2018 Issue 4 Jul/Aug - Focus Mid-South Magazine

MAKING A SPLASH FOR DECADES
by Dana Cooper | photos: Shutterstock
If, like me, you are a child of
the ‘80s, it’s doubtful you’ve
missed out on the soulful
strains of George O’Dowd,
better known to the rest of the
world as Boy George.
My first boombox, a gift
from my dad in 1984, came
with a cassette I had been
requesting: Culture Club’s
“Colour By Numbers.” By then,
the Boy George-led quartet
had dominated pop charts on
both sides of the Atlantic, and
the album’s smash-success
single “Karma Chameleon”
was fresh off an extended stay
at number one, according to
Billboard’s archives (a fact
supported by my excellent
memory of ‘80s music, thank
you very much).
The multitalented artist has
been delivering his unique
brand of performance since
the late 1970s, first performing
with Bow Wow Wow (“I Want
Candy”) as Lieutenant Lush
before joining forces with Jon
Moss (drums), Mikey Craig
(bass) and Roy Hay (guitars)
to form Culture Club. Apart
from “Karma Chameleon,” the
band also had success with
Billboard top-ten songs “I’ll
Tumble 4 Ya,” “Do You Really
Want To Hurt Me,” and “Miss
Me Blind.” Clearly, they had a
good thing going.
What hasn’t been so clear
is the singer’s take on his
own sexuality. For years, his
trademark was giving glib
answers to throw curious
interviewers off his trail,
including the oft-referenced
line about preferring tea to
sex. (“Sex? I’d rather have
a cup of tea.”) Eventually,
however, he went public
with his identity as a gay
man, recently describing
himself as “militantly gay”
in a 2006 documentary.
Tales of his relationships are
sprinkled throughout his two
autobiographies – “Take It
Like A Man,” written in 1995,
and “Straight,” which was
published ten years later
in 2005.
The books also discuss
the singer’s early life and
career, as well as darker
times, including struggles
with substance abuse and his
subsequent recovery after
discovering Buddhism and
a macrobiotic diet. Adding
‘culinary expert’ to his everexpanding
repertoire, Boy
George even published a
cookbook in 2001, called
“Karma Cookbook: Great
Tasting Dishes to Nourish Your
Body and Feed Your Soul.” Is
there an end to his talents?
All signs point to ‘no’. In
the early 2000s, Boy George
channeled his talents into a
rock musical titled “Taboo,”
which centered on the early
‘80s New Romantic scene
(the pop culture movement
following post-punk; you
can count Duran Duran, The
Human League, and Adam Ant
in with other New Romantic
artists and musicians).
Recently, Boy George has had
a stint as a club DJ under the
moniker DJ Boy George, and
he even threw his expertise
behind a record label, More
Protein, which features other
electronic dance music (EDM)
artists.
And just when you thought
he couldn’t possibly pick
up any other accolades, the
man has even been a fashion
designer (B-Rude is the name
of his line) and modeled for
Christian Dior as recently as
last year.
Today, Boy George is one
of four celebrity judges on
The Voice Australia, and he
has appeared in episodes
of “The Real Housewives of
Beverly Hills,” where he was
a houseguest and PR client
of one of the show’s stars.
Oh – if you’re a social media
buff and Boy George fan, he’s
very active on Twitter and
Instagram.
For those of us who are fans
of his signature sound, there’s
good news on the horizon: Boy
George was signed to BMG
Records in 2017, his first major
record deal in almost 30 years.
In an interview with the UK’s
Daily Mail, he said, “‘I think
these things happen because
they’re meant to happen. I feel
like if I look at my career, I do
believe the world is a reflection
of how you feel at the time,
and it’s a mirror of where you
are.” Currently, plans are in
the works for not only a new
album, but also a residency in
Las Vegas, according to a Gay
Times interview with former
American Idol star Adam
Lambert.
Music fans everywhere
are rejoicing, including this
massive Culture Club fan,
who will be front and center
when Boy George graces the
stage in Memphis this July. I
can’t promise the glamtastic
makeup still looks good on my
aging skin, but I guarantee you
it looks phenomenal on his.
Boy George and Culture
Club will be performing with
the B-52s during the Memphis
Botanic Garden’s Live at the
Garden series on Friday, July
13. For ticket information,
visit ticketmaster.com or call
901.529.8869.
Splash / JUL+AUG / focusmidsouth.com / Page 35