Boy George (born
George Alan O'Dowd; 14 June 1961) is an English singer-songwriter, DJ, fashion designer, and photographer. He is the lead singer of the
Grammy- and
Brit Award-winning pop band
Culture Club. At the height of the band's fame, during the 1980s, they recorded global hit songs such as "
Do You Really Want To Hurt Me", "
Time (Clock of the Heart)", and "
Karma Chameleon", and George was known for his soulful voice and
androgynous appearance. He was part of the English
New Romantic movement which emerged in the late 1970s to the early 1980s. His music is often classified as
blue-eyed soul, which is influenced by
rhythm and blues and
reggae. He was lead singer of
Jesus Loves You during the period 1989–1992. His 1990s and 2000s-era solo music has
glam influences, such as
David Bowie and
Iggy Pop. More recently, he has released fewer music recordings, splitting his time between songwriting, DJing, writing books, designing clothes, and photography.