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Posted Jun. 23, 2008, 8:00 a.m. ET
Exclusive: Boy George Is Denied Visa + Pens Obama Song
By David Hershkovits
How excited we were when the New York Post reported that our good friend Boy George would be returning to New York and performing in a series of concerts over the summer. You may remember George's unceremonious exit from New York after having to perform five days of community service sweeping the park for the Department of Sanitation in 2006. In a gesture of appreciation to the Sanitation Dept., the now clean and sober George had agreed to stop at the DSNY's Family Day on Aug. 17 at Floyd Bennett Field in Brooklyn, where he would perform a full set of his songs in front of about 5,000 people. Shows at Terminal 5 and on Westbury, LI were also scheduled.
Well, apparently not. U.S. Customs thinks it would be better if he didn't and they have denied him a visa. Here are George's comments about his disappointment as well as his views on Barack Obama, who he recently wrote a song about -- which you can listen to after the jump exclusively on PAPERMAG!
On being denied a visa:
"I'm pretty devastated because I am so excited about this forthcoming tour and having my visa application denied seems unfair after I swept the streets of New York spotless. There are a number of public figures who are openly using drugs and they have no problem with immigration and I have seriously turned my life around and I feel great right now and this is just another reminder of how bad things were. I committed a crime and I happily paid the consequences and I should be allowed to move on and get on with what I do best and that is performing and making people people dance and cry!"
On Obama's "Yes We Can" speech:
"I was deeply moved and motivated by Obama's 'Yes We Can' speech and I used it as a metaphor for personal change because there have been huge changes in my own life this past year. 'Yes We Can' equates as 'Yes I Can' from my own personal perspective and like many people I am excited by the prospect of Obama being the first black man in the White House and the next President of America. Most politicians fail to live up to the huge expectations we have for them but Obama exudes a sense of calm and after the stutterings of George Bush I feel he is just what America needs. I'm not too concerned about alienating Republicans because I'm pretty sure my audience is mostly Democratic!"
Listen to "Yes We Can" below!
Comments
wOW THIS IS AN AMZING SONG BY GEORGE HE IS SCHEDULED TO PERFOMR THIS ON THE TOPDAY SHOW ON JULY 7, 2008
Posted at 2:20 p.m. ET on Jun 23, 2008 by JORDAN
What a cute little song! I'm glad Boy George got his life turned around. Let's hope he gets his Visa for this summer.
Posted at 4:02 p.m. ET on Jun 23, 2008 by Kurt from Milwaukee
I want more!!! I Love Boy George
Posted at 8:39 p.m. ET on Jun 23, 2008 by Jay Tombstone
Fantastic new song by Boy George!
Congratulations to Boy George for turning his life around; he's become a role model for how to do it right.
Good luck on getting a visa to come to NYC and perform. I hope it works out.
Posted at 9:25 p.m. ET on Jun 23, 2008 by Joe Miller from Indianapolis
Why are Whitney and Dame Bobby Brown not sweeping up the filth in American streets? they are out and out drug addicts and are permitted to be so, but then they aren't gay and of course,they're American.
Boy George is a genius.Shove the Visa America.
Posted at 1:11 p.m. ET on Jun 24, 2008 by Anonymous
Damn you Boy George.
I was a fan for years.
But I haven't liked the Boy that you have shown me for some time.
Now you write this song that brings tears to my eyes. Keep hope alive...yes we can.
Posted at 12:14 a.m. ET on Jun 25, 2008 by Dray
the BOY is doing what he does best SING and writing great songs. weclome home. our hearts
Posted at 11:10 p.m. ET on Jun 25, 2008 by steve vargas
IMO, it is a disgrace that US Customs have denied George a VISA because of a "pending charge" in England! Yet England doesn't think he is a risk and has deemed him fit to travel anywhere in the world.
How is it OK to let illegal aliens into this country, who have nothing to offer (who are more of a liability than an asset most of the time), yet deny a brilliant artist who will no doubt generate TONS of revenue for the capitalistic USA? Are they MAD?
There are legions of fans over here who want to see him, hear his music LIVE.
Denying us the privilege of being able to see him here bec he has a "pending trial" in England is ludicrous. Does everyone from another country who has a "pending trial" get their VISAs denied? Puhleeze!
What ever happened to "innocent until proven guilty", the premise that OUR judicial system is supposedly built on? Or is that, too, going to be tossed out like saying the Pledge of Allegiance and prayer in schools?
Something is rotten here and it aint in Denmark.
Posted at 1:05 p.m. ET on Jun 26, 2008 by Louise from Louisiana
Excellent Song - can't wait to hear the entire thing. About the denied visa - let's be real folks - how much of it has to do with the fact that George is an out gay man and that it's not something that's particularly loved by the current U.S. administration of George W. Bush. It'll be interesting if all of this magically clears up after January 20th when Barack Obama takes the oath of the President. "Yes, We Can!"
Posted at 8:36 p.m. ET on Jun 29, 2008 by Veritable Virgo
The conspiracy theories on here about George not getting a visa are ridiculous. I know plenty of out gay men who have no trouble getting a work visa to the U.S.
Wake up, Boy George fans the problem is your hero keeps getting arrested and behaving badly.
When he was living in NYC, it was long drug fest and insulting everyone he came in contact with. The club scene here is better now that he's gone.
Don't get arrested and you can come to the U.S. anytime.
George Bush probably has no clue who Boy George is so hadly wastes his time trying to keep him out!
Posted at 11:18 a.m. ET on Jul 04, 2008 by East Village Girl
wow....what a great song.....
Posted at 11:50 a.m. ET on Jul 30, 2008 by glynn
Love the song ..I`ve been fan since the eighties ...keep it up george ..hug`s
Posted at 10:58 p.m. ET on Aug 09, 2008 by allculturebaby42
This song is as sick as the people that think he is god.What next are the peons
supposed to kiss his hand and say O Great One.LMAO
Posted at 12:28 a.m. ET on Aug 28, 2008 by Baltimore Man
great song ...
love George , you are No 1 , forever
days ago i was enjoy your concert in buenos aires
fantastic show!
please come back to Argentina
jorge de la barrera
buenos aires, Argentina .
Posted at 11:39 p.m. ET on Sep 24, 2008 by george - buenos aires , argentina
Another show of incredible talent by Boy George. Fantastic song. Truly inspirational to those who listen and understand the lyrics. As for the visa denial. Total DISCRIMINATION! Shame on you America! LOVE YOU BOY GEORGE!
Posted at 9:00 p.m. ET on Oct 14, 2008 by Craig Seehafer
You need to wake up East Village Girl!!!!! Do you see ANY other pop stars or movie stars being forced to sweep the streets? Of course the gay people you know were given visas. No one knows them! George is known around the world. And I am quite sure George Bush knows who Boy George is. There are few people who don't. You obviously have no compassion for someone who has an addiction. Having a drug problem doesn't give you the right to behave badly, but it is a contributing factor. On second thought, don't wake up, go to sleep and go away.
Posted at 10:30 a.m. ET on Oct 18, 2008 by Craig
hi there boy george how are you good i have been your fan for 31 years since i was 5 years old now i'm 36 years old. when are you and your band culture club comming to Australia for a concert love to see you all keep on smiling guys,love you all heeps. ilda
Posted at 4:23 a.m. ET on Jul 16, 2009 by ilda
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