I loves me some blue eyed soul and few have done it so well as The Culture Club. Their music was a luxurious blend of r&b, calypso, new wave, soft rock and pop. With the sultry voice of lead singer, Boy George, the band had an unique, soulful sound that paired well with fresh songwriting . The British band's talent catipulted them into international success but internal conflict caused their decline to be just as rapid.
Lets face it, Boy George was great. He had the whole glam rock thing going on (think David Bowie) with his colorful get up and playful persona. After accepting the 1984 Grammy for Best New Artist, he is quoted as saying, ""Thanks America, you've got style, you've got taste, and you know a good drag queen when you see one." I can't believe there was any doubt about his sexual orientation. When political correctness goes wrong. Anyway! He was fun, and now is crazy. But with his beautiful voice and fierce two step, Boy George was the perfect lead for an alternative-y band.
Their name was an intended reflection of the group's diversity, Boy George being Irish, Mikey Craig a Jamaican-Brit, the Jewish drummer Jon Moss, and an Anglo-Saxon Englishman Roy Hay who played the guitar and keyboard. Its likely that their mixed background gave way to their eclectic sound. George succumbed to serious cocaine and heroin addictions that would continue for years after the group's end in 1986. It was his drug problems and romantic conflict with drummer Moss (a long held secret) that led to their decline. It is a shame because with the string of hits they acquired in a short period of time, the Culture Club music could have mad them a powerhouse in pop culture history.
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