March 2023 nONCONFORMIST of the Month – Boy George
I was inspired to write about Boy George this month after hearing of the passing of his mother Dinah. Born George O-Dowd near London in June 1961, he is the third born of six siblings. George is of Irish descent and was raised Catholic. It has been reported that his father was strict and abusive.
When George left home, he and friends squatted in various abandoned buildings and started going to clubs in London. At this time George started to dress androgynously, which got him noticed and led to the formation of the band Culture Club in 1981. The band name was chosen due to the varied ethnic backgrounds of the members. In 1982, their debut album spawned three American Top 10 hits. Culture Club was the first band since the Beatles to accomplish this. Their second album hit Number 1 in 16 countries and sold 10 million copies. The band enjoyed huge success then imploded due to inner conflict. George has had some success as a solo artist and has also reunited with the other band members at times to tour.
When he was newly famous, Boy George created both frenzy and controversy due to his over-the-top style of dress that blended genders and involved flowing dresses, long braids, heavy makeup, and hats. During interviews he was often sassy and sarcastic and was also elusive when asked about drug use or his sexual orientation. In later years, it would become known that George is gay and claimed to have had a relationship with the band’s drummer. George allegedly wrote most of the songs about the ups and downs of their relationship. Also, in later years, he would go through a public struggle with heroin addiction. The story is that although he experimented with drugs as a young adult, he had only tried heroin a short time before his addiction got out of hand. His family tried to perform an intervention which angered George and he ran into legal problems when a friend died of a heroin overdose in his home while George was out of town. Two more of his friends died of overdoses as well, which increased the publicity around Boy George’s drug problem.
George was also accused of handcuffing and beating a male model and served four months in jail with community service and monitored probation afterward. This started George on his journey toward sobriety and he has now been sober for more than a decade with the help of Buddhism. He has appeared as a judge on “The Voice” and on a few reality shows. He has spoken openly about his struggles with addiction and what it cost him as well as what it taught him.
George can definitely be considered a nonconformist due to his influential role as the lead singer of Culture Club, but more-so for his style of dress which not only created controversy but influenced many to express themselves more freely. He has also been instrumental in brining awareness to LGBTQ rights and the risks of substance abuse. I am personally thankful to him for all these things, plus the great music he helped create.