Boy George On Live Aid Absence: "I was engaged chemically"

Culture icon Boy George has finally revealed why he was not a part of "Live Aid," the historic 1985 charity event, in his recent interview on the "Grounded With Louis Theroux."

The 58-year-old Boy George was the latest guest in the British filmmaker's podcast, May 3, where he opened up about the "Live Aid" concert. Boy George said, "I messed it up. I was otherwise engaged chemically." The musician considers their Live Aid cancellation as "a stroke of luck" because he was not in a fit state to perform.

The frontman for the 80s pop band Culture Club also explained that they were initially asked, but George said, "I think everyone was just looking at the state of me and going, 'this might be more harmful than good.' So, they basically didn't follow up on it."

"Live Aid" was a fundraiser event on July 13, 1985, in response to the Ethiopian famine. The 16-hour concert was simultaneously held at the Wembley Stadium in London, UK, and at the JFK Stadium in Philadelphia. It featured performances from some of the biggest names in music at the time - including Elton John, Duran Duran, U2, Tom Petty, David Bowie, Neil Young, Eric Clapton, Madonna, Santana, Sting, The Beach Boys, and more.

The event was also noted as Queen's landmark performance with its vocalist, Freddie Mercury. It was even used as the climax of their 2018 biopic "Bohemian Rhapsody."

Boy George's Upcoming Biopic

Louis Theroux's inquiry follows recent reports that the Culture Club lead is the next British music icon to be featured in a biopic, following Queen's "Bohemian Rhapsody" and Elton John's "Rocketman." Boy George said that his film would not be sanitized, suggesting that there will be more sex and drugs than the earlier biopics.

News of Boy George's big-screen biography first broke out in 2019, with Game of Thrones star Sophie Turner expressing her interest in the lead role in a now-deleted tweet. In a June 17, 2019 appearance on the Australian radio show "Fitzy and Wippa," George noted that Turner is "one of the most interesting suggestions" to play him. He added that when he was 17, he would have loved to be like Sophie Turner.

George Alan O'Dowd, Culture Club, and a Timeless Presence

Born George Alan O'Dowd, Boy George is a singer-songwriter, as well as a DJ, author, and fashion designer. He is best known as the lead singer for the 80s band Culture Club, which spawned the hits "Karma Chameleon" and "Do You Really Want To Hurt Me." As an artist, he was noted primarily because of his distinct, charming voice and his androgynous appearance.

By the 80s, Boy George had been struggling with substance abuse, leading to his arrest in 1986. After the band was dissolved later that year, he entered treatment as he launched his solo career, releasing his solo debut "Sold" in 1987, spawning hits such as his cover of "Everything I Own," and the album's eponymous single "Sold."

The former Culture Club frontman also had a second career as a music disc jockey in the 90s. Performing in London's nightclubs, George was discovered by rave/house pillar "Fantazia," who asked him to work as a part of their gold-certified "The House Collection 2."

Boy George has also recently released surprise tracks. One was "Isolation," from his latest album "This Is What I Dub, Vol. 1." The album marks the first release from his own label "BGP" or Boy George Presents. He also dropped another single, "Clouds," from his upcoming album "Geminis Don't Read The Manual" set to be released later this year.

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Boy George, Culture Club