Boy George Denied US Visa, Scraps Tour

NEW YORK — Do they really want to hurt him? That's the question Boy George's managers are asking U.S. authorities now that the 47-year-old singer has been denied a visa to enter the country.

The Culture Club frontman, whose real name is George O'Dowd, had planned a U.S. tour this summer, including a free concert at the New York City Department of Sanitation's Family Day in August. He worked for the department in 2006 while performing court-ordered community service in a drug case.

His managers said in a statement Monday that O'Dowd has been denied a visa because he's awaiting trial in London.

The singer, whose hits include "Do You Really Want to Hurt Me" and "Karma Chameleon," has pleaded not guilty to imprisoning a man at his London home.

The U.S. Department of State said visa records are confidential so it couldn't comment.

"I am getting my life together and was really looking forward to performing in concert for all my loyal fans. I love America and I am really sad that it appears that I am not allowed to visit a place I have called home at various times in my life," O'Dowd said in an e-mail to The Associated Press.

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On the Net:

http://www.boygeorgelive.com

Comments

[CindyM2008]

When told he could not tour in the US, Boy George was heard to have said:
"Do you really want to hurt me...do you really want to make me cry"

[deckard70]

Have we as a people asked the government to protect us from singers with mild criminal records? The government has to stop interfering with freedom of travel.

[osage]

America's Governmental Hypocrisy Is Shameless - Undesirables? Criminal Records? Felons?

"With more than 2.3 million people behind bars, the United States leads the world in both the number and percentage of residents it incarcerates, leaving far-more-populous China a distant second, according to a study by the nonpartisan Pew Center on the States.

The growth in prison population is largely because of tougher state and federal sentencing imposed since the mid-1980s. Minorities have been particularly affected: One in nine black men ages 20 to 34 is behind bars. For black women ages 35 to 39, the figure is one in 100, compared with one in 355 for white women in the same age group."

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/story/2008/02/28/ST2008022803016.html

[westreal]

Too bad. I have all of Culture Clubs albums on my ipod. That was one smooth band.

[tototo]

Gosh people here are harsh. This guy had us dancing like mad a few years ago. And nobody's asking why in the f*ck US officials are concerned about Boy George's appearance in British court.

[ChiGuy]

He was entertaining for about 10 minutes.
The problem was that he then thought he was God's gift to the world for life.
His unwarranted yet massive ego has tripped him up on more than one occasion, and it's always fun to watch those that put themselves on pedestals, fall off with all the grace of a sack of rocks.

[BadCompany]

Nobody wants to see your tour anyway, Uncle Fester.

[ChiGuy]

ROFLMAO!!!!

[pizzmoe]

He looks like he could star in a biopic about Divine

[ChiGuy]

This pretentious waste of skin should permanently scrap plans of a tour.

Sorry, O'Dowd. The "boy" part of Boy George just doesn't work anymore.
Just too hagged-out.

[Eric8869]

Guess he's not tumbling 4 us.