Published: 8 February 2014
Culture Club singer Boy George:
‘Hearing David Bowie’s Quicksand when I was ten was life-changing’
We ask a celebrity a set of devilishly probing questions – and only accept THE definitive answer. This week it’s singer Boy George’s turn…
The prized possession you value above all others... My house in Hampstead. I bought it in 1984 for £400,000 and it’s worth around £5m now.
The biggest regret you wish you could amend... Not getting in touch with my dad before he died. We didn’t speak for two years after he left my mum, but he phoned me on the day of 9/11. I promised to call him back but I never did, then he died of a heart attack in 2004.
The way you would spend your fantasy 24 hours, with no travel restrictions... I’m single at the moment, so I’d start the day with a gang of friends in New York. We’d have breakfast at the Four Seasons hotel there, then pile into a private jet and hang out in Ocho Rios, Jamaica. I’d also rent out GoldenEye [the home once owned by James Bond creator Ian Fleming]. We’d party with a load of locals who’d cook jerk chicken. I don’t drink alcohol, so I’d have a virgin Pina Colada. Afterwards, we’d all go to Vrindavan in India, the birthplace of Krishna, and visit the Kusum Sarovara monument. I’d buy some beautiful fabrics in the markets then stop off in Vietnam because I’ve never been there. We’d end the day in Rio de Janeiro. We’d have dinner at a ‘raw’ restaurant – I’m a ‘raw vegan’, I eat mainly raw food and vegetable juices – then we’d go to a club and dance the night away. I feel a bit redundant in a club these days if I don’t do a DJ set, so I’d play some music before crashing out at the Copacabana Palace hotel.
The temptation you wish you could resist... Bread. I try to be gluten-free, but I do love a nice thick slice of toast. The book that holds an everlasting resonance... The Power Of Now by Eckhart Tolle. I came across it just as I got sober in 2008 and it had a massively positive effect on my life.
The priority activity if you were the Invisible Man for a day... I’d pop into Parliament to see what our MPs are really up to. I’m appalled at how they waste so much of our money.
The pet hate that makes your hackles rise... People using their mobile phones in shops. It’s rude and ignorant.
The film you can watch time and time again... Imitation Of Life from 1959 with Lana Turner. I’m into soppy films and they don’t get better than that.
The person who has influenced you most... David Bowie. I’ve loved him since I was ten. I had dinner with him in 2005, at Mr Chow in New York. We talked about everything from politics to Russian movies to EastEnders.
The figure from history for whom you’d most like to buy a pie and a pint... Diana Vreeland. She was the editor of Vogue in the 60s. Her gossip would be the best imaginable.
The piece of wisdom you would pass on to a child... Respect your parents.
The unlikely interest that engages your curiosity... Rugby! I watch it even though I haven’t a clue what’s going on. I see a cute player, then Google him!
The treasured item you lost and wish you could have again... A hat with jewelled horns that was stolen in Mexico eight years ago. I often imagine some Mexican in a shack wearing it!
The unending quest that drives you on... To keep feeling good. I’ve gone from 19 stone to 14 stone since 2006. Raw food is the new rock ‘n’ roll.
The poem that touches your soul... Song Of Peace by George Bernard Shaw. It parallels eating animals with war.
The misapprehension about yourself you wish you could erase... That I’m vain. I dress up because it’s fun, but I don’t sit around admiring myself.
The event that altered the course of your life and character... Becoming famous. Since Culture Club appeared on Top Of The Pops in 1982 I’ve never had a day’s peace.
The crime you would commit knowing you could get away with it... I’d break into Tony Blair’s office and find out why he got Britain into the Iraq war.
The song that means most to you... David Bowie’s Quicksand. Hearing it when I was ten was life-changing.
The happiest moment you will cherish forever... My friend Amanda’s wedding day in May 2008. I’d got sober two months earlier and to be there in a decent state of mind was special.
The saddest time that shook your world... The day my dad died.
The unfulfilled ambition that continues to haunt you... To sing with David Bowie, but I can’t see it happening.
The philosophy that underpins your life... Remember you’re a Womble! I say it whenever I’m feeling down.
The order of service at your funeral... I’d like a party with everyone dressed in plenty of colour and I’d want my ashes scattered on Hampstead Heath.
The way you want to be remembered... As someone who helped change people’s attitudes towards sexuality.
The Plug... Boy George’s new single My God/Video Games from his album This Is What I Do is out now. Visit www.boygeorgeuk.com.
Copyright: Rob McGibbon/Accessinterviews.com 2011 (2014). All rights reserved