Boy George and the Culture Club
1980s – 2010s: What’s been happening?
Depending on your age in the 1980s, Boy George was either cool, weird, or the type of singer you hoped your kids didn’t look up to. He broke barriers left, right, and centre with his androgynous appearance all the while serving up hit after hit until the band broke up in 1986. What’s his journey been like these past few decades?
In a 1983 interview with David Letterman, Letterman asked Boy George repeatedly about his appearance, hardships he was facing because of it, and why he dressed as he did. Boy George’s response to Letterman’s question was, “I wanted to be a person with a big nose and a bit of style.” In fact, according to Biography.com, George became famous for his style before he became famous as a singer and band member. (He also credits David Bowie with inspiring his sense of fashion.)
The Culture Club had several hits in the early 80s: “Do You Really Want to Hurt Me?,” “Karma Chameleon,” “Time,” and “I’ll Tumble 4 Ya,” though there are many, many more.
Watching interviews with Boy George from the 80s and then earlier this year lets you watch a man who’s come of age: almost shy on David Letterman in 1983, you’ll see a new Boy George in this 2016 Wendy Williams interview: a man, now in his 50s, who’s outgoing and reflective (and now sports a beard and short hair). You also get an indication of his life growing up. On the Wendy Williams show, for example, he told this story:
“My mom’s way of kind of acknowledging my sexuality – she bought me this record by Rod Stewart called The Killing of Georgie. It’s a famous one in the 70s. ‘Georgie Boy was gay I guess / nothin’ more, nothin’ less.’ It was a Rod Stewart song. She put it in a brown paper bag and in my drawer. And that was her way of kind of saying, ‘I kind of understand, but I don’t want to talk about it.’”
Fast forward thirty years later from his initial meteoric rise to stardom. What’s he like in concert? Check out this video from his Australia tour earlier this year.
Hear all your favourites like “Karma Chameleon”, “Do You Really Want To Hurt Me”, and more when the iconic band hits our stage on November 27. Get your tickets now!
