Boy George facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Boy George
Boy George in 2016
Born	George Alan O'Dowd (1961-06-14) 14 June 1961 (age 63) Barnehurst, Kent, England
Other names	George Angela Dust
Occupation	Singer songwriter disc jockey mixed media artist
Years active	1979 (1979)–present
Musical career
Genres	Pop new wave blue-eyed soul
Instruments	Vocals turntables
Labels	EMI Virgin Epic Sire More Protein Plan A Records Very Me Records Kobalt BMG

George Alan O'Dowd (born 14 June 1961), known as Boy George, is an English singer, songwriter, and DJ. He became famous as the lead singer of the pop band Culture Club. He started his solo music career in 1987.

Boy George grew up in Eltham, England. He was part of the New Romantic movement in the late 1970s and early 1980s. His unique look and fashion style were inspired by glam rock artists like David Bowie and Marc Bolan. In 1981, he formed Culture Club with Roy Hay, Mikey Craig, and Jon Moss.

The band's second album, Colour by Numbers (1983), sold over 10 million copies worldwide. Their popular songs include "Do You Really Want to Hurt Me", "Karma Chameleon", and "The War Song".

Boy George was also the lead singer of Jesus Loves You from 1989 to 1992. He still performs alone and with Culture Club, who have reunited several times. He also started a career as a DJ in the mid-1990s. Besides music, Boy George enjoys mixed media art, writing, designing clothes, and photography. He has appeared on TV shows, including I'm a Celebrity...Get Me Out of Here! in 2022.

As a solo artist, Boy George has released many albums and singles. His solo hits include "Everything I Own" and "The Crying Game". He also sang on the 1984 charity song "Do They Know It's Christmas?". Boy George's music mixes pop, new wave, soul, and reggae. He has won several awards both as a solo artist and with Culture Club. In 2015, he received an Ivor Novello Award for his great contributions to British music.

Early Life and Inspirations

Boy George was born George Alan O'Dowd in Barnehurst, England, on 14 June 1961. He grew up in Eltham as the second of five children. His family was a working-class Irish Catholic family. His father was of Irish descent, and his mother was from Dublin.

He was a big fan of the New Romantic movement, which was popular in the UK in the early 1980s. He and his friend Marilyn often went to Blitz, a famous London nightclub. Boy George was inspired by pop artists like Siouxsie and the Banshees, Roxy Music, and Patti Smith. He also loved glam rock pioneers David Bowie and T. Rex frontman Marc Bolan.

Boy George said that Bowie and Bolan showed him a "bohemian existence" he could only dream of. He loved their music and felt that an artist's style and songs are all part of one complete package.

Boy George's Music Journey

Culture Club: The Early Years

Boy George's unique fashion sense caught the eye of music manager Malcolm McLaren. McLaren arranged for Boy George to perform with the group Bow Wow Wow. Boy George, known as Lieutenant Lush then, later left the group. He decided to start his own band with bassist Mikey Craig.

They were joined by Jon Moss, who had played drums for other bands, and guitarist Roy Hay. They chose the name Culture Club. The band recorded demo songs, but EMI Records did not sign them. However, Virgin Records in the UK and Epic Records in the US showed interest.

Their first album, Kissing to Be Clever, came out in 1982. The song "Do You Really Want to Hurt Me" became a huge international hit. It reached number one in many countries. This was followed by other hits like "Time" and "I'll Tumble 4 Ya". Culture Club became the first group since the Beatles to have three Top 10 hits in the US from their first album.

Culture Club: Big Success and Charity

Their next album, Colour By Numbers, was a massive success. It topped the UK charts and reached number two in the US. The song "Church of the Poison Mind" was a Top 10 hit. "Karma Chameleon" became an international sensation, reaching number one in 16 countries. It was the best-selling single of 1983 in the United Kingdom.

Boy George's theatrical make-up and unique fashion on display at the Hard Rock Cafe, Hollywood

Other hits from the album included "Victims" and "It's a Miracle". The band's third album, Waking Up with the House on Fire, also did well. Its first single, "The War Song", was a number two hit in the UK.

On 25 November 1984, Boy George joined other famous artists for the Band Aid charity single "Do They Know It's Christmas?". This song raised money to help people affected by famine in Africa. It became a Christmas number one hit and the best-selling single of 1984 in the United Kingdom.

In 1986, Boy George made a guest appearance in an episode of the TV show The A-Team. Later that year, Culture Club released their fourth album, From Luxury to Heartache, which included the hit "Move Away". After this, the band decided to take a break.

Culture Club: Reunions and Tours

In July 1998, Culture Club reunited for some concerts. They also toured the US with other bands. The band released a new song, "I Just Wanna Be Loved", which reached number four in the UK charts. A new Culture Club album, Don't Mind If I Do, was released in 1999.

In 2006, the band planned another reunion tour, but Boy George did not join. However, in 2011, Boy George announced a 30th anniversary Culture Club reunion tour. Although the full tour did not happen, they played concerts in Dubai and Sydney.

Boy George with Culture Club in Sydney, Australia, December 2011

In May 2014, Culture Club announced they were back together. They shared a new picture of the four members and planned concerts in the UK and America. The band also planned to tour New Zealand in 2016.

Boy George's Solo Career: 1980s and 1990s

In 1987, Boy George released his first solo album, Sold. It was very successful in Europe. The album included UK number one hit "Everything I Own". Other singles like "Keep Me in Mind" and "To Be Reborn" were also popular.

Boy George had his first solo US Top 40 hit with "Live My Life". His next albums, Tense Nervous Headache (1988) and Boyfriend (1989), were released internationally but not in the US. Instead, a special album called High Hat (1989) was released in North America. This album featured the US Top 5 R&B hit "Don't Take My Mind on a Trip".

Boy George also released "No Clause 28", a song protesting a law that limited discussions about homosexuality in schools. At the 1989 Brit Awards, Andy Bell of Erasure publicly supported Boy George and protested the law.

In 1989, Boy George started his own record label, More Protein. He began recording under the name Jesus Loves You. He released several popular songs in the early 1990s, including "Generations of Love" and "Bow Down Mister". The song "Bow Down Mister" became a UK Top 30 hit in 1991. He wrote it after being inspired by the Hare Krishna movement during a trip to India.

In 1992, Boy George had a hit with "The Crying Game", produced by the Pet Shop Boys. This song was from the movie of the same name. It reached number 22 in the UK and number 15 in the US.

Boy George also became a well-known DJ. He mixed music for popular compilations like Fantazia The House Collection 2. He also created CDs for the London nightclub Ministry of Sound. In 1993, he was featured on the P.M. Dawn song "More Than Likely".

In 1995, Boy George released the rock-influenced album Cheapness and Beauty. He also released The Unrecoupable One Man Bandit – Volume One, which was first sold online. He worked on a new group called 'Dubversive' in 1997, exploring trip-hop, dub, and reggae music. Some of these songs later appeared on a Culture Club box set.

Boy George also released dance songs in different countries. "Love Is Leaving" reached the Top 3 in Italy, and "When Will You Learn" was number one in Switzerland. "When Will You Learn" was even nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Dance Recording. In 1999, he collaborated with dance acts like Faithless and Groove Armada.

Boy George's Solo Career: 2000s and Beyond

Boy George continued to be a public figure. He starred in the London musical Taboo, which was based on the New Romantic scene of the early 1980s. He played the performance artist Leigh Bowery. Taboo was very successful in London's West End. Boy George was nominated for a Tony Award for "Best Musical Score".

Boy George performing at Ronnie Scott's Jazz Club, London in 2001

In 2002, Boy George released U Can Never B2 Straight, a collection of acoustic songs. From 2002 to 2004, he experimented with electronica under the name "The Twin". He released limited edition singles and an album called Yum Yum.

In 2003, he hosted a weekly radio show in London. He also appeared on the British comedy show The Kumars at No. 42. In 2005, he was a guest host for The Friday Night Project on Channel 4.

Boy George has also had his own fashion line called "B-Rude". In 2007, he released "Time Machine", a song he co-wrote with Ivor Novello Award-winning songwriter Amanda Ghost. He also released dance collaborations like "You're Not the One" and "Atoms".

Boy George performing as a DJ in Brazil, 2007

Boy George toured as a DJ around the world in 2007. In 2008, he had a special residency at the Shaw Theatre in London. He also performed at RETROFEST in Scotland. His planned American tour in 2008 was cancelled because he could not get a US visa.

In 2009, he signed a new record deal and released the album Ordinary Alien – The Kinky Roland Files in 2010. He also took part in Night of the Proms, a series of concerts combining pop and classical music.

Boy George: 2010s to Present

Boy George during the Here and Now Tour in 2011

In October 2012, Boy George appeared at the Melbourne International Arts Festival. He performed as a DJ and with Antony Hegarty. In June 2013, a new song called "Coming Home" was released. It was co-written with his former Culture Club bandmate, Mikey Craig.

On 19 August 2013, Boy George announced his new studio album, This Is What I Do. This was his first album of new songs in 18 years. The album was written with his long-time partners John Themis, Kevan Frost, and Richie Stevens.

In 2015, BBC Four showed a film about a 2014 Culture Club reunion and their plans for a new album and tour. In January 2016, Boy George joined The Voice UK as a mentor. He later became a coach on The Voice Australia from 2017 to 2020. In 2019, his contestant, Diana Rouvas, won the competition.

In October 2016, Boy George performed David Bowie's "Starman" with the National Health Service choir for a charity program. In 2017, he was a contestant on The New Celebrity Apprentice on NBC, supporting Safe Kids Worldwide. He also collaborated with Pitbull on his album Climate Change.

In 2019, he joined Marc Almond and Chrissie Hynde on a song for the Save Soho campaign. In 2020, he released two new solo songs, "Clouds" and "Isolation". In 2021, he was a guest on the BBC's Paul Weller – Live at the Barbican. In September 2021, he became a judge on the Irish talent show The Big Deal.

In November 2022, Boy George appeared as a contestant on I'm a Celebrity...Get Me Out of Here!. He finished in 8th place. From February to May 2024, Boy George played the role of Harold Zidler in the Moulin Rouge! musical.

Personal Life and Beliefs

Boy George has followed a macrobiotic diet since 1988. In 2001, he published the Karma Cookbook, a macrobiotic cookbook he wrote with Dragana Brown.

In 2018, Boy George appeared on the BBC genealogy show Who Do You Think You Are?. He discovered he was related to Thomas Bryan, an Irish revolutionary.

Boy George has spoken about his practice of Nichiren Buddhism and chanting Namu Myōhō Renge Kyō. He says this practice helps him stay strong. He has also said, "I'm Catholic in my complications and Buddhist in my aspirations." Boy George has several tattoos, including a Christian cross and a Jewish Star of David. He also has tattoos of David Bowie and Marc Bolan on his arms.

Memoirs

HarperCollins published Boy George's first autobiography, Take It Like a Man, in 1995. It was a best-seller in the UK. In 2005, Century published Straight, his second autobiography. It was on The Sunday Times best-seller list for six weeks.

His third memoir, Karma: My Autobiography, was published in the UK in November 2023.

Awards and Recognition

Discography

Filmography