Metro Weekly

Boy George turns 52 today: Some of his best moments

Former Culture Club singer, solo artist and icon Boy George turns 52 today.  So what better way to mark the occasion than take a look some of the best moments from his long and successful career?  

Culture Club – “Miss Me Blind”

Boy George and his band had a string a major hits in America and around the world with “Do You Really Wanna Hurt Me,”  “Time (Clock of the Heart),” “I’ll Tumble 4 U,” “Church of the Poison Mind” and of course “Karma Chameleon,” among others.  “Miss Me Blind” was the follow-up to their #1 “Karma Chameleon” in the US and hit #5 on the Billboard Singles Charts in 1984. 

Culture Club – “Victims”

This soulful ballad was a substantial hit in the UK but was never released as a single in America.  One of his finest vocal performances.  From Culture Club’s mega-successful  1983 album “Colour By Numbers”

Boy George – “Everything I Own”

After the relative failure of the final Culture Club album “From Luxury to Heartache” and struggling with drug addiction, Boy George embarked on a solo career.  He never really managed to take off as a solo artist on the same level he did with Culture Club, but he did manage to score a handful of hits, including this take on the classic 70s tune by Bread.   From his first solo album, “Sold,” released in 1987, this was a #1 single in the UK.

Boy George – “The Crying Game”

George collaborated with the Pet Shop Boys for this cover of a 60s song by Dave Berry used in the movie of the same name.  Their collaboration ended up being magical – they produced a gorgeous single and provided Boy George his biggest American hit as a solo artist, hitting #11 in 1992.

Boy George – “Il Adore”

George hit his creative peak as a solo artist on 1995’s “Cheapness and Beauty” album, which featured the beautiful and heartbreaking “Il Adore.”   A song that deserves a wider audience, and one of the finest moments of his career.

Mark Ronson & The Business Intl. feat. Boy George and Andrew Wyatt – “Somebody to Love Me”

Producer Mark Ronson featured Boy George on the superb “Somebody to Love Me” on his 2010 album “Record Collection,” and it featured a fantastic video that looks back at a younger Boy George through a very different lens.   Brilliant.

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