BOY GEORGE

Born George Alan O'Dowd in Kent, England on June 14, 1961, Boy George gravitated toward music in the post-punk era. Weaned on glam and inspired equally by Siouxsie & the Banshees and Patti Smith, George attended punk clubs in England, making the scene at the Blitz club. Eventually, he gained the attention of Sex Pistol impresario Malcolm McLaren, who found O'Dowd's androgyny compelling. McLaren decided George was right for the fledgling Bow Wow Wow, so he brought him in under the name Lieutenant Lush to Annabella Lwin's Captain Lush. The two didn't mesh, so O'Dowd departed so he could form his own group with bassist Mikey Craig, drummer Jon Moss, and Roy Hay. At this point, he adopted the name Boy George.
The early 1980s were filled with pop stars who seemed larger than life, but very few cut as ind...