Your Favourite Record Store Revealed

Boy George

Boy George

George Alan O'Dowd (born 14 June 1961), known professionally as Boy George, is an English singer, songwriter, actor, DJ and lead singer of the English pop band Culture Club. He began his solo career in 1987. Boy George grew up in Eltham and was part of the New Romantic movement which emerged in the late 1970s to early 1980s. His look and style of fashion was greatly inspired by glam rock pioneers David Bowie and Marc Bolan. He formed the Culture Club with Roy Hay, Mikey Craig and Jon Moss in 1981. The band's second album Colour by Numbers (1983) sold more than 10 million copies worldwide. Their hit singles include "Do You Really Want to Hurt Me", "Time (Clock of the Heart)", "I'll Tumble 4 Ya", "Church of the Poison Mind", "Karma Chameleon", "Victims", "Miss Me Blind", "It's a Miracle", "The War Song", "Move Away" and "I Just Wanna Be Loved".

Boy George was the lead singer of Jesus Loves You between 1989 and 1992. He has performed with Culture Club in reunion shows since 1998, and began his career as a DJ in the late 1990s. Outside of music, Boy George has been involved in many activities, among them songwriting, DJing, writing books, designing clothes and photography. He has also made several appearances in television, most recently appearing as a contestant on the 22nd UK series of I'm a Celebrity...Get Me Out of Here! in November 2022, eventually finishing in 8th place.

As a solo artist, Boy George has released nine studio albums, five compilation albums and forty-eight singles. He has also released seven DJ albums, three EPs and a soundtrack album. His solo hit songs include "Everything I Own", "Bow Down Mister", "Generations of Love" and "Love Is Leaving" and "The Crying Game", from the soundtrack for the film of the same name. He was featured as a vocalist on the 1984 charity song "Do They Know It's Christmas?" and was the last artist featured on the song to record his lines. Boy George's music features several genres, including pop, new wave, soul, soft rock, disco and reggae. He has received several awards as a solo artist and as a member of Culture Club. In 2001, he was voted 46th in a BBC poll of the 100 Greatest Britons. In 2015, Boy George received an Ivor Novello Award from the British Academy of Songwriters, Composers and Authors for Outstanding Services to British Music.

Albums

1987 Sold
1988 High Hat
1988 Tense Nervous Headache
1989 Boyfriend
1995 Cheapness and Beauty
1999 The Unrecoupable One Man Bandit
2002 U Can Never B2 Straight
2010 Ordinary Alien
2013 This Is What I Do
2020 This Is What I Dub Volume 1
2021 Cool Karaoke Volume 1
MusicBrainz content provided under the terms of the Data License
Wikipedia content provided under the terms of the Creative Commons BY-SA license

Don't miss a beat with our FREE daily newsletter

Latest Articles

News / Music
Boy George
Peter Murphy And Boy George Collaborate On New Track, 'Let The Flowers Grow'
It's a pairing few could have expected, but Culture Club’s Boy George has teamed up with Bauhaus frontman Peter Murphy for a new single.
News / Music
Boy George, Bonnie Tyler
Boy George & Bonnie Tyler Lead Inaugural 'Timeless Summer Tour'
Former Spandau Ballet singer Tony Hadley and Starship Featuring Mickey Thomas are also returning down under.
Features / Music
Michael Jackson, Madonna, George Michael, Boy George, Prince, Bruce Springsteen
40 Years Ago: The Year Of The Superstar
A new type of music fame emerged 40 years ago, with artists releasing mega hits and experiencing fame unlike anything we've ever seen.
News / Music
Boy George, Kylie Minogue
Boy George Accused Of 'Ripping Off' Kylie Minogue With Eerily Similar Single Artwork
In response to accusations of ripping off Kylie Minogue, Boy George wrote: “I'm recycling everything. It's all the rage. Even fashion is catching on?”
News / Music
Boy George, Madonna
Boy George Describes Madonna As 'Full Of Herself' In His Autobiography
"I know for a fact she’s too full of herself to even mention me..."
News / Music
Boy George Attends Brisbane Napalm Death Show And Loves It
"Saw the noise monsters [Napalm Death] last night, and my ears are still ringing".
News / Music
Boy George Faces Bankruptcy
The British pop music icon has amassed debts of $1.9 million while fighting a legal battle with a former Culture Club member.
Features / Music
How Queerness Came To Define The Modern Music World
From Kim Petras’ historic Grammys win to Boygenius’ indie-rock superstardom, 2023 has been a huge year for LGBTQIA+ music fans. Whether in the mainstream or the underground, queer music is thriving and unapologetically so. Ellie Robinson explores how it happened (and why this is just the beginning).
News / Music
Boy George To Headline New 'Fantabulosa' Event For Mardi Gras
"After decades of struggle for acceptance we stand proud and united as we continue to colour and shape music, dance, art, film, design and fashion around the world.”
News / Film & TV
Music Biopics Are So On Trend Boy George Is Getting A Second One
Hollywood are apparently loving the biopics right now.
News / Music
Boy George Releases Cover Of Village People's 'YMCA' To Address Youth Issues
"People have always feared change but the world won’t fall apart."
News / Music
Boy George Is Playing Another Vivid Sydney DJ Set This Year
He evidently enjoyed himself so much last year that he had to do it again in 2017