BoyGeorge.com is for sale
BoyGeorge.com is for sale
a review of Boy George's impact on culture, society & music
Reach Out - Touch George
Boy George's Twitter: https://twitter.com/BoyGeorge
Boy George returns to Broadway in "Moulin Rouge! The Musical” - he plays Harold Zidler from Feb. 6 to May 11. His first, and last time on Broadway, was over 20 years ago and the show was not well received. This time Boy George is joining a successful play that won 10 Tony Awards in 2021. Yet, lots of tickets are still available for when Boy George joins the show at the Al Hirschfeld Theatre. How audiences react to George will provide insight into the age old question: will Boy George ever be a star again in America? Vegas odds say no.
I'm a Celebrity ... Get Me Out of Here"
US release date 1/9/24
This is the third autobiography by Boy George,
following Take it Like a Man
in 1995 and Straight in 2005.
I can't help seeing Boy George as the lonely relative at Christmas, you know the drunk uncle telling the hero stories of days gone by - his days gone by. Do you see that too? Really the question we should be asking ourselves here is “why?”. As in why is Boy George rehashing the same stories over again from his two previous memoirs? That's right, this is Boy George’s third autobiography, and the second one he co-wrote/ghost wrote with Spencer Bright.
The autobiography I want to read is Spencer Bright's … imagine the golden stories - I demur.
So why is Boy George constantly clamoring for our attention? More to come.
Full Name: George Alan O'Dowd
Age: 62
Born: June 14, 1961
Birthplace: Bexley, Kent, UK
Resides: London & Los Angeles
Fame: Singer, Culture Club, Prison
Married: No
Partner: Last known - Michael Dunne
Children: None
Religion: Nichiren Buddhism
Net Worth: $50,000,000 (est)
Height: 6'0"
Weight: varies, but gaining
Shoe Size: 10
Karma Chameleon: movie cancelled
Karma: My Autobiography: US release Date 1/9/24
BoyGeorge.com is getting reports the real reason Harry Styles backed out of the Boy George movie is Styles was uneasy and reluctant to portray the chaining, whipping and beating of model Auden Carlsen, which sent Boy George to prison. Totally understandable.
After Covid delays it appears casting delays are pushing back Boy George's movie "Karma Chameleon" production date as leading man candidate Harry Styles has pulled out of the running. Losing Styles is a big loss as the media and fan favorite would have been a huge draw for the film. Boy George said “There was talk of Harry Styles, but I think he ran. He was too scared.” The rumor is apparently Styles was fearful that playing Boy George would firmly put him in the "softboy" camp and create confusion about his sexual identity. Dumbfounding as Styles is currently dating the brilliant and beautiful Olivia Wilde, who ironically, if she put a Boy George hat on could also play the part.
Enter Pansexual UK singer Yungblud (never to be confused with being Hungblud) into the running and apparently doing promo tests. “They are looking at a kid called Yungblud. He is a big English sensation. He is quite young and he has been auditioning" Boy George said cheerfully putting Harry Styles behind him. But replacing Styles with a rising, but lesser, D-List star like Younblud does not help soften the blow as Styles would be a ticket draw on both sides of the pond for the Millennium production as most Americans know nothing of Yungblud (spelled with a Y, not an H.) Yungblud might actually welcome the gender discussions Harry Styles seems to be scared of. If you step back and think about it, embracing gender fludity is a much neater fit with Boy George's lifestyle as George kick-started those conversations back in the 80's. So maybe Styles showing his "fear" now is a good thing - someone fearless is needed to portray Boy George.
I am incognito
No village or any screen
So proud of Tesco
Just like his majesty its for EVER green.
30 years and no rust
New recruits and no lack
Never going to bite the dust
Not even if a dragon attack.
Are you looking down
Can you see pain is so close to pleasure
You are my sister got me into the crown
Freddie look after the other George he too is treasure.
Got a new pace
No poetry as had to draw the line
Spreading the queen is the bicycle race
I am sure farrokh will be remembered on the vine.
-- UK UK
UK UK sent in this poem hoping Boy George would enjoy it.
We here at BoyGeorge.com sure as shit did!
"There's only one problem, and it's quite major - who's going to play me?" said Boy George as he launched a casting search for an actor to play the lead in his upcoming biopic titled Karma Chameleon. "I want to be impressed" Boy George stated.
Who will play Boy George?
Fans have been posting suggestions on our site:
Adam Lambert
Sophie Turner
Harry Styles
It won't be Keanu Reeves in the staring role, the A-list star's agent said Reeves won't be staring in the film.
Jon Moss - the forgotten founder of Culture Club.
Boy George & Culture Club are performing a live stream at Royal Albert Hall on 11/22/20. But is that correct to say - can we still call them Culture Club today, in light of the lawsuit by Jon Moss, and mean it? Is it really Culture Club that will play at Albert Hall? And by that we mean the current configuration of the band - you know, minus Jon Moss.
The messages from Boy George's camp about his band's name is getting almost as frantic and chaotic as Donald Trump's tweets about fake news - the way that Boy George refers to his band keeps evolving and changing - almost on a weekly basis - something is rotten in the state of Denmark. When they toured in 2018 the band was called Culture Club. Then after tossing out Jon Moss the name changed from Culture Club to Boy George & Culture Club. Now, with the most recent announcement of a show at the Royal Albert Hall, the band is back to calling itself Culture Club? Which one is it? Maybe only the rotund 'mastermind' PK knows. But hey, turns out the rest of us can play this game too.
Is there a better name for the threesome Boy George now fronts?
Would Boy George & the Wee2 be a better fit?
Does Boy George & The Leftovers sound best?
Or is Culture Club Minus1 (Culture Club -1) more accurate?
Seems like an endless variety of names - and at this rate PK might cycle through them all in 2020 and 2021. Got a winner-winner-chicken dinner of a new name for Culture Club? Add your Voice
Auden Carlsen - We Want Your Story
Reach out Touch George - we, along with millions of others, want to know your side of the story. We will post it here Auden.
Reach Out - Auden Carlsen
Dear Boy George,
What a fool I have been, so glad to have 'found' you (your music).
During the summer I got the Culture Club greatest hits DVD for my son John to keep him in high spirits and he loves music and rhythm. He is 8, I am 49.
Straight away he loved it of course. Immediately we both became obsessed with playing it (and watching it!) and now a month or so later we've got 5 or 6 more CDs & DVDs ( Boy George's and Culture Club 's).
The two we really love and play a lot right now are "This Is What I Do" album and "Culture Club Live at Wembley" from 2016/7. I so wish we had been there. Hopefully in the future. ... my son is fully into your music from all the years now and I can't put into words how it makes me feel.
I married an abusive man. We left him in January and live at Womens' Aid refuge at the moment. 'King Of Everything' means so much to me. My son deserved better. The ordeal isn't over but it is a new life for us. I can't list all the ways we are mad about you, your voice; songs, but you have opened up a new world of music for my son, and it makes us happy, thank you George.
Zoe
Xxx
Who asked John Moss to leave Culture Club?
BoyGeorgeCultureClub.com
Heroin and addiction issues prematurely cut short the successful period of Boy George's musical career with Culture Club, while a conviction and prison term for abusing (whipping) and imprisoning (chaining) a male model have marred Boy George's later years.
The Daily Frail labeled Boy George a B-list star, quoting a source from Channel 7 Australia (the new owners of The Voice Australia) implying that the old owners of the Voice Aussie style were paying too much for a bunch of B-listers. Is Boy George a B-list star? Do fans of his really care what the Daily Frail has to say? That did not stop Boy George from having a romp on Twitter about this:
"I've never been "dumped" by a network. My nipples are hard!"
Tweet
"They can't afford me darling!"
Tweet
Boy George deserves better
Who is leading Boy George's online presence? It seems like no one is in charge. Or they do not have a working plan. First Boy George's main site was BoyGeorgeUK.com – a horrible site that smelled like it was created by a corporate, middle-aged man bent on milking Boy George fans out of every penny it could – it was a joyless, soulless, corporate site that was a stark contrast to the whimsicalness that is Boy George. For the last few weeks BoyGeorgeUK.com has been “undergoing maintenance” - the now blank screen that greets visitors is really a step up from what the site was before.
So what is?
Two years ago Boy George's management was branding him online as Boy George and Culture Club so they brought out BoyGeorgeandCultureClub.com – which was a great site and seemed like a big improvement over the lackluster BoyGeorgeUK.com. But now BoyGeorgeandCultureClub.com forwards to BoyGeorgeUK.com – so both sites are pointing to a dead page that says “undergoing maintenance.”
Apparently the new site is BoyGeorgeandCultureClub.net – not even a .com but a .net is how Boy George is being presented to the world? Really, this is as good as it gets for our man George?
Who is responsible for this mess? Not Boy George – he is an artist and rightly spends his days being creative, writing, coming and going and speaking of Michelangelo. Boy George is not the person in charge of marketing nor is he the problem here. His job is to be Boy George.
His management? Boy George is managed by PK, or Paul Kemsley who is famous in America for being on RHOBH and for having debt and money issues according to the show's story-lines – good grief apparently someone who can’t manage his own money is in charge of managing Boy George's career? Perhaps if PK and his wife Dorito were not on RHOBH he would have time to fix this web mess. Maybe PK is thinking more about Dorito's career than Boy George’s. Who knows at this point but it is a messy web of online failure.
Boy George – make these people earn the money they take from you – have all your dead sites forward to the one site you are using – its not rocket science.
Good Evening,
My name is Leesa Fairclough and I’m a qualified make up artist.
My dream is to do Boy George’s make up just one time.
He always inspires me with his bold beautiful colour and outfits.
My face book and Instagram name is called flawless beauty by Leesa.
All my work is on there. I love using bold colour as you will see.
If you could make this dream come true for just one day I would be so grateful.
Kind RegardsHi George,
Please find attached a pop art inspired canvas portrait of yourself,
bright, bold and outside the box
Canvas portrait of Boy George by Rebecca Toth, 2020
Take care in these COVID times
Rebecca Toth
Hi boy george, how are you?
My name is Guilherme S
I am 18 years old and I am a big fan of yours
I live in Brazil and I love your music My favorite is Karma Chameleon
I love doing your makeup I think it’s amazing I’m very inspired by you
hug Guilherme S
please answer this email
George reach out or have Doritos breath's buddy, Erin M, reach out to us again for Guilherme's 411.
Mel from Reunion Island wrote in
Will Boy George sing his song?
My name is Mel (AKA Chaff Chaff Gambler) and I’m a French artist - actually a singer. I live in Reunion Island near Madagascar and Mauritius. I’m also an author, composer. I wrote and composed a song and I wanted to know if Boy George would be interested in singing it?
I’ve always been a fan of Culture Club but I have always been seduced by the ambivalent personality of Boy George and his voice of course.
I write in French and in English.
If Boy George is interested and wishes to embark on this project, just let me know and I will send you the demo.
It’s an honest and extremely serious proposition.
I apologize in advance for the spelling errors.
I wish you a good day and remain at your disposal for more information.
Hope to hear about you soon!Chaff Chaff Gambler's Facebook Page
Will Boy George reach out to Mel?
Only the Boy knows!
Dominic from Australia wrote in
Hi George,
I’d love to say, "Hi" and we have an unfinished conversation that we started on the steps, inside the foyer of The Fridge in Brixton in 1989.
It was regarding an interview you did on Radio 1, when you spoke about Gladys Knight connecting with your soul and also opened up a lot about very personal stuff, which was so admirable and really groundbreaking at the time.
I was hoping to finish the conversation at John Richmond’s party at the end of London Fashion Week, in Marlborough St, but I was leaving Just as you were arriving with Bananarama lol.
Are you still in Australia? I moved to Australia 26 years ago and for the last 5 years I’ve been living in an old rectory, in a rural part of Tasmania. It’s a magical place, which I share with my dog and resident ghost “Ida”. I purchased this house but since meeting Ida, I realise I’m simply it’s custodian.
You’ll be wondering who the heck this is and I’m sure you won’t remember me; Simon will probably remember me for taking over his decks at Bill Stickers!
If you are still in Australia and if you get this email, I’d love to finish the conversation. I’ve been sober now for almost 6 years (October 27th is my AA birthday).
If, by chance, you find yourself in Tassie, I hope you’ll take a leap of faith and accept an invitation to come and stay. I’ll leave it there for now, but happily chat more and send photos etc (don’t worry: I’m gorgeous), once I know I’ve connected with George.
Hope to hear from you 😘
Dominic
Dominic goes on to give his mobile and email address which we won't print here now - George, we know you read this site just reach out to get Dominic's 411 - Reach out - Touch George
Kristal from Australia
wrote in wishing Boy George a Happy Birthday
Hi George,
Happiest 59th Birthday to you from Australia.
I’m 34 and have loved your music since I was old enough to remember!
I love how you’ve never given up and grown stronger through everything you’ve endured. You’re not perfect; none of us are... but you own your shit.
You seem to be proud, yet also striving to change/learn/grow.
Just wanted to let you know you are admired.
I sincerely hope you have been well and happy through the covid situation.
I hope your mum is on the mend too!
All the best,
Kristal
The news is out that MGM is preparing a movie about Boy George, directed by Sacha Gervas, with Sophie Turner expressing an interest in playing the part of Boy George in the film. Awesome, right?
But can one actor really play the role of Boy George? Our man George has not only aged over the years since his early success but also dramatically changed his body depending on what substances he was consuming or how much food he was eating.
Clearly Sophie Turner and Kristen Stewart are doppelgangers for a young Boy George but who will play the older Boy George - or a bloated, boozed and drugged Boy George? Such a dilemma. Both Kristen Stewart and Sophie Turner are too thin - in body and face - to pull it off. A skinny person will struggle with the role.
Enter Katy Perry. Perry has the face that would allow her to play both a young Boy George and the more rotund Boy George of the last 15 years. The bonus with Perry is she has the vocal chops to crush it singing Boy George and Culture Club's work. If the producers decide to re-record the music - a la Taron Egerton in "Rocketman" and Val Kilmer in "The Doors", Katy Perry is simply made to order.
Since PK, or Paul Kemsley is co-producing the Boy George biography movie, the betting odds are that he will have a voice in who plays Boy George in the film - PK's views and desires here could make things harder for Sacha Gervas to pick the right person to play Boy George. Stay tuned. Thoughts?
We, like many, are curious what the new Boy George film will be about - the star or the person behind the star? Will it be a story of myths and urban legends as told by the media or the hero story of an artist and cultural figure who helped pave the way for a completely modern way of viewing gender.
Will it just be about Culture Club and stardom and his "Persona" - or will it cover the entirety of his life including the ugly side of addiction, arrest and prison? We can hardly wait for Hollywood.
And Boy George wants Sophie Turner to play
him in the planned movie about his life. We can't wait to see the casting call.
Boy George was very un-Buddha like on the Voice Australia after a row with contestant Daniel Shaw - George had a mini-snit storming off the stage during the show leaving his fellow judges stunned. While we are all used to the public battles of George's addictions, it is interesting to see the public battle George fights trying to be a better Buddhist and more Zen-like is his every day life. On this day, Boy George was more Diva than Buddha. We believe in you George, be the Buddha, not the Pouter.
Want unfettered access to the mind and quirkiness of Boy George? The best way to experience Boy George online is on Twitter - Boy George's Twitter account is an absolute hoot.
There is no filtering on Boy George's twitter account, no business executive saying no, or promoter poo-poohing Boy George's shenanigans - just pure Boy George being Boy George. Compared with his Tweets, Boy George's commercial site comes across as cold, soulless and reeking of an old businessman because it is run by an older businessman, whereas on Twitter Boy George is an active, cheeky and lively tweeter - his personality is unchained and shines brightly.
Twitter lets you get real close to Boy George and his personal sense of humor comes through. Boy George is extremely approachable and full of banter - fans seem to connect easily and effortlessly on Twitter and Boy George appears to enjoy the interactions. Here are some great exchanges:
FAN: Shouldn't it be "Man George" at this point?
BG: Wouldn't you like to find out! Tweet
FAN: Hi George - very very I'm sad because yesterday
I sent to you tweet and you didn't answer It
BG: Get used to that! Lol! x Tweet
FAN: wow, I thought boy george was dead
BG: What a lovely tweet? Tweet
FAN: I don't like Bernie Sanders
BG: What about Colonel Sanders? Tweet
There are some Boy George impersonators on twitter too but the are pretty easy to spot; the first clue is they reach out to you; the second is they are trying to sell you something or asking for money - the real Boy George does not ask for your money, just your love and appreciation; the third, and the easiest way to tell, is they do not have Twitter's blue verified badge next to their name. At the top of our site we link to Boy George's twitter account as well as throughout our site - https://twitter.com/BoyGeorge
"Every single article at an airport always say's 'Boy George was
unrecognisable' and yet they still managed to take my picture."
- Boy George
As in a digital pirate?
In December Boy George admitted on Twitter
to downloading a pirated copy of the movie Bohemian Rhapsody:
"I downloaded a copy of @BoRhapMovie but it was a terrible bootleg.
All I could see was 'a little silhouette of a man!!!!"
Now granted, our man George is being funny with the "little silhouette of a man" line - it's a Queen thing, the lines are straight outta of the song "Bohemian Rhapsody." But what are you teaching your fans, Boy George? "Will you do the fandango" and use the Fandango site to pony up and buy a ticket just like the rest of us working stiffs? We're sure you were being cheeky in your tweet, and certainly wouldn't want anyone to pirate your own or Culture Club's records, so please don't be a pirate of Queen's work. It's not good for anyone's record sales, and it certainly isn't good karma.
If you listen to the radio, streaming music, or shop in stores during the holiday season it is hard not to hear the song "Do They Know it's Christmas". Recorded in 1984 the song was a huge success musically, and culturally became one of the best-selling singles with the proceeds going towards famine relief in Africa. Additionally, it signaled a group of musicians ability to enact positive change in the world. At the forefront of the recording was one the hottest musician in the world in 1984 - Boy George - who sings the 2nd stanza of the song:
And in our world of plenty we can spread a smile of joy
Throw your arms around the world at Christmastime
Two things are evident when revisiting this video again in 2018 - Sting, aka Gordon Summer from the Police, was incredibly gorgeous in his youth and man Boy George can really freaking sing - from the get go he makes this song his own as he belts out his lines (as well as additional backup throughout the remainder of the song).
Since Boy George is no stranger to famine relief, willing to donate his time and energy (he flew from the States to London - hungover allegedly - just to sing on the record), it might be whimsically constructive to ask ourselves in a novel way during this current time of plenty in the West, what can we do to help others in need, and are we able to throw our arms around the world at Christmastime: just ask yourself - what would Boy George do?
WWBGD?
Things have evolved in 2018 for the band Culture Club - sometime during the year Culture Club changed from being called Culture Club to being called Boy George and Culture Club. Bravo. We at BoyGeorge.com do not have a problem with that, nor we do we think anyone in the US buying tickets to the Life Tour or buying the new music will either. And that seems just about right in the second decade of the 21st century - while Boy George is still recognizable and a known entity who passes both the grandmother test (hey I remember him) and the millennial test (hey I saw him on the Voice) sadly his three band-mates in Culture Club do not pass either test nor make the attention dial move - at all. So bring on Boy George and Culture Club - we wouldn't want it any other way. Well, Boy George did tweet "We are now known as 'Roy Hay And Culture Club!" Cheeky monkey.
"You are not a real man unless you have walked through a gang of skinheads in stilettos."
- Boy George
Please share your thoughts & views
"I am so excited to join the cast of (RHOBH) as I am a huge fan of the show.
I am looking forward to spending
time with all the ladies ...
and hopefully meeting Boy George!!"
- Denise Richards -
BravoTV.com
If you haven't already heard, actress Denise Richards is joining the cast of the Real Housewives of Beverly Hills this season, and the above statement makes one assume she is thrilled to not only be the newest member of the show, but also how excited she is to meet the fabulous Boy George.
On September 8, 2018, Denise was married to her boyfriend, Aaron Phypers, and the RHOBH ladies (and cameras) were in attendance. Was Boy George able to make it? He was scheduled to perform in Englewood, CO on the evening of her wedding, so perhaps not. We'll have to wait for the new season of the show to air to find out if Denise gets to meet Boy George, but it may be a safe bet he'll turn up at some point in the season and we'll finally get to see another Housewife go gaga for George. Can you blame her? Oh, to be Denise!
First New Songs in 20 years with Culture Club
On August 1, 2018, Boy George and Culture Club released thier first single from the forthcoming album, Life, slated to be released in October 26, 2018. Life will be the first album the band has released since 1999. The track, "Let Somebody Love You" is described by Boy George as follows: "This song is about the risk of loving. It talks about how you always seem attracted to people who are trouble. Ultimately, you've got to take the risk to allow yourself to be loved."
From the opening chords, one immediately knows this IS Boy George and Culture Club. One hears tastes of Jamaican reggae, ska, British New Wave, soul, and Latin influences, all of which have defined the band's "sound" for over three decades. Immediately, it makes you want to get up and dance, and they have added some nice touches with a few record scratches mixed in.
The lyrics are uplifting, with George's familiar voice, perhaps older and wiser, yet still as smooth as honey, coming through to blend beautifully with the instruments. The lyrics and beat make one connect with the song, and finding your toes tapping to the beat shouldn't be a surprise. Upon hearing the track the first time, it was apparent that Boy George and Culture Club still have the magical "it", and one hopes that this will not only excite fans from the band's early days, but also help them reach out and find new audiences for their work.
It's a great song for the summer of 2018.
Love is revolution...
Let somebody love you...
"Let Somebody Love You"
I am a poet in New York City
You can see your face in my shoes
I'm young and I'm alive, I've got nothing to lose
A dream, a broken lie, a kiss, so much to resist
And then I find you
I am fire, you are water, nothing we can do
I walk into the room and light your fuse
Love is revolution
War and famine too
Feed the hunger in your heart
Let somebody love you
Let somebody love you ...
Boy George and Culture Club's music is a blend of British new wave with American soul and Jamaican reggae, in addition to calypso, salsa, and country that is both visually stunning and musically enticing - his soulful voice earned both Boy George and Culture Club great success. Boy George has challenged stereotypes and has not been afraid to go against the norm and continues to work to break gender stereotypes. In 2015 he received the prestigious Ivor Novello Award from the British Academy of Songwriters, Composers and Authors for Outstanding Services to British Music.
There's this illusion that homosexuals
have sex and heterosexuals fall in love.
That's completely untrue.
Everybody wants to be loved.
- Boy George
There's no better time than now to be who you are.
- Boy George
My life hasn't always been a disaster,
it's just that when it has, it's been a spectacular disaster.
- Boy George
No one is perfect - far from it - but those who are often exposed to sudden fame and the glories that come with it can find themselves falling into destructive tendencies. Whether it is to escape the pressures of their careers, demons that may haunt them from the past, or merely as a distraction, few are immune. Boy George, himself, can relate. As he said in an interview in 2016 with The Evening Standard, Boy George admits "I thought I was really worldly. I thought I knew everything. Ha! I didn't know shit."
Boy George's troubles began after the demise of his band, Culture Club in 1986, where he emerged as a gaunt junkie, addicted to heroin. He cleaned up, but in early 2000's, he fell off the wagon once more, using the drugs that had tormented him in the 80's. From an article published in The Independent in 2010, while residing in New York City he reported to police that his apartment had been broken into. There was no evidence of this burglary, but when officers arrived, they did find 13 bags of cocaine. Boy George was slapped with court-ordered community service for these transgressions and "he ended up sweeping ... the open streets of Chinatown" creating a media circus, until he was allowed to finish the sentence inside the Sanitation Department grounds.
Boy George is now sober and living a clean lifestyle. He practices Nichiren Buddhism and says: "My appetite for self-destruction and misery is greatly diminished. I'm not interested in being unhappy." Boy George has been in recovery for years and is doing very well. Wisely, he told the interviewer at The Evening Standard, "An addict is an addict. But until you can say, 'I'm an addict,' you can't start to make peace with those demons."
And as for Boy George's head tattoos? He gave them up when he gave up alcohol. Boy George said, "When I stopped drinking I lost the desire to be tattooed on the head." As for his present and future, living a sober lifestyle? He told The Independent, "There are many people in recovery all the time, and a great many of them manage to stay clean, to do good, to sort out their lives. I should know. I am one of them."
We hope Boy George's wisdom and what he has learned through his years of turmoil and getting to the other side of it will serve him and his fans well for many, many years to come.
Sadly, trouble returned to Boy George's life and he was arrested after a male model was shackled to a radiator and attacked by the singer and an accomplice in 2007, according to an article from the Independent. George was sentenced to 15-months, serving 4 months for good behavior (he wore an ankle monitor and had a curfew for the remainder of his sentence).
Asked by The Evening Standard if he felt the punishment fit the crime, he replied "It's something that happened, and sitting here worrying about whether it was the right thing and 'Did I deserve it?' ... it happened. And I dealt with it." When first reading the above quote, it seems that he has come to terms with this episode from his past.
Yet, there is another side to this coin. Auden Carlsen, the man who was handcuffed and beaten, has come out to speak about his side of the story. In both the article from the Independent and one from The Sun, he speaks of how he was hired by George twice, to be photographed by the singer. During the second visit to his flat, the aforementioned incident occurred - Boy George thought the model had stolen photographs from his computer - and Boy George and another man beat Carlsen and chained him to a radiator while high on cocaine. Panicked, the model was eventually able to free himself and flee into the streets, nearly naked and bleeding. The incident scarred Carlsen, who admitted he spent years in therapy for the trauma this event caused him, as depression and anxiety followed in the wake of the attack.
Now, Boy George is clean and sober again, and his image is on the rise. He has participated in The Voice UK, The Voice Australia, Celebrity Big Brother, as well as releasing new music and touring. Carlsen told The Sun, "the BBC should be ashamed of themselves for employing Boy George after everything he did to me. He shouldn't be allowed to be a mentor - they should axe him. He is a criminal who has been to prison. If a male celebrity beat up a woman with a chain, handcuffed her to a wall and threatened her with a sex toy, there would be a public outcry if he was given a high-profile job at the BBC. But because I am a gay man they think it's OK. It's outrageous."
This is an important point, one that in this day of the #metoo movement deserves a pause. As the Independent states, only 3 - 5 % of male victims of abuse in the U.K. report crimes against them. How do we view male victims of sexual violence in our society, whether their perpetrators are famous or not? We have seen how scores of famous (and once revered) men have fallen from grace in the last few years, due to the uprising of victims voices that will remain silent no more.
As of May 2018, over 86 men in the field of arts and entertainment had been accused in one way or another of sexual harassment or assault. Some of the names include: Harvey Weinstein, Kevin Spacey, Bill O'Reilly, and the list goes on. Most of the names have been accused by female victims, yet others, like Spacey and Bryan Singer have been accused by males. This shows that the abuse does not have a gender preference, simply a need for power and the opportunity to let the mistreatment occur.
Although Boy George deserves a great deal of respect for his life's work, as well as how he has succeeded in rehabilitating himself over the last decade, Auden Carlsen's words underscore that violence does happen to men, and can be just as damaging to their lives as it is for women victims. As a huge Bravo fan, I was thrilled to see Boy George had become an on-again, off-again feature on The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills. Who wouldn't want this eccentric man as their best friend and houseguest? It added an element to the show that was thrilling for those of us who grew up watching his career and being awed by his oversized personality.
Yet, now one wonders what people like Andy Cohen (producer of the Bravo show and an openly gay man who is a very strong gay rights activist in his own right) think of Boy George's past deeds and how George came to terms with them, if indeed we can compare Boy George's indiscretions to those of other men who have been accused? It would be an interesting question to ask on Watch What Happens Live.
Everyone deserves a chance to redeem themselves. In the court of public opinion, it seems that Boy George has done just this. Yet, at the same time, it would be unfair to ignore the plight of the victim and the continuing anguish they may feel when turning on the television, radio, or reading the newspaper and seeing their aggressor in front of their eyes. Especially when Boy George takes a rather flat-line approach to the crime having admitted that "it happened. And I dealt with it."
Yes, he did deal with it - in the high courts, with his sentence and rehabilitation. But where does it leave the victim, and the trauma of the event that changed his life? And where does it leave our view of Boy George - how do we incorporate this horrible act and crime and reconcile it with this new public persona of an apparently benign and Buddha-like man?
"I went to prison; therefore, I've been rehabilitated,
and now I want to get on with my life.
I have paid for what I did, end of story."
- Boy George
There are no easy answers. Does it make one less appreciative of the magic that is Boy George? No. However, it makes one see the "man behind the curtain", the incredibly human, fallible side of him.
No one can or should expect perfection, from themselves or their idols. What we can expect is that public figures (and anyone else) accept their misdeeds and work on bettering themselves and the world around them. One can hope that Boy George continues on that path.
Accepting your faults - and the wrongs you have done - is part of the path to both enlightenment and recovery.
The Independent write-up of False Imprisonment
The Sun write up of False Imprisonment
Boy George - born June 14, 1961, is a British songwriter, singer, fashionista and DJmaster. Boy George has a successful solo musical career and is most famous for being the star and headliner of the seminal English pop band Culture Club. Boy George and Culture Club were at their zenith in the 80's - both musically and culturally. Since winning his addiction battles, Boy George's fame and influence has increased meteorically in the last few years as evidenced by his run on TV's The Voice Australia (The Voice AU) and also with frequent appearances on The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills (RHOBH.) Boy George is 57, single (Boy George is not married) and lives in both England and Beverley Hills, CA.
Boy George entered the music scene in the early 1980's with the band Culture Club. The lead singer was considered by many to be part of the "New Romantic" pop culture movement, which emerged in the nightclub scene in England. It was characterized by flamboyant, eccentric fashion and glam rock, inspired by musicians such as David Bowie and Roxy Music. Boy George and Culture Club were associated with the Second British Invasion and in the early days of MTV, their videos featuring Boy George's androgynous looks dominated television screens.
Throughout his career, both with the band and as a solo artist, Boy George has challenged stereotypes and has not been afraid to go against the norm. Besides his work as a musician, he has been a successful songwriter, author, clothing designer, and photographer. In 2015 he received the prestigious Ivor Novello Award from the British Academy of Songwriters, Composers and Authors for Outstanding Services to British Music.
Although raised as a Catholic, later in life Boy George embraced Nichiren Buddhism and has said that spiritual people have had a strong influence on his life - "I think we are all a work in progress; life is a work in progress. I think the important thing is to kind of focus on being happy and positive."
In 2017, Boy George rerecorded the Village People's hit "YMCA" in partnership with the Australian branch of the YMCA, as part of the "Why Not?" campaign, to shine a light on issues that are important to Australian young people: marriage equality, mental health and youth unemployment. George's version is distinct and slower than the original disco track making it possible to properly hear the lyrics, which contain a message of outreach.
Boy George continues to work to break gender stereotypes - the YMCA Australia posted on Facebook when the track was released, "It's a song about finding your place in the world and being part of something meaningful. It's a song about the struggle every young person has, to fit in." In additon to his work with advocacy groups George has been a judge on the Australian version of the popular television show, The Voice Australia.
There was an ould geezer called trump
Who's hair was all caught in a clump
He wore a red tie with a glint in his eye
And gave his poor wife the right hump!
- Boy George
A Big Fan with a Short Note
by Lynne from Atlanta, GA
I have liked your music since you first started.
I hope you have a Happy Birthday.
You are a great coach on American Idol.
Keep up the good work.
"We were fighting about nothing important while dreaming of the same things."
- Boy George
The Two Georges
by Molly from Santa Fe, NM
I grew up a child of the MTV generation. My parents did not allow cable in our house, so I lived for the weekends, when I could have sleep-overs at my friends' houses and we would stay up until all hours of the night, our eyes glued to the screen, watching videos. Boy George and Culture Club were awe inspiring to a small-town girl from the United States. I was still naive about sexuality and gender identity. He was the first person I saw who was unafraid to be himself, with the makeup, the hair, the in-your-face "this is who I am" (besides David Bowie, who by then had morphed from his Ziggy Stardust persona into his "Let's Dance" more mainstream identity).
Along with numerous other bands and soloists, my best friends and I quickly became WHAM! fans, and our adoration for "the other George" (Michael in this case) knew no bounds. It would be years and albums later before he was "outed" in the 1998 bathroom incident. I had listened to him mature as an artist through the years, but had never thought of him as gay - not that this would have mattered to me. As Boy George stated after Michael's death, "What a beautiful voice he had and his music will live on as a testament to his talent. I can't believe he is gone."
I think most of his fans couldn't either.
But as I researched their relationship as they both rose to fame in the '80's and continued their careers through ups and downs, scandals and successes, they went from rivals to friends. As I read an article from Boy George's appearance on Watch What Happens Live, which aired a day before the one-month anniversary of Michael's death, he stressed how private the late singer was, and in many ways this is a shame, as perhaps if he had reached out to people who were undaunted to break the stereotypes and stigma surrounding LGBTQ community, Michael may have felt more comfortable and some of his demons may have been released. Perhaps his story would have had a different ending.
Yet, Boy George continues to amaze me. As I left MTV and became a fan of Bravo, it was incredible to see his return to the small screen as a recurring presence on the Real Housewives of Beverly Hills. As I have matured, I have gained more respect for this ground breaking singer, who refused to hide who he was to the masses who watched him perform, and continues to follow the beat of his own drum. To me, this is a person who is comfortable in their own skin, who has grown from their experiences, and who can be an advocate for those who are seeking someone they can relate to, and feel less isolated as they venture on their own journey to fully embrace themselves for who they are.
In the same WWHL interview, Boy George explained that "in the '80s, everyone - Peter Burns (Dead or Alive), me, we all used to be really bitchy about each other. It's like the thing that you did in the '80s with the pop magazines. Now it's the Housewives who do it!"
As a fan of the RHOBH, I couldn't agree more, and his presence on the show, as well as the reaction he receives from the women when he performs or interacts with them is fabulous. He is a person unafraid to be who he IS. That is something that has not changed in the 30+ years he has been in the public eye, and I hope it never will.
Thank you Molly from USA for sharing. Add Your Voice
"I can do anything. In GQ, I appeared as a man."
- Boy George
Boy George is a pioneer in LGBT rights.
Being an early outlier has its rewards - in the 80's what was
considered different (and shunned in some circles) is now celebrated and revered. Boy George - and by proxy MTV - played a
large role in exposing main-stream America to the wonderful plasticity and flexibility of being human.
BoyGeorge.com is devoted to all things Boy George - a trail blazing musician who helped break down stereotypes of gender. We invite you to join us on our journey - input, submissions and images are welcome.
Pencil Sketch of Boy George
Boy George 2013 - photo by Dean Stockings