Boy George cancels Culture Club tour over health problems
Boy George has cancelled a planned Culture Club reunion tour, over serious health concerns.
The gay icon, who reunited with Culture Club for the first time since 1999 this summer, had been due to tour the US, Canada and Europe.
However, the 53-year-old has cancelled all his upcoming performances and scrapped the tour, after a polyp was foundin his throat.
The singer said: “I have a polyp on one of my vocal chords which has haemorrhaged and one of my vocal chords is unusually enlarged and won’t close properly when I sing.
“I have been advised by doctors that to continue singing with this polyp would further damage my voice and could cause irreparabe damage.
“To say I am devastated barely touches how I feel.”
A statement from the band’s management said: “It is with great regret that the members of Culture Club have announced the cancellation of their tours in North America and the UK scheduled for November and December 2014.
“The band are devastated by this news and so it is with much regret that the tour is cancelled until further notice. Refunds are available at the point of purchase.”
Boy George has been performing for over three decades, and is a regular sight at Pride events across the world.
He said in May: “If it had been a gay rapper that had done Same Love I think it probably wouldn’t have had the same impact.
“It#s a weird thing about our culture. I think Same Love is a great record, I don’t care if he’s straight or gay, it doesn’t matter. It shouldn’t matter, but unfortunately it does.
“If you’re gay doing that song people think you’re preaching. No, it’s my life. It’s the same as a guy speaking about his girlfriend.”
