One of the primary prerequisites of being a true star is that the general public never grows tired of seeing or hearing you. Boy George's "Karma: My Autobiography" (Blink Publishing) proves to be the standard by being sterling. As the front man of the New Romantics group Culture Club, his pen, voice, and beautifully surreal appearance were instrumental in selling millions of records worldwide.
As a solo artist, he has released nine studio albums, five compilation albums and dozens of singles. His most achingly beautiful of the latter is his soulful remake of the Dave Barry classic, "The Crying Game," from the soundtrack of the Oscar-nominated film of the same name, with George receiving nominations from The Grammys, MTV and the NAACP.
It all seemed too good to be true, until Boy (born George O'Dowd in 1961), at the height of his fame, fell into severe drug addiction, a scandalous media shaming, and community service, after being sentenced to pick up trash on the streets of Manhattan.
But he knew we'd miss him, and it's hard to keep a good man down. He's returned to touring, this time with Squeeze, including an August 17 show at The Fox Oakland.
George has slowly rebuilt himself with a staggering range of work, reality shows, as a judge on talent contests, stints as a DJ, touring as both a solo artist and member of Culture Club and a very successful limited stint as Harold Zidler in the Broadway musical "Moulin Rouge." In May, he left the show, which for his run added a few of his songs to its extended curtain call number.
George challenges perceptions as easily as he draws on his eyebrows. His revealing autobiography finds him now a more focused, but still dishy George, as he continues to circumnavigate the world as someone who wears his heart on his sleeve, his mind on his sobriety and his ongoing battle with his weight.
Armed with glittering suits, Philip Treacy hats and the full beat (gay slang for makeup application), he serves the tea with his positive encounters (Muhammed Ali, Smokey Robinson, Dolly Parton) and negative ones (Janet Jackson, Sam Smith, Luther Vandross). He also offers heartfelt advice on songwriting and fame, with advice that any true creative would lap up like an alley cat.
(photo: CultureClub.net)
Fame game
What is most compelling in the book is his embrace of Buddhism and chanting as his weapon of choice against a homophobic world.
At the book's outset, though, George's complains about his former lover, Jon Moss, the drummer of Culture Club and the man who discovered him. Moss handled the group's legalities, duties with which George did not concern himself.
When he and his fellow bandmates decided to fire Moss, they discovered that they must each pay him very handsomely, so the group went to work for very lucrative fees.
One of the book's most hilarious episodes involves performing for Elon Musk, who was simply not sophisticated enough to merely sit back and enjoy the group's performance, walking out within three minutes of the start of their set.
Undeterred, Boy's sense of both curiosity and discernment keeps him vibrant and appreciative of true talent, versus phobias and mindsets that people have developed about their lives and the world around them.
He chronicles his painful attempts at weight loss, all the while being an inspiration to Donatella Versace and Jean-Paul Gaultier. An obsession with astrology should greatly amuse Bay Area readers and, yes, he goes into convincingly precise detail.
Also very interesting is the ingrained homophobia that he has faced from gay reporters about not being considered an "acceptable" spokesperson for the LGBTQ community, compared to the more masculine cisgendered-presenting George Michael. Boy George had to confront his own contribution to it by appearing sexless, saying that he "would prefer a good cup of tea."
"Karma" is an excellent book, particularly in light of relentless tutorials on makeup on social media. Boy deserves his own makeup line. With the recent discussions over pronouns, gender identity and queer representation, Boy George should serve as a pioneering gender-blurring dandy.
'Karma: My Autobiography,' by Boy George, Blink Publishing. $26-$29 paperback and hardback, also Kindle and audiobook ($14, $24).
www.blink-publishing
boygeorgeandcultureclub.net
Boy George performs with Squeeze at the Fox Theatre, $78-$300, Aug. 17, 7:30pm. 1807 Telegraph Ave., Oakland. www.thefoxoakland.com
Never miss a story! Keep up to date on the latest news, arts, politics, entertainment, and nightlife.
Sign up for the Bay Area Reporter's free weekday email newsletter. You'll receive our newsletters and special offers from our community partners.
Support California's largest LGBTQ newsroom. Your one-time, monthly, or annual contribution advocates for LGBTQ communities. Amplify a trusted voice providing news, information, and cultural coverage to all members of our community, regardless of their ability to pay -- Donate today!