Boy George was born George Alan O'Dowd on June 14, 1961 in London, England. He was the singer-songwriter for the group Culture Club, which he started up after gaining success with Bow Wow. The group was made up of three other artists - Roy Hay on guitars, Mikey Craig on bass and John Moss on drums. The band called themselves Culture Club because each member had a different cultural background.

As his influence increased Boy George played the part of loosening gender lines, with his flamboyant dress and draw towards women's clothes and outlandish makeup. His cultural influence can be seen two decades later, as gender lines have become increasingly more flexible.

The band gained notoriety in the ‘80s, taking their place as one of that decade's most influential glam-rock groups. The group signed their first contract with Virgin in 1982, but the first two singles failed to chart, but interest and fascination were growing with George. His dress and attitude were turning him into a cultural icon, which would make him one of the most influential artists of the ‘80s.

The group enjoyed four good years of fame, before relational conflicts and Boy George's addiction to heroin began to cause problems. His addiction eventually led to the breakup of the band, and may have played a role in the death of keyboardist Michael Rudetski. Boy George underwent treatment for his addiction, and returned to the stage in '87 to release his first solo album Sold. In '88 the band decided to hold a reunion tour, which was a huge success. They decided to tour for a few more years, but have now been inactive for some time while George has been concentrating on his career as a DJ. Culture Club had a reunion in 2006, but without Boy George as the lead singer.