Boy George and John Moss. Boy George: a genius musician or a gay drug addict? George's life after India

Boy George is a famous musician, producer, DJ, writer, and creator of his own label, Boy George. However, despite his abilities, he is mostly known to the public as an eccentric person with a distorted view of fashion, and is also known for his free views on sexual relations.

The beginning of the biography

Boy George, whose real name and surname is George Alan O'Dowd (George Alan O'Dowd), was born July 14, 1961 in the London suburbs. He had a large family of 8 people. In addition to him, there were 4 brothers and one sister. The father was engaged in contract construction, and the mother was forced to become a housewife and take care of her six children. Thanks to the efforts of the parents, order and harmony reigned in the family.

With early age young George strove to be the center of attention of others. He was fascinated by the variegated colors of unusual clothes. I felt real disgust for the school uniform. He treated school in the same way as the student uniform. He considered it unnecessary to learn useless, in his opinion, information that the teachers tried to convey to him.

Lessons that were not interesting to him, he skipped without a twinge of conscience. He communicated with teachers in a very peculiar way, calling them nicknames, which he himself appropriated. He showed some interest only in art and poetry. Also did not have addictions to physical education lessons.

The first time George dyed his hair a different color was at the age of twelve. During this time, he wanted to be like David Bowie's character Ziggy Stardust. This experience eventually led George to realize that he could change using only make-up and wardrobe, and not following morality and any inner convictions.

George's behavior led to him being kicked out of school at the age of 15.

non-traditional sexual orientation

Two years later, having reached the age of seventeen, the young man left his family and left home. He lived in abandoned buildings, worked part-time in supermarkets and shopping pavilions. In his free time he was engaged in writing poetry and music.

However, he continued to experiment with appearance. He became a regular frequenter of nightly gay clubs. The first sexual contact with a representative of the same sex occurred in a dark corner of such a club.

However, O'Dowd soon got tired of this pastime. He began to think about what to do next. The only thing he was good at was composing poetry and music. And fate gave George a happy chance. BOW WOW WOW lost their backing vocalist, and he was asked to fill the vacancy.

The beginning of a musical career

In this group, he came to court. For performances, he came up with the pseudonym Lieutenant Lush. Took part in several concerts. However, after that he was fired. The reason was that he was the center of attention, and this did not suit the rest of the group.

However, the team manager Malcolm McLaren advised George to create his own team, in which he would try to reveal his extraordinary external and vocal abilities. George followed these instructions and formed a group called SEX GANG CHILDREN.

After a short period of time, he renamed it PRAISE OF LEMMINGS. And then to the world famous CULTURE CLUB. This group also had a permanent line-up: Mickey Craig, Roy Hay, Jon Moss. George for quite a long time picked up a new pseudonym for himself, stopped at adding Boy to his name.

In 1980, his team signed their first contract with Virgin Records, created two compositions in a short period of time.

The subsequent creation of CULTURE CLUB - the single Do You Really Want To Hurt Me? - made the whole of England talk about the group. She immediately rose to the top of popularity. This was facilitated by the extravagant appearance of Boy George, who impressed the audience with his effeminate appearance: ladies' hats, bright outfits, pigtailed hair.

Moreover, his appearance was so extravagant that they talked about him much more than about the work of the team. This state of affairs brought discord into relations between the participants, especially since Boy publicly declared a love affair with drummer John Moss.

John himself did not want such popularity, he told the press that he was normal. This situation constantly led to scandals, as emotional as the fight between Michael Bisping and George Cent. However, their relationship was quite long.

At the same time, Moss, proving his nature, constantly cheated on George with women. This led to the fact that the Boy became withdrawn and began to look for the lost peace of mind in drugs.

Drug addiction

The musician began his addiction with weak drugs, later tried everything possible, preferred snuff. I did not do intravenous injections, I was afraid of an overdose.

His drug addiction gradually came to the public. He began to appear in front of journalists, as well as at speeches in an inadequate state. This led his family to cut ties with him.

Numerous press reports about George's drug addiction followed. He was arrested by the police for possession and use. He got off easy enough, went free, paying a fine of 250 pounds.

Shortly after this event, Boy George had a new attachment - Michael Dunn, with whom he left London and began recording his debut disc Sold. After some time, he created the first solo album - the single Everything I Own, which topped the British charts. In 1986, Boy George released three more popular singles, and the same number in the next. The press showed indulgence to the Boy, started talking about his return, but George could not get rid of his addictions.

He continued to take antidepressants, constantly used ecstasy and other soft drugs, which began to affect his health.

Treatment, controversy with Margaret Thatcher, new group

Doctors convinced George to undergo treatment. He heeded the recommendations, took a course in a hospital, began to get involved in yoga and follow a strict diet. Literally a month after that, he cleansed the body, his nervous system came into balance, new life goals were identified, friends appeared.

Given the fact that George did not hide his homosexuality, he had a controversy with Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher, who launched a major campaign in the country against representatives gay. Through his work, George drew the attention of the public to the injustice of the norms of English law, which prohibited the promotion of homosexuality.

Boy George revealed his new talents when creating the More Protein Records label. Within a year, a very large group of gifted young dancers united under it.

At the same time, he creates new group JESUS ​​LOVES YOU, in which she performs under the pseudonym Angela Dust.

Indian period

However, in an effort to protect himself from negative impressions, emotions that have fallen in recent years, Boy George and his lover Michael Dunn left for India. There he completely immersed himself in the study of the ancient Indian religion, which allowed him to know unity with nature, to come to inner balance.

Despite the fact that Michael went back to England, Boy did not return with him, continue to travel. Finally he reached Nepal, where, he said, he came to know the great oriental simplicity, which cannot be compared with the wretched Western world. He visited the sacred lake Radha Kund, where he created a masterpiece hymn to Krishna - Bow Down Mister, also known as "Hare Hare Hare".

Boy George, upon his return to England, became a completely different person, a convinced Buddhist and a very unusual philosopher.

George's new life

After returning to London, he reconnected with Jon Moss, who publicly revealed the truth about his relationship with Boy. Boy George's personal life began, according to him, to improve.

Since 1992, the musician began to conquer the United States. His Oscar-winning soundtrack for The Crying Game is considered Boy George's best piece for a film and was a top 10 hit in the US. His duet with Prince Be was also successful, which further strengthened his position on the musical Olympus in the New World.

Subsequently, Boy George became seriously interested in DJing. Critics state that he turned this work into a prestigious profession, very well paid.

At the beginning of 1998, the CULTURE CLUB group reunited again. For her fans, this was a long-awaited event. For three months, the musicians toured the United States. Almost all leading music TV channels prepared special programs about the group, broadcast its performances, and tracked their movements.

Currently, the artists do not perform, the further fate of CULTURE CLUB is not defined. Their last work - Cold Shoulder / Starman - was released by the musicians in 2002.

In 1995, the musician wrote and published an autobiography, which became a notable event. She appeared on the shelves along with the release of his new CD Cheapness & Beauty. Readers note that it is written witty.

George was also noted for the fact that in 2010 he returned a relic to the Orthodox Church in Cyprus - an icon stolen by unknown people more than thirty years ago.

Labels

Biography

Born June 14, 1961 in a large family. Boy George from childhood loved to stand out, dressed brightly. He left school at the age of 15, after which he lived in the care of his parents for several years. At the age of 17, he finally left home, worked part-time in supermarkets and shops. It was then that he had his first homosexual experience. Along with his friend, the singer Marilyn, George became a regular in London's gay clubs, where he was spotted by music producer Malcolm McLaren and invited to join the band Bow Wow Wow. His career in this group did not work out for him, and soon Boy George left it and founded his own project Praise of Lemmings. The band also featured bassist Mickey Craig, and drummer Jon Moss (ex-member of The Damned, Adam and the Ants, London) and guitarist Roy Hay subsequently joined. The group changed its name several times, initially to Sex Gang Children, the final name being Culture Club.

George and Culture Club starred as themselves in an episode of the popular 1980s American TV series The A-Team. The A-Team).

Discography

Albums

• 1987 - Sold(UK #29, US #145, Switzerland #15, Norway #15, Sweden #18, Italy #22]
• 1989 - high hat(US compilation, U.S. #126)
• 1990 - The Martyr Mantras(in England as jesus loves you, UK #60)
• 1992 - Spin Dazzle(Culture Club & Boy George Mixed Compilation)
• 1993 - At Worst… The Best of Boy George and Culture Club(UK #24, US #169)
• 1995 - cheapness and beauty(UK #44)
• 1999 - Everything I Own(compilation)
• 2002 - Taboo Original London Cast(musical soundtrack)
• 2002 - Classic Masters(compilation)
• 2002 - U Can Never B2 Straight(UK #147)
• 2002 - Culture Club Box Set(compilation of demos, remixes and unreleased material)
• 2004 - Taboo(broadway musical soundtrack)
• 2004 - Yum Yum(under the pseudonym The Twin)
• 2004 - The Annual 1, 2, 3, 4
• 2004 - Dance Nation 1, 2, 4, 5
• 2004 - Yum Yum
• 2010 - Ordinary alien

EPs

• 1994 - The Devil in Sister George EP (1993-1994)
• 2004 - Made To Measure(The Twin promo)
• 2005 - Straight EP
• 2007 - Boy George & Kinky Roland EP

Singles

• 1987 - Everything I Own(UK #1, U.S. Dance #45, Canada #1, Germany #8, Switzerland #8, Italy #1, Ireland #1, Norway #1, South Africa #1, Holland #3, Sweden #8)
• 1987 - Keep me in Mind(UK #29, Italy #3)
• 1987 - Sold(UK #24, Italy #4, Ireland #8)
• 1987 - To Be Reborn(UK #13, Italy #13, Ireland #8)
• 1987 - live my life(UK #62, U.S. #40, Canada #9)
• 1988 - No Clause 28(UK #57)
• 1988 - Don't Cry(UK#60)
• 1989 - Don't Take My Mind on a Trip(UK#68)
• 1989 - You Found Another Guy(U.S. R&B #34)
• 1989 - After The Love(UK#68)
• 1990 - Generations Of Love*(UK#80)
• 1990 - one on one(UK#83)
• 1991 - Bow Down Mister(UK #27, France #29, Austria #2)
• 1991 - Generations Of Love (remix)*(UK #35)
• 1992 - The Crying Game(UK #22, U.S. #15, Canada #1]
• 1992 - Sweet Toxic Love(UK #65, Austria #14)
• 1993 - More Than Likely(PM Dawn feat. Boy George) (UK #40)
• 1995 - Funtime(UK#45)
• 1995 - Il Adore(UK #50, France #69)
• 1995 - Same Thing in Reverse
• 1999 - Innocence Is Lost(with Groove Armada) (12" promo)
• 2002 - Swallow Me(as The Real Feminem) (12")
• 2002 - out of fashion(with Hi-Gate)
• 2002 - Run(with Sash!) (Germany #48, Croatia #1, Switzerland #98)
• 2002 - Autoerotic(with Dark Globe) (UK #165)
• 2002 - Psychology of the Dreamer(with Eddie Locke) (UK Dance #5)
• 2003 - Here Come the Girls(as The Twin) (limited edition)
• 2003 - Electro Hetero(The Twin)
• 2003 - Sanitized(The Twin)
• 2004 - human racing(The Twin)
• 2005 - love your brother(Jesus Loves You feat. Boy George) (12" promo)
• 2006 - You Are My Sister(with Antony and the Johnsons) (UK #39)
• 2006 - You're Not the One(with Loverush UK) (promo)
• 2007 - time machine(with Amanda Ghost)
• 2007 - You're Not the One(with Loverush UK)
• 2007 - Atoms(with Dark Globe)
• 2008 - Generations Of Love(with Phunk Investigation)
• 2008 - Yes We Can(Slovenia #1]
• 2009 - american heart(with Bliss)

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Notes

Literature

An excerpt characterizing Boy George

“Have you met Count Nikolai, Marie?” - said Prince Andrei suddenly, apparently wanting to please them. “He wrote here that he was very fond of you,” he continued simply, calmly, apparently unable to understand all the complex meaning that his words had for living people. “If you fell in love with him too, it would be very good ... for you to get married,” he added a little more quickly, as if delighted with the words that he had been looking for a long time and found at last. Princess Marya heard his words, but they had no other meaning for her, except that they proved how terribly far he was now from all living things.
- What can I say about me! she said calmly and looked at Natasha. Natasha, feeling her gaze on her, did not look at her. Again everyone was silent.
“Andre, do you want ...” Princess Mary suddenly said in a trembling voice, “do you want to see Nikolushka?” He always thought of you.
Prince Andrey smiled slightly perceptibly for the first time, but Princess Marya, who knew his face so well, realized with horror that it was not a smile of joy, not tenderness for her son, but a quiet, meek mockery of what Princess Mary used, in her opinion. , the last resort to bring him to his senses.
– Yes, I am very glad to Nikolushka. He is healthy?

When they brought Nikolushka to Prince Andrei, who looked frightened at his father, but did not cry, because no one was crying, Prince Andrei kissed him and, obviously, did not know what to say to him.
When Nikolushka was taken away, Princess Marya went up to her brother again, kissed him, and, unable to restrain herself any longer, began to cry.
He looked at her intently.
Are you talking about Nikolushka? - he said.
Princess Mary, weeping, bowed her head affirmatively.
“Marie, you know Evan…” but he suddenly fell silent.
- What are you saying?
- Nothing. There is no need to cry here,” he said, looking at her with the same cold look.

When Princess Mary began to cry, he realized that she was crying that Nikolushka would be left without a father. With great effort on himself, he tried to go back to life and transferred himself to their point of view.
“Yes, they must feel sorry for it! he thought. “How easy it is!”
“The birds of the air neither sow nor reap, but your father feeds them,” he said to himself and wanted to say the same to the princess. “But no, they will understand it in their own way, they will not understand! They cannot understand this, that all these feelings that they value are all ours, all these thoughts that seem to us so important that they are not needed. We can't understand each other." And he was silent.

The little son of Prince Andrei was seven years old. He could hardly read, he knew nothing. He experienced a lot after that day, acquiring knowledge, observation, experience; but if he had then mastered all these later acquired abilities, he could not have better, deeper understood the full significance of the scene that he saw between his father, Princess Mary and Natasha than he understood it now. He understood everything and, without crying, went out of the room, silently went up to Natasha, who followed him, looked shyly at her with thoughtful beautiful eyes; his upturned ruddy upper lip quivered, he leaned his head against it and wept.
From that day on, he avoided Dessalles, avoided the countess who caressed him, and either sat alone or timidly approached Princess Mary and Natasha, whom he seemed to love even more than his aunt, and softly and shyly caressed them.
Princess Mary, leaving Prince Andrei, fully understood everything that Natasha's face told her. She no longer spoke to Natasha about the hope of saving his life. She took turns with her at his sofa and wept no more, but prayed incessantly, turning her soul to that eternal, incomprehensible, whose presence was now so palpable over the dying man.

Prince Andrei not only knew that he would die, but he felt that he was dying, that he was already half dead. He experienced a consciousness of alienation from everything earthly and a joyful and strange lightness of being. He, without haste and without anxiety, expected what lay ahead of him. That formidable, eternal, unknown and distant, the presence of which he had not ceased to feel throughout his life, was now close to him and - by that strange lightness of being that he experienced - almost understandable and felt.
Before, he was afraid of the end. He twice experienced this terrible tormenting feeling of fear of death, the end, and now he no longer understood it.
The first time he experienced this feeling was when a grenade was spinning like a top in front of him and he looked at the stubble, at the bushes, at the sky and knew that death was in front of him. When he woke up after the wound and in his soul, instantly, as if freed from the oppression of life that held him back, this flower of love blossomed, eternal, free, not dependent on this life, he no longer feared death and did not think about it.
The more he, in those hours of suffering solitude and semi-delusion that he spent after his wound, thought about the new beginning of eternal love revealed to him, the more he, without feeling it, renounced earthly life. Everything, to love everyone, to always sacrifice oneself for love, meant not to love anyone, meant not to live this earthly life. And the more he was imbued with this beginning of love, the more he renounced life and the more completely he destroyed that terrible barrier that, without love, stands between life and death. When, this first time, he remembered that he had to die, he said to himself: well, so much the better.

English singer and composer Boy George (real name George O'Dowd) was born on June 14, 1961 in Kent. Boy George rose to fame on the wave of a purely English musical phenomenon, called "new romanticism" (professed by the "new romantics" - "new romantics"), which swept London clubs in the early 80s.

The then George O'Dowd's performances in the bohemian clubs of the English capital were widely covered in the music press, and the famous Malcolm McLaren took the singer under his patronage - with his suggestion, O'Dowd, under the pseudonym "Lieutenant Lush", began to perform in tandem with Anabella Lou Vin from Bow wow wow; a triumph was a concert at London's Rainbow Theatre.

The partnership turned out to be short-lived, but Boy George was already in the focus of interest for listeners and entrepreneurs alike. In 1981, George met former disc jockey Micky Craig and the pair formed the band In Praise Of Lemmings. After the addition of drummer Jon Moss (ex-Adam And The Ants and The Damned) and guitarist and keyboardist Roy Hay, the group was renamed Culture Club, signed to Virgin Records, and in a short time became one of the most popular pop bands. UK teams. One of the main components of the image of the leader of Culture Club was the public declaration of his unorthodox sexual orientation, which, however, did not prevent him from creating bright and dynamic things that were appreciated by the English and European fans of the group.

However, Boy George's main problem turned out to be not his homosexuality at all, but his addiction to drugs: the singer had long and seriously "sat" on heroin. No sooner had this scandal subsided than another broke out: keyboardist Michael Rudetsky died of an overdose of heroin, which, as police proved, he took at Boy George's house in London. Shortly thereafter, the singer was arrested on charges of drug possession and sentenced to a mandatory course of treatment. The recovery coincided with the breakup of Culture Club and the start of Boy George's solo career. In the spring of 1987, the singer released the single "Everything I Own", which topped the UK charts - this was George's first big success since the hit single "Karma Chameleon", which he recorded in 1983 with Culture Club. In 1988, he and a number of English rock musicians publicly opposed the so-called "Amendment 28" against homosexuals - this action also helped to maintain the reputation and popularity of Boy George.
A year later, he organized his own record label, More Protein, and became the leader of a new group, Jesus Loves You, whose style reflected the artist's new creed: white soul.

In 1992, George's song "The Crying Game" (written by Dave Berry) was included in the film of the same name. Released in 1995, "Cheapness And Beauty" hit the British Top 20, which allowed Boy George to retain his place in the galaxy of the highest grossing performers in England.

Even some two or three years ago, it seemed that this strange guy with a skewed idea of ​​​​fashion, sexual culture and a person’s place in society seemed to have been completely forgotten. George quietly worked out the fabulous fees for his new role as a DJ, and it was hard to believe that this was the same legendary "dyed" and "mummered" electro-pop, the face and voice of a whole decade that brought CULTURE CLUB to the major league of pop music and no less powerfully and scandalously shone alone. But Her Majesty's music is eternal and irresistibly attracts its faithful servants. So our hero could not resist her call, and CULTURE CLUB are recording and touring again, and the press is sleeping and sees that the musician, producer, writer, DJ and executive director of his label Boy George, as in the good old days, will throw out another your trick.

Englishman George O "Dowd (George O" Dowd) was born on June 14, 1961 in Woolwich, a suburb of London, in a large family of eight people. I don’t know which animal his parents liked the most (I guess it was a rabbit), but they had children with surprising ease and eventually “harmed” one girl and as many as five boys (Zhorik was the third in a row). The father of the family worked as a construction contractor, and my mother, of course, was in charge of the children and the household, so they had a very friendly proletarian family.

There were a lot of people everywhere, and young George was always eager to stand out. Very early he was fascinated by the colorful colors of extravagant clothes, and, of course, the gloomy school uniform disposed to disgust. When he was 6 years old, he became the main attraction at his aunt Jan's wedding, dressed as a rooster. What was his chagrin when, after the aforesaid celebrations, his original black shoes with a silver buckle in front went to his cousin Denis! Zhorik sobbed for a long time and pathetically and sincerely wished that every day one of his relatives would marry.

He had as much contempt for the school as he did for its uniform. It seemed absurd to him to keep so much unnecessary information in his memory. He often skipped "useless" lessons, addressed teachers by nicknames, opposed the system and wanted to become famous as soon as possible so as not to depend on anyone. Art and poetry occupied him, not boring grammar. He did not like to overload himself with sports (except that he knew a couple of self-defense tricks).

At the age of 12, George was infected with the image of Ziggy Stardust, born in the brilliant head of David Bowie. He made himself an appropriate hairstyle, dyed his hair, but after several days of walking around the clubs, he was simply demoralized. Thousands of Ziggy clones scurried around London, making it look like some kind of alien city. But all the same, Bowie became a correspondence teacher for George, who proved by his own example that a person of art can change under the influence not only of moralizing and inner convictions, but with the help of make-up and wardrobe. It was very important for O'Dowd to understand that he was moving in the right direction. Fortunately, he did not have to suffer for a long time. about your parents! Think about how they feel! You will never do anything with your own hands, O "Dowd. You're just a fool ... "(from the memoirs of George, described in his autobiography "Take It Like A Man").

When he came home that day, he had a chance to listen to a couple of flattering words from his mother. "If you don't go to school," she shouted, "you must work, you lazy fool!" George did not want to work, but he was even more burdened by the situation of a dependent. By the way, at one of his jobs (in a supermarket), he once pulled hair dye right off the counter and, without waiting for a new day, became a blond. The next morning, his mother showed him to the door and ordered him not to return until his hair had acquired a natural color. Later, she bought him black paint, and George had no choice but to pour it on his exuberant head. However, he rinsed his hair too early, and it turned out something very similar to highlighting (black stripes were visible against a light background). Mom was not very impressed, but it looked bearable. And George was crazy because he now looked like Patty Smith herself.

With early childhood he had no shortage of nicknames, and one day the moment came when he himself realized that he was drawn to the wrong people. He staged his first homosexual experience in a dark corner of a club, and, in his deep conviction, everything happened in a fit of mutual feelings. O "Dowd became a frequent guest of nightclubs for gays, transvestites and bisexuals and one of the most popular and extraordinary personalities of the nightclub party in London. At the age of 17, he left parental home and long time huddled together with his company in abandoned buildings, earning money again in supermarkets, in a hat shop and at a vegetable factory. A life imbued with the spirit of free love, however, he soon got tired of, and he seriously thought about his future. All that he knew how to do was to compose poetry and partly to their musical scoring, which, however, would never have become the property of the people, if not for the occasion. The backing vocalist left the BOW WOW WOW group, and a new one was urgently needed to help the main soloist of the group Annabella Lou Win. George was immediately liked by the team. He took the pseudonym Lieutenant Lush and participated in several concerts, after which he was put out the door, because the rest did not like that the extravagant young man attracted too much attention to himself. Group manager Malcolm McLaren was very flattering about George in the press and believed that with his appearance and vocal abilities, he should organize his own group. What O "Dowd soon did.

Multicultural club

In 1981, a team called SEX GANG CHILDREN was born. George then renamed it PRAISE OF LEMMINGS. The final name CULTURE CLUB (its roots should be sought in the richness of the musical styles adopted by the group, and in the various cultural roots of the musicians) came after a permanent line-up was formed: Mikey Craig (Mikey Craig, b. 02/15/1960 in London , bass guitar), Roy Hay (Roy Hay, b. 08/12/1961 in Southend-On-Sea, guitar and keyboards) and former LONDON, DAMNED member Jon Moss (Jon Moss, b. 09/11/1957 in London, drums), who also worked with Adam Ant. O "Dowd was looking for a new pseudonym for a long time, but did not come up with anything else, how to put the prefix "Boy" in front of his real name (Boy George, in his opinion, fit well with the reggae motif). The group rehearsed a lot and recorded several demos, which were soon sent to the addresses of all major British record companies.Finally, after the wholesale refusals, Virgin Records became interested in them, and CULTURE CLUB already had a permanent contract in the spring of 1982. But the first two singles of the band "White Boy" and "I"m Afraid Of Me" went unnoticed, and something had to be done.

Lucky their manager. The producers of the famous BBC TV show "Top Of The Pops" ordered him to find one fresh hit song to perform on the show, in connection with which Boy George and his comrades hurriedly composed "Do You Really Want To Hurt Me?", and after her brilliant it only took a month for CULTURE CLUB to be talked about all over Britain. All of a sudden, everyone suddenly fell in love with George and his band, and "Do You Really Want To Hurt Me?" sold a record 7 million copies and, of course, topped the British charts.

The guys agreed to share all the income equally and began to subscribe common name in the author's box. Although their debut album "Kissing To Be Clever" fell significantly behind their singles in terms of hits, it was quality pop music, and George's unique soul-tinged voice and his flamboyant talent as an intimate poet extolled CULTURE CLUB music above all electro. -priest

Interest in the band and its imposing, pigtailed, intricately-hatted, feminist soloist, made up, was growing, and Virgin hurried CULTURE CLUB with the release of their second disc "Colour By Numbers", which was intended to be their most successful record (6 million copies sold, 1st place in Britain and 2nd - after Jackson's "Thriller" - place in the States). With singles such as "Church Of Poison Mind" and especially "Karma Chameleon" (1.2 million in sales) topping the charts on both sides of the Atlantic, the band basked in worldwide fame, with Boy George gradually becoming their mouthpiece. business card, with which, as often happens, acquaintance begins and ends. Finally this eccentric guy got as much attention as he wanted. In his interviews, he looked extremely self-critical, stating that he was very ugly and makeup made him feel more relaxed, and "instead of sex, he prefers to drink a cup of tea", but the newspapers and the band's fans believed their eyes, not George's words, and the rest of the CULTURE members CLUB clearly did not like this state of affairs. It was difficult for them to change something, but gradually this kind of jealousy began to prevail in their relationship with the upstart. Boy became less trusted as a lyricist, and the organization called CULTURE CLUB became like a failed marriage, although at first the romantic relationship between the main lyricists and music cemented the emotional power of their songs.

However, they still had to record two albums "Waking Up With The House On Fire" and "From The Luxury To Headache" and write such hits as "Victims", "It's A Miracle", "Miss You Blind" and " The War Song", which extended their internecine wars for three whole years, until the progressive drug addict Boy George officially announced his close relationship with drummer Jon Moss. But this is a topic for another conversation.

Love and drugs

Love story George and John started as soon as the CULTURE CLUB was created. George loved him very much and wanted to tell the whole world about it. For example, in "Time (Clock Of The Heart)" George says, "Don't put your head on my shoulders, rather drown me in a sea of ​​tears, but you must overcome your fear." Moss, on the other hand, was very shy about divulging this secret, because he always stated that he was normal. Despite constant quarrels on this basis, their relationship lasted long enough, and Boy called his partner unique in nature. He always wanted to consider himself a unique (bisexual) individual, but even in the most piquant situations, he was not completely feminine (as he liked to joke, "there are some details that are difficult to hide under makeup).

But there came a moment when George could no longer forgive John's infidelity with women, and he withdrew and began to seek solace in drugs. There was another reason for this as well. All these years of the life of a pop star cost him enormous internal discomfort. He tried almost all sniffing drugs known at that time (he still refused to inject due to fear of a possible overdose) and often behaved inappropriately in front of television cameras and at concerts. Terrible truth opened during the filming of the TV show "Sport Aid Race Against Time", when Boy George, pumped up with heroin, constantly fell asleep, and at the end suddenly announced that his name was Julie Adryus. The audience and TV journalists were indignant, and the O'Dowd family could not look at the blue screen without tears. After that program, George's brother David turned to the public with a request to help persuade Boy to undergo treatment as soon as possible, but this only angered George, and he swore break all ties with your brother.

He lost a lot of weight, could hardly eat properly, his heart was beating at a crazy pace, but he still thought he could control himself. Very soon, even the most decent salary was not enough to buy heroin famous musician, and George and his buddy Marilyn were doing all sorts of things just to get another portion. Once they were vacationing in Jamaica, and they ran out of heroin. It was not sold anywhere there, so they went to New York without hesitation, but the desire was so strong that halfway through they convinced the captain of the ship to give them a boat to get to Guadeloupe. After several hours of useless wandering around the islands, they went to the nearest airport, where it turned out that planes to New York fly through Paris. They called their New York dealer and asked her to meet them in Paris. But again, they were so sick that it was not a thrill to wait, and the guys figured that if they got to Argentina, they would be on a plane in New York before their dealer took off from there. They succeeded, and five minutes after they intercepted the astonished girl with white death packets, the entire toilet of John F. Kennedy Airport was splattered with the products of rejection of their stomachs (probably did not work or thirst killed desire).

The worst days of Boy George's life have come. The press began a real hunt for evidence confirming his drug addiction. Tabloid publications such as "Sun" and "Daily Mirror" especially tried, which began to publish notes with stories of George's close friends about what he really is. Many of them were equally complete drug addicts and were chronically in need of additional funding, so the amounts from 8,000 to 100,000 pounds that the newspapermen offered them were perceived as a lifeline.

George's situation worsened even more after the drug overdoses of two of his friends (Mark Voltira and Michael Rudetsky, who was supposed to produce Boy George's first solo album), for the deaths of which no one blamed him except himself. But still, under pressure from the aggressive press, the police arrested George for possession and use of drugs. At the court hearing in his case, Boy appeared pumped up with methadone (an analogue of heroin) and, just in case, kept a bag of hashish in his pocket. A huge crowd of his screaming fans gathered under the windows of the courthouse, and one girl even specially took with her about $ 16,000 (she mortgaged her own house to pay for an idol in case he was released on bail). As a result, George paid a fine of 250 pounds for drug use, and the dealers from whom he constantly bought the "potion" received 4 years each.

George and his new love Michael Dunn left London after that, and in Montserrat Boy still started recording his debut disc "Sold". And three days after his dealers were convicted, his first solo single "Everything I Own" (a cover of an old BREAD song) was released, which turned out to be surprisingly cool and even topped the British charts. In 1987, he recorded three more successful singles, the same number came out in the next. Newspapers wrote about the miraculous resurrection of Boy George from the dead, but full recovery was still a long way off. He took anti-depressant pills prescribed to him by his friend Dr. Bloom, but every time he found himself in clubs, he could not resist the temptation to get drunk on ecstasy and other soft drugs available, so he still looked unusually sleepy. Finally, his personal therapist managed to convince him to be treated in a hospital. George volunteered for treatment, took up yoga and went on a strict diet. And a month later he cleansed his body, corrected his nervous system, he had new friends and goals in life.

He had no reason to hide his homosexuality now. First of all, he decided to put in his place Margaret Thatcher, who, on behalf of the Conservative Party, launched a massive anti-gay campaign. "Children who were supposed to be taught to respect the traditions and moral principles of society," the Iron Lady shouted, "were declared that homosexuality can be their inalienable right. Where has this been seen ?!". In response to this statement by the British Prime Minister, George wrote the song "No Clause 28", referring to an article of the law prohibiting the promotion of homosexuality.

Although Boy was feeling much better, his next album "Tense Nervous Headache" fully revealed his physical and emotional state for the period of 1988, but, like the third "Boyfriend", was not released in the USA. However, in 1989, Virgin still dared to release George's second American album "High Hat" (named after the high hats the musician loved very much), but, in fear, he compiled it from the best tracks "Tense Nervous Headache" and "Boyfriend". The musician again had to take an exam for maturity, but he felt: something was lost, although he did not know what exactly.

A new milestone in his life and work was the opening of his own label More Protein Records, which in less than a year gathered under its wing an entire army of young talented dancers (Eve Gallagher, Lippy Lou, Amos). The E-ZEE POSSE team's single (led by open Boy George, white rapper MC Kinky) "Everything Starts With An E" became a big club hit in 1989, and George himself formed a new group, JESUS ​​LOVES YOU, although it was not a group at all, but a new sign for the musical experiments of George O'Dowd, who asked to be called Angela Dust. But all this happened after the famous trip of George and Michael Dunn to India.

hare krishna

Fleeing from the negative impressions accumulated in recent years, they retired to the ancient land of Krishna. Boy was always interested in ancient religions, he felt there a colossal unity with nature and himself, and when Michael went back to England, Boy continued his journey, got to Nepal and saw the wretchedness of Western materialism compared to Eastern simplicity. He became a staunch vegetarian and, with his New York friend Nayana, visited Radha Kund, the sacred lake said to feed all the rivers and seas of our planet. There he wrote a magnificent hymn to Krishna "Bow Down Mister" and upon his return to London he became a completely different person, a convinced Buddhist and a rare philosopher.

All songs written during this period (including "After The Love" co-written with Jon Moss, with whom they reconciled, and Moss publicly acknowledged his close relationship with George) were on the first JESUS ​​LOVES YOU album "The Martyr Mantras" . In addition to "Bow Down Mister", "Generations Of Love" and "Sweet Toxic Love" were hits, Boy's composing talent used synthesizers, guitars, sitars and even an exotic oriental choir, and most importantly, that the words and melodies were full of freedom, which so long sought a chameleon man named George O'Dowd.

New life

1992 brought him his first success in the States. The lead single from the Oscar-winning movie soundtrack "The Crying Game", produced by PET SHOP BOYS, hit Billboard's top 10, and the duet with Prince Be (of PM DAWN) "More Than Likely" further solidified his position in the New Light showing it off professional growth. In 1993, the compilation "At Worst... The Best Of Boy George And Culture Club" was released, and a year later, JESUS ​​LOVES YOU recorded their second and lesser-known album, "Devil In Sister".

DJing became George's new hobby. From hard work, he turned it into a prestigious profession, began to get well for his work, and on all the most famous collections of the mid-90s you could find his "gnash". On the night of July 1, 1997, when Hong Kong came under the jurisdiction of China, a grand party hosted by DJ Boy George gathered more than 4,000 people on one dance floor, and George was very proud of the honor given to him to become the main witness and participant in one of the loudest events at the end of the 20th century.

And in 1995 came his last album to date, Cheapness & Beauty, with which he paid tribute to three of the biggest idols of his youth (David Bowie, Marc Bolan and Iggy Pop), highlighting the punk-glam-rock guitar sound and problematic lyrics (from "Evil Is So Civilised", about homophobic murders sweeping America, to "II Adore", a requiem for friend Steve Hughes who died of AIDS in 1992), co-written with guitarist John Themis. In fact, this album became a kind of soundtrack to George's autobiography "Take It Like A Man", written together with Spencer Bright. This book went on sale at the same time as the album and began to enjoy well-deserved popularity because it was written very frankly and with humor.

Boy George has since become a regular feature on the pages of various publications with his notes on the most pressing issues and sat down to write his second book. Kirk Brandon, one of his former lovers, lost another trial, designed to keep George silent about his love affairs. Boy devoted an entire song to their relationship, "Unfinished Business" on his 1995 album (with photographs and an ironic caption under their photo), and devoted a special chapter in his autobiography. The court believed George, and that day became a big celebration of the victory of the gay rights movement.

And in February 1998, the long-awaited reunion of CULTURE CLUB took place. For three months they toured America, while the main music television channels of the world broadcast special programs dedicated to the group. And at the end of the summer, CULTURE CLUB's "Greatest Moments" double was released on Virgin Records, the first part of which captured their previous victories (plus two new tracks "I Just Want To Be Loved" and "Some Strange Voodoo"), and on the second they reported about the tour that just ended.

Now their future fate as a group is not clear. But let's hope that even in this millennium, Boy George and CULTURE CLUB will still please us with their new songs, especially since now, apparently, they will not need heroin, Prozac and ecstasy.

George's fight was never forgotten. Although the last album is Cheapness And Beauty, he released after a seven-year hiatus. The changes in his fantastic image and the deafening scandals that accompanied his career riveted the public's attention to his person more than musical achievements. In addition, he recently published his extremely candid autobiography, Take It Like A Man. With her help, Andrei BUKHARIN ... Read all

George's fight was never forgotten. Although the last album is Cheapness And Beauty, he released after a seven-year hiatus. The changes in his fantastic image and the deafening scandals that accompanied his career riveted the public's attention to his person more than musical achievements. In addition, he recently published his extremely candid autobiography, Take It Like A Man. With its help, Andrey BUKHARIN takes a retrospective look at the path of the brightest star of the 80s.
Everyone knows George's fight, but few remember the Culture Club group, and it was in its composition that he became a world-class star. When I first heard their debut record, I could not determine who sang it: a guy or a girl. And the cover photo didn't help. However, it was not about my Soviet backwardness. The English public, seeing Boy George for the first time on a television program, asked the same question. At first, Boy George managed to top the lists of both the best singers and the best singers. This intrigue did a lot for his success. Although, of course, it was a combination of obvious musical talent, a beautiful voice and an image that was striking even for neo-romantics.
The casket opened easily. Nowadays, everyone would immediately start discussing not his gender, but his sexual orientation. But I, like my friends, each of whom had Culture Club records at home, did not care about his homosexuality. We didn't care. Music worried. In addition, in the early years of his career, Boy George did not declare his sexual addictions. In those days it would have been bad for business. When asked by a women's magazine about his sexual experience, Boy George responded briefly but emphatically: "Sex? I prefer a cup of tea."
But in his shockingly frank autobiography, he more than atoned for all the reticence, starting with memories of childhood, when the child gradually learns about his dissimilarity to his peers.
George O'Dowd was born on June 14, 1961 into a poor Irish family who moved to England. In addition to George, there were five more children in the family, and until the moment he left the house, he did not even have his own separate room. He hated the clothes his mother bought him. He wanted bright colors, red velvet, high platforms.
His family lived very modestly, and little George dreamed of dressing like Marc Bolan or David Bowie.
It is generally accepted that punk and the "new wave", to which Boy George belonged, broke with the previous tradition of rock music. But there was also a continuity of generations. First of all, it concerns the glam rock of the 70s. Boy George describes a David Bowie concert this way: “He was like an alien. It was the most exciting thing I have ever seen. I knew the words to all the songs by heart. Returning home, I sang into an empty can of cola. No concert since then has had such an effect.”
He spent the whole day standing among the crowd of fans under the windows of the house where Bowie lived with his wife Angie. “She opened the window and told us: “Fuck off. I was really happy."
Could George then have guessed that in the 80th year Bowie would come to the favorite club of George and his friends "Blitz" on purpose. to look at them. new romantics? He then uses the costume ideas he saw there in his legendary Ashes To Ashes video.
At the age of 15, George left school, which, as you might guess, was a dark period in his life, and began an equally dreary labor activity. He did not stay long in one place. He was always late for work, where he came in striped overalls, mismatched socks, and plastic sandals. The color of his hair was constantly changing: orange, yellow, white or iridescent with all the colors of the rainbow.
Real life for him began only with the onset of darkness, when night discos opened. “You didn't have to be rich or famous. If you had a Look, then you were a star." His girlfriend's apartment (with which, of course, the connection was purely platonic) became a laboratory where the most daring experiments with the wardrobe were carried out. They spent whole days spinning in front of the mirror, styling their hair with gel, altering and combining different things. Her brother was studying to be a barber and they enthusiastically became his "guinea pigs". Mom locked the doors and did not let him out of the house in these outfits, 15-year-old George left with things in his bag and changed clothes outside the house.
It was 1976 when Britain was rocked by the explosion of punk. young people from low-income families finally found rock musicians with whom they could identify. Their idols are peers, and not fat millionaires who gather stadiums for their concerts. Then England was far from today's tolerance and freedom of morals. Ragged, pinned punks were beaten in the streets. The number one punk band, the Sex Pistols, was targeted. Although they fought like gladiators, they were severely beaten and cut with razors. It was not allowed to come to disco clubs in punk outfit.
One of the security guards, having detained George at the entrance, took pity and advised him to go to the Bangs club, where, they say, people like him gather. George listened to the advice and for the first time got into a real gay club, where punks also liked to come. There he saw the legendary Sue Catwoman, the mascot of the Sex Pistols, and Billy Idol. Finally, George felt among his own. Here he befriended Philip Saloon, an eccentric homosexual who became his punk guru. Philip was known in all the London clubs, and with his help George entered the gay world. “Philip was a gay leper. And I was happy to replenish his colony.
One of George's first real lovers was Les, editor of a teen magazine. This man remained the only lover of George, with whom he maintained friendly relations until his death from AIDS in 1993. When they met, Les gave him the latest issue of his magazine, on the cover of which was Jon Moss, a future member of the Culture Club, the man who played important role in George's life.
At the age of 17, George left his parental home and settled in a squat with a group of friends, among whom was a strange guy who later became a famous drag queen under the name Marilyn. George began to write poetry and sing. Before the eyes of every young man stood the Sex Pistols vocalist Johnny Rotten. "If Rotten is a Singer, then why can't I become one," everyone thought.
Exhausted punk was replaced by neo-romantics with their decadent chic. Their clubs were Studio 21 and Blitz, opened by Visage bandleader Steve Strange. Every evening, George made a new Look, turning any of his public appearances into a performance. He loved oriental charm: kimono, geisha-style make-up, hats with ostrich feathers, decorated with fruits, flowers and birds. Steve Strange hired him to work in the Blitz wardrobe. George recalls: “When I became famous, Steve never tired of reminding the world that I was his wardrobe clerk. True, he forgot to say how much he paid me.
In 1981, George made his stage debut as the second vocalist for the band Bow Wow Wow, which was patronized after the collapse of the Sex Pistols by Malcolm McLaren. George's photo appeared in the New Musical Express and immediately attracted attention. Negro bass player Mickey Greig tracked him down at a club and offered to form his own band. They were joined by Jon Moss, who worked as a drummer in such well-known punk bands as Adam And The Ants and The Damned. Roy Hay became the guitarist. The band was named by Jon Moss. He said: “Look at us: an Irish transvestite, a Jew, a Negro and an Anglo-Saxon. We are Culture Club. George took the pseudonym Boy George, under which he became known to the whole world.
The Culture Club was a serious undertaking. The guys wanted to achieve real success. The policy of the group was directed by the single-minded John. The son of a millionaire, who had a good professional experience, he clearly knew what he wanted. Culture Club not only rehearsed hard, but also worked on their costumes, trying to reflect the mixture of cultures. They were inspired by ancient astrological and Catholic symbols. The Star of David worn by Boy George came from a fringe Jamaican religion, Rastafarianism. The cover of their first single White Boy featured George as a geisha with Rastafarian dreadlocks (thick pigtails imitating a lion's mane).
8 thousand copies of the single were sold. "I was so happy that someone bought it that I wanted to write and thank them all in person." Boy George's dream came true - his photo appeared on the cover of NME.
Their first album Kissing To Be Clever was typical neo-romantic: passionate and even heroic songs about sexuality and prejudice. It remains the band's best, though not the most popular, record. Culture Club has never played like this again.
Then no one knew that the energy and desperation of their music was fed not only by the young enthusiasm of the musicians rushing to fame, but also by Boy George's feeling for John Moss. And although he was not gay, to resist the love of Boy George, who overshadowed even the most beautiful women, he could not. The whole story of the rise and fall of Culture Club is the story of their love.
Boy George was invited to the TV program Top Of Pops, which was seen by 8 million viewers. After that, the song Do You Really Want To Hurt Me. based on the rhythm of reggae, climbed the charts to first place. In total, she became number one in 23 countries of the world. Brussels, Amsterdam, Berlin, Paris - a dizzying journey began for a guy who had never been outside of England and never had a bank account. Wherever he appeared, everyone wanted an autograph. His family members have lost their individuality, being related to Boy George. His older brother, boxer Gerald, was even announced in the ring as Boy George's brother.
The inevitable process of falling away of old friends began, who had nothing to do next to the world celebrity. Hundreds of girls dressed as Boy George besieged his house, every exit from which turned into an adventure story for him. He had to get out of the house through the back window, which was not easy to do in his "fancy" outfits.
The pushiness of the fans was a new experience for George. Fame makes life extremely difficult. This is the difference in the position of pop and cult stars. An artist who is called a cult has a much healthier popularity. He has a clan of ardent admirers who appreciate and understand his creative achievements. At the same time, he has the opportunity to lead a normal human life. It's quite another thing when thousands of stupid teenagers, copying your every move, are constantly chasing you. True, there is also a difference in financial income.
“I lived under a magnifying glass. My image gave a firm confidence that I could never go anywhere unrecognized. Like every narcissist, he craved fame and universal adoration. He liked screaming fans, but not in his own house. George soon realized that fans are terrible people who, like drug addicts, never get enough. The more you give them, the more they want and the less they give you. This is why pop stars secretly hate their fans. But they are forced to pretend sympathy for them, as they live on their money.
The group's second album, Color By Numbers, was based on soul and therefore gained enormous popularity in America. The song Karma Chameleon has become the hallmark of the Culture Club. No matter how much the British despise America, only she issues a certificate of world fame. Every English guy who picks up a guitar dreams of the Babylon of the modern world - New York.
During the American tour, a uniform fight-mania began. Three songs in the top ten at the same time - this was achieved by the first English group after the Beatles. The second album was sold in the States with 6 million copies, going platinum six times. During the world tour, the hottest reception was waiting for the group in Australia. A wax figure of Boy George was installed at Madame Tussauds.
In principle, all this and what followed next is the essence of the classic history of show business, repeated many times with various variations, starting with the pioneer Elvis Presley. Boy George was 23 years old and as famous as David Bowie. In the blink of an eye, the boy and a poor family with many children, suffocating in the grip of a miserable existence, became a millionaire. Reality surpassed the wildest dreams.
Time passed in traveling and work. George didn't even care about his bank account. All doors were open for him. He didn't need money. It was like Kremlin communism: if you needed to buy something during the tour, he took cash from the tour budget. And, as usual in such cases, the group paid the manager more than he paid them.
Further, the group began to have difficulties. The musicians were nervous under the burden of fame, they felt that they no longer belonged to themselves. They lost contact with each other. Wealth provided them with opportunities that were more interesting work. Songwriting has become a painful process. As a result, their third record, Waking Up With The House Of Fire, retained characteristic style Culture Club turned out to be much weaker than the previous ones, which even the musicians themselves were aware of.
Everything was aggravated by the fact that in 1985 in New York, Boy George first tried a new drug - ecstasy, which made a tremendous impression on him. The drug odyssey began: marijuana, cocaine, acid ... He rushed between Paris, New York, Los Angeles. Celebrity meetings, cocktails, party, fashion shows. The stellar life swirled him. The most expensive hotels, rented limousines, drugs, first class travel. He had no idea how much he was spending on all this. He was accompanied everywhere by an old friend, Marilyn, whom Boy George was later inclined to regard as his evil genius.
Marilyn really was an unbearable fruit. He belonged to the category of ambitious losers. Unable to build on the success of his first single in England, where Culture Club fans bought it because they knew their idol was everywhere with Marilyn, he whispered to Boy George: "Culture Club is you."
Boy George celebrated his 24th birthday in New York in the absence of his bandmates. On the balcony of the Palladium Club, a mini-orchestra played Vivaldi. Among the 325 guests were Nona Hendrix, Madonna, Andy Warhol, representatives of the European aristocracy. Marilyn presented a new song, which was produced by the birthday boy. He was also on the choir. Then Marilyn danced with Madonna, whom he expected to use to support his career, but managed to quarrel with her, calling her a bitch. For Boy George, the holiday ended with an attack of his chronic asthma, caused by too much cocaine.
As George himself said, "...cocaine is God's way of giving you the idea that you're making too much money." Drugs are the shortest way to meet a superstar. You can imagine how many hunters there were to supply Boy George with drugs. Eventually, he came to heroin. The jokes are over. With great difficulty, Culture Club recorded their fourth album, Luxury To Heartache, in Holland.
George once a week broke into London for heroin, despite all the tricks of his colleagues to keep him in place. His relationship with John, who became increasingly distant from him and had affairs with girls, was clearly nearing the end. Bon George sobbed, wrote ten-page letters to him, sending them to the wastebasket, scolded him with his last words, and increasingly lost control of himself. Real fights broke out between them. On the set of the Move Away video, Boy George knocked over a vase of flowers on John's head, fully dressed and made up for work, before hiding in the closet. Enraged, John tried to break down the door and cut him with a piece of glass.
Due to constant flights, George was forced to go through customs, having drugs with him. The customs officers turned into a never-ending nightmare for him. He was invited to Stockholm to meet King Carl Gustav and Queen Silvia. Having broken his promise to himself, he appeared before the royal couple completely stoned.
In all these stories with drugs there was some amazing infantilism. Boy George, as a child, wanted to eat all the candy in the world at once. Grass, acid, ecstasy, cocaine, heroin - everything was used in a row and in large quantities. Of course, heroin, by virtue of its "natural heaviness," outweighed everything else. Ecstasy and cocaine destroyed the psyche, but heroin caused a real tough addiction.
The fourth album was sold with a circulation of 1 million copies. But in business terms, when £500,000 was spent recording it, it was hard to call it a success. And the real problem was not in the statistics, but in the fact that the music of Culture Club left the soul and heart. The record became an excellent epitaph for the band.
Boy George told Smash Hits magazine, "I don't care about their business, I love music, I'm sick of being a pop star." He was a favorite of the public for a long time, but clouds were gathering over his head. And finally, thunder struck. His personal photographer made a sensational statement to the press that Boy George had sold him a gram of cocaine. It was rumored that he received a tidy sum for this. Further, the story about their relationship with John was leaked to the press. The Yellow Sun published an article titled "Junky George has 8 weeks left to live." The scandal grew like a snowball. There were even rumors that Boy George had AIDS. The press just went off the rails. The Daily Mirror on its pages directly asked the question: “Does the police intend to do something?”
And the police heeded the voice of the indignant public, conducting raids with searches in the homes of his friends and himself. Letters, telephone books, and answering machine records were confiscated. The whole story began to resemble the famous persecution of Oscar Wilde, whom English society repaid in full for its adoration.
There are hundreds of thousands of people in the world who use drugs, tens of thousands of them are real junkies. However, their fates were of much less interest to the media than Boy George alone. On their pages, he turned into a fabulous giant drug addict, if we take for granted the doses that were attributed to him. As George himself said, “... they didn’t care what would happen to me. All. what they need is to increase circulation.” The situation for poor George is indeed dire. He found himself in the position of a drug addict under a magnifying glass. It's not easy to buy and take drugs when the whole country is watching your every move.
George came to the aid of the head of his company Virgin Richard Branson. He hid it in his house and found a doctor who immediately began treatment.
The police were looking for George, and he himself, suffering from severe withdrawal symptoms, watched the developments on TV. He felt himself. like a hunted fox. One of the headlines read: "Find him!" What was it like to watch this vile hysteria for a person who already experienced terrible paranoia during withdrawal!
Branson took over negotiations with the police, informing her. that George is under his care and undergoing an accelerated course of treatment. But the police sought the opportunity to interrogate him. Finally, George was taken to the cell. He was interrogated twice for two and a half hours. The last time was at night.
In principle, the arrest and interrogation of Boy George was not a clean affair from a legal point of view. No drugs were found on him or in his house. It turns out that the police can go to any drug treatment clinic and arrest everyone there.
George's misadventures didn't stop there. His American friend, the talented musician Michael Rudetsky, who was discharged by him from New York to record a solo album, was found dead in Boy George's house the very first night. He died of morphine poisoning in the absence of the owner, who spent the night outside the house. After a short time, another friend of George, Mark Vautier, became a victim of drugs. It served as a frontier. Chaotically treated by various doctors, Boy George nevertheless “tied up” with heroin, although his health could not improve for several more years. He himself admitted: "All my thoughts were about the heroine."
However, the troubles did not leave him. George was arrested on the street with a group of friends, and they found 2 grams of hashish on him. The result was a sentence - two years probation.
“It seemed I was doomed to spend the rest of my life in courtrooms.” But nevertheless, his solo record Sold was a success. It was incomparably weaker than the work with Culture Club, but times have changed - and if Wilde's career was over forever, then Boy George's single Everything I Own once again reached number one in the British charts.
The solo European tour, which Boy George went on while still suffering from psychosomatic pain, was less successful. During a speech in Hamburg, he again began to have convulsions. luckily on the last song. In Zurich, he stumbled and fell off the stage, and if not for the guard who picked him up, he would definitely have broken his neck.
His next album, Tense Nervous Headache, turned out to be even less expressive than the previous one. And George stopped making records. He disbanded his band and formed his own dance label, More Protein. specializing in acid house. George “fell ill” with them back in the years of the New York follies. Moreover, a real acid boom began in England.
Once he got over his self-centeredness and got involved with the label and the other artists he produced and helped write songs for, his health began to improve. This is the peculiarity of psychosomatic diseases. Striving for the anonymity that house music taught him. George created a new group Jesus Loves You. In it, he performed under the pseudonym Angela Dust. That's how far it's gone in refusing to be a superstar.
After recording a single, they went to Australia. where Boy George's last tour was a national event. This time they were met at the airport by a single fan and a team of television people. But George is old enough to be upset. Calling his mother in London, he laughed at how short the memory of the public. In Sydney, George met his New York friend, Hare Krishna Nayana, who invited him to India for Christmas.
For the occasion, to endure style. George shaved his head and dressed in Indian clothes, which greatly surprised the Indians who met him. With Naiyana and her lover Michael Dunn, who was by his side Hard times, George visited Delhi. Bombay. Goa and even Kathmandu. Met with high-ranking officials from the Society for Krishna Consciousness. Thus began Boy George's famous flirtation with Krishnaism. Not having much faith in God, George decided that Krishna was the most stylish of the gods.
This fragile alliance was beneficial to both sides. Boy George was given the opportunity to once again draw attention to himself with his new exotic image. At the same time, he did not burden himself too much with the observance of all religious prescriptions. He chose those. which he liked, such as vegetarianism. The Hare Krishnas, in turn, reluctantly tolerated his homosexuality, realizing how important such a popular among young people as Boy George is for their religious propaganda.
Boy George visited our country twice. For the first time as part of a combined concert organized by Stas Namin. the second - within the Week of the Society for Krishna Consciousness. Then he gave an exclusive interview to "Arguments and Facts" in exchange for informational support for the Hare Krishna Week.
Now, apparently, the period of his passion for Hare Krishnaism has passed, which nevertheless testifies to his sobriety. He writes: “I have not found God and do not follow any doctrine. I just believe. that there is something beyond our understanding and guiding us step by step. It can be Krishna, Allah, Jehovah, energy force. Maybe. this is the God of orthodox Christianity.”
His new album Cheapness And Beauty can hardly be called outstanding. The authorship of his best song belongs to Iggy Pop and his childhood idol David Bowie. But this does not change anything in the attitude of the public towards the man who was the most extravagant star of the 80s.
At 34, George Boy has learned to be free. Free to live his life the way he chose it and make the mistakes that are part of it.
Andrey BUKHARIN,
"OM", January-February 1996