Culture Club
Culture Club is a pop group from the early '80s, best known for their UK #1 hit single "Do You Really Want to Hurt Me?". Their debut album, Kissing to Be Clever, sold five million copies worldwide.
Though the band produced a number of infectious hits, their popularity was fueled by the public spectacle of lead singer Boy George's androgyny. In George's 1984 Grammy acceptance speech for Best New Artist, he said, "Thanks America, you've got taste, style, and you know a good drag queen when you see one."
The band broke up in 1986, reportedly due to drug problems and a stormy relationship between George and drummer Jon Moss. Culture Club reunited in 1998 and recorded a final album, Don't Mind if I Do.
Fast Facts
- Origin: United Kingdom
- Years active: 1981-1986, 1998-2002, 2006-present
- Record label: Virgin Records
- Members: Boy George, John Moss, Mikey Craig and Roy Hay
Partial Discography
- 1982: "Kissing to Be Clever"
- 1983: "Colour by Numbers"
- 1983: "Time EP" (Japan only)
- 1984: "Waking Up with the House on Fire"
- 1986: "From Luxury to Heartache"
- 1999: "Don't Mind If I Do"
Other Gender-Benders
Though George's androgynous look was the most extreme to date, other gender-bending pop stars both preceded and followed him:
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