Boy George Memoir

© Janet Mayer / Photorazzi

George Alan O’Dowd, better known as Boy George, (born 14 June 1961 in Eltham, London) is a singer-songwriter and club DJ. He grew up in a large, working-class Irish family who had originated from Thurles, County Tipperary, Ireland.

Boy George was part of the British New Romantic movement which emerged in the early 1980s. He, Marilyn, members of Spandau Ballet, and various other musicians were regulars at The Blitz, a London nightclub hosted by Steve Strange of the band Visage. This led to them being known as the Blitz Kids.

Boy George helped give this androgyny an international stage with the success of Culture Club during the 1980s. Musically speaking, he is often classified as blue-eyed soul, having been heavily influenced by rhythm and blues and reggae. Early recordings with Culture Club showed that Boy George’s vocals had an emotional quality reminiscent of American soul music of the 1960s and 1970s.

His later solo work touches on glam rock influences, particularly David Bowie and Iggy Pop.

When George was with Culture Club, much was made of his androgynous appearance, and there was speculation about his sexuality. When asked the question in interviews, George gave various answers. At times he suggested he was bisexual. He gave a famous, oft-quoted response to an interviewer that “I prefer a nice cup of tea to sex”.

In Take It Like A Man, George told his side of his secret relationship with Culture Club drummer Jon Moss (also Kirk Brandon, see legal problems). He stated many of the songs he wrote for Culture Club were directed at Moss. He also alleged that Moss had broken off his engagement to be with George, and that Moss was never comfortable in a same-sex relationship, although Moss was bisexual. During the Culture Club reunion, though, Moss did acknowledge that he had loved George deeply, although now he is married to a woman and has several children.

George’s striking looks inspired many Boy George look-alike contests around the world, and his face became the image of Culture Club. He became an alternative teen idol, as well as a gay icon.

Source Wikipedia