Boy George

COMING SOON!

Boy George shot to fame in the 80s as the lead singer of Culture Club, and his androgynous looks made him a poster boy for the New Romantics. But drug problems have followed him ever since.

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Boy George
born: 14-06-1961
birth place: London

As an aside, in 2002, George was joined by a hoard of celebrities for the premiere of his new musical Taboo. The star had penned the story of his own rise to fame, including colourful characters from his past such as Leigh Bowery, Steve Strange and Marilyn. The musical featured a host of new songs written by George as well as Culture Club's number one singles, Do You Really Want to Hurt Me and Karma Chameleon. Open auditions were held to find actors and singers to resemble the stars of the 80s and the Scottish actor Euan Morton won the part of the dread-locked George. Matt Lucas, at the time most famed for his George Dawes character on BBC's Shooting Stars, took the role of flamboyant performance artist Leigh Bowery, who died of an Aids-related illness in 1994.

American comedienne Rosie O’Donnell saw the musical and was so enamoured that she decided to finance the production for Broadway too. The show opened in February 2003 but after just 100 performances it closed, hampered by a barrage of negative reviews and struggling to meet financial ends. The UK production however, continued to be a success and went on to tour the UK, with a DVD release and book accompanying it.

In George’s personal life, his demons have gained ongoing media attention even since his drug problems came to public knowledge back in the eighties. Nearly ten years after his first public drugs expose, George was arrested in Manhattan in 2005 on suspicion of possessing cocaine after it was found it his apartment.

After failing to appear in court the following year, for the same drugs charge, a judge issued a warrant for his arrest. George’s no-show for his initial court date resulted in a $1,000 fine and a spell of community service. In August 2006, George reported for rubbish duty on the streets of New York- making the media’s day with snaps of the usually flamboyant star in combats and trainers with a broom and disposable gloves.

It seems picking up trash in the public eye wasn’t enough to keep George on the right side of the law because in November 2007, he was sent to trial charged for falsely imprisoning a male escort by chaining him to a wall. The alleged incident had taken place at his flat in Hackney earlier in the year and he is due to stand trial later in 2008.

For George, his next career step or public outbursts are as unpredictable as his eyeshadow and hair colour so it can only be a case of watch this space to see what he decides to do next…

Sarah Barnard

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