George O'Dowd (born June 14, 1961), better known as Boy George, is a famous singer and musician who reached fame with his group Culture Club in the 1980s.
George, the son of a medical doctor and his wife, is a native of Kent, England. As a teenager, he began experimenting with cross-dressing in a feminine style, often using long hair and make-up, a fact that did not seem to bother his family.
During the early part of the 1980s, George became a common figure on the London club scene. George's androgynous style caught the attention of music executive Malcolm McLaren, who arranged for George to appear as Lieutenant Lush in a theater concert with Annabella Lwin. Although George and Lwin's act didn't last long, it did introduce George to former DJ Mikey Craig, with whom he created a duo named In Praise Of Lemmings. Shortly after, Adam Ant drummer Jon Moss came into the mix, and they changed the name of the band to Culture Club.
The band's breakthrough hit was "Do You Really Want To Hurt Me?", which enjoyed wide exposure on the music station, MTV. This was followed by more hits, including "Karma Chameleon" and "Miss Me Blind". George's striking looks inspired many a Boy George look-alike contest around the world, and George's face became the image of Culture Club in many fans' minds. He became a sort of alternative teen idol, and had the extravagant lifestyle to go with it.
In 1985, he performed on the Band Aid single to benefit Ethiopia's children.
But with all that success, trouble also loomed. George at the time declared himself to be bisexual, but his sexual lifestyle became the target of much tabloid newspaper speculation. During this time also, he became a drug addict, and an American friend who was visiting his London mansion was found dead after a night of using heroin. His brother went on UK national television and blew the whistle on him, in a desperate attempt to get him to leave the world of drugs. George had recently collapsed on stage at a benefit concert. He finally quit using heroin in 1987, after an ultimatum was given to him by his doctor: either he'd stop using drugs, or he'd die in less than three months.
At the same time, Culture Club was dissolved, and his solo hit "Everything I Own" became his first number 1 hit in the UK since "Karma Chameleon". Many of his following releases were produced to protest the UK's anti-homosexual bill of Clause 28. In 1989, George formed his own label, named More Protein, and a band named Jesus Loves You, a tribute to the Christianity that helped him overcome his drug problem.
In 1992, George saw a resurgence in his career with his cover version of the song "The Crying Game", which was featured on the movie of the same name. He also produced Cheapness And Beauty during that time. George appeared on the Oprah Winfrey show in 1995, where he once again asserted his bisexuality. However, Cheapness and Beauty was the beginning of a series of releases that showed a George who was more comfortable with his homosexuality, and later on, he admitted himself to be fully homosexual. In between, he also released his version if the Iggy Pop song "Funtime", which coincided with his autobiography of the same name.
He once again started touring the world as a DJ in the late 1990s and currently stars in the London musical Taboo.
During 2003 he presented a weekly show on London's LBC radio for 6 months.
George has been reported by fans who have met him in person to be an avid autograph signer.
In the late 1990s George finally told his side of his secret relationship with Culture Club drummer Jon Moss. He alleged that Moss had broken off his engagement to be with George, but Moss was never comfortable with the relationship. As a result, not even the other band members knew about their secret affair, despite many of the band's lyrics being aimed at Jon Moss, specifically the song "Do You Really Want To Hurt Me?".
