Boy George
Culture Club’s singer brought an androgynous image and a distinctive soul voice into mainstream 1980s pop.
George Alan O’Dowd was born in London in 1961. Growing up in an Irish Catholic family, he found a different social world in the city’s clubs. As Boy George, he became associated with the New Romantic scene, where dress and make-up offered scope for reinvention.
In 1981 he helped form Culture Club. “Do You Really Want to Hurt Me” (1982) and “Karma Chameleon” (1983) became international hits, combining pop, soul and reggae influences. His braids, hats and make-up made him instantly recognisable, while his warm singing voice gave the band an appeal beyond its striking appearance.
His public statements about sexuality changed over time. In his memoir “Take It Like a Man” (1995), he discussed being gay and his relationships, including with Culture Club drummer Jon Moss.
Addiction disrupted his career in the 1980s. In 2009 he received a prison sentence for falsely imprisoning a man, an episode that remains part of his public record. Alongside later reunions with Culture Club, he built a separate career as a DJ and continued performing and recording.