Illustration by The Globe and Mail/Dean Stocking
From the moment Culture Club dropped Do You Really Want to Hurt Me in 1982, Boy George became a global obsession. Glossies and tabloids, from Newsweek to the National Enquirer, fixated on his style. Masterfully mixing Rastafarian wraps, graphic kimonos and Hasidic hats, his closet reflected a unified vision of society.
But do away with the thick makeup, shocking costumes and sensational headlines, and Boy George remains a gifted, soulful voice who dominated the 1980s music scene – and one who continues to make provocative pop. As Culture Club’s hits charted alongside tracks such as Dire Straights’ Money for Nothing and Grandmaster Flash’s The Message, both rife with gay slurs, he accepted the band’s Best New Artist Grammy with the quip: “Thank you, America – you know a good drag queen when you see one.”
Ahead of Culture Club’s only Canadian tour stop on March 5 at Fallsview Casino in Niagara Falls, Boy George opens up about having a full life – without regrets or vacations.
What has been the biggest breakthrough in your life so far?
I think discovering the “three principles” [mind, thought and consciousness] four years ago helped. It was originally created by philosopher Sydney Banks [a Scottish-Canadian author] and ever since reading about him and watching his videos, I’m much more focused creatively and emotionally. I used to be so critical when I was younger and so annoyed by anyone that wasn’t me. With the principles, I realize I’m just part of everything.
Lyrics to Culture Club’s hits – including Church of the Poison Mind – sound so relevant now. Have you ever felt as though your songs foresaw the future?
It’s like one of those crystal ball tracks, isn’t it? Sometimes you grow into certain songs or the world does. I leave room for other people’s imagination but when I wrote Church of the Poison Mind, it was about the tension between religion and identity –which does relate to right now as it speaks to how hate can really just be in your head. I think the world is as you create it. That song is very Buddhist.
What are you working on right now?
Visual art. A beaded painting of Lou Reed called New York. He’s a hero. I saw him live when I was 14. I’ll always remember this great interview with him from 1972. He was asked if he was gay or a transvestite and said, ‘Sometimes.’
What does painting do for you?
It’s like songwriting without the noise. I use cardboard, beads, found materials – things that are disposable – and turn them into something glamorous. That contradiction matters to me. It’s still punk. My art work isn’t about perfection. If it’s too neat, I don’t trust it. I love that art doesn’t ask for permission.
Any thoughts on the way drag has been embraced by mainstream?
We’ll always have popular things but if you’re truly great, you grow … like a flower through the cracks. An older drag queen like Lady Bunny would say, ‘it’s too commercial now,’ but you have to adapt as well as adopt a different attitude. You can’t be bitter about what was.
How does someone develop real personal style today in the age of the algorithm?
By ignoring everyone else. Fashion is for the fragile, style is for the brave.
How do you feel about AI?
I’ve made videos with it and posted them. Some people complain and comment ‘why are you using it?’ There’s always someone who wants to keep you in your lane. I don’t believe in rules or lanes. I’ve also had enough conversations with ChatGPT – which I call ‘Mother’ – for a whole book.
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You once said, “behind this limp wrist is an iron fist.” Does that still apply?
I’m much kinder now – to myself and to everyone. The difference between me now at 64 and 10 years ago is my ability to self-regulate.
What do you do to relax?
There’s a club in London called Dark Room and I DJ at it for free, just for kicks. I want the thrill of being able to spin whatever music I want to the insanely freaky, gorgeous people who go there. The dance floor is filled with goths. There’s no attitude at all. There’s no nastiness. It is just heaven.
Last film that stuck with you?
The Kid Stays in the Picture – it’s a prophecy. It’s about Robert Evans, a producer who did Rosemary’s Baby, The Godfather and Chinatown when nobody wanted to touch these scripts. The art direction tells the story using photographs like it’s a pop-up book. I recommend it to everyone.
Do you still use any of the recipes from your macrobiotic cookbook, 2001’s Karma Cookbook?
You can’t go wrong with the salads, even for breakfast. Ever since I saw Japanese ladies eating salads [in the morning] and they were in their 90s, I thought they were on to something. So now I’m eating cucumber at eight o’clock in the morning.
When is your next vacation?
My life’s a holiday. I do what I love. I’m in talks in London about doing an exhibition which covers some of my life. It will be hard to pull off; I’ve worn my clothes to rags. After the tour, there’s an avalanche of music that I’m releasing and Culture Club just did a version of Do You Really Want To Hurt Me with Sia. For my solo stuff? I want to do something insane and drop 10 albums in one day.
This interview has been edited and condensed.
British singer-songwriter Boy George explores celebrities’ relationship with stardom in a new art collection launching on Oct. 25. George has depicted music stars David Bowie, Madonna and Prince alongside a self-portrait from his Culture Club days for Fame, a limited edition collection with British art retailer Castle Fine Art.
Reuters
