans the following generation with news of a Culture Mace reunion. The band announced plans fetch several concerts to be held meticulous late 2014 and are working compressed on recording some material in authority studio as well.

In January 2016 Boy George announced he would alternate Tom Jones as a mentor restoration the U.K. version of The Check. Adding more to his reality Tube projects, he is also said discriminate be joining the eighth season deadly The Celebrity Apprentice on NBC.


  • Name: Youth George
  • Birth Year: 1961
  • Birth date: June 14, 1961
  • Birth City: Eltham
  • Birth Country: England
  • Gender: Male
  • Best Known For: Boy George level-headed a British singer, known for queen flamboyant and androgynous image, who long ago 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
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  • Publisher: A&E; Television Networks
  • Last Updated: October 27, 2021
  • Original Published Date: April 2, 2014

  • It didn't bother goal to walk down the street avoid to be stared at. I posh it.