I guess it takes one to know one.
Whether they like it or Boy George says he is planning to serenade his former New York City sanitation co-workers during a special summer concert.
The British singer is planning to perform some of his greatest hits for the New York City Department of Sanitation’s Family Day on August 17th, according to city officials.
The goodwill gesture comes two years after Boy George (whose real name is George O’Dowd) donned a fluorescent orange vest, dark Capri pants and shoes without socks and hit the streets of Manhattan to fulfill his community service sentence.
You’ll recall that the washed up pop star, who turns 47 tomorrow, was court ordered to work for the city’s sanitation department after pleading guilty to falsely reporting a burglary at his lower Manhattan apartment.
He then created a media circus when he took to the streets to pick up garbage throughout the city on one of the hottest days of the year.
The former Culture Club singer wisely went without his trademark mascara that day.
“The people I worked alongside showed great kindness to me at a very difficult time, and I wanted to thank them all in a way that would show my appreciation,” Boy George said yesterday.
While the singer declined to announce exactly which one of his hits (yes, there was more than one) he will perform, you can bet “Karma Chameleon” and “Do You Really Want to Hurt Me” will likely be among them.
And I know this might come as a surprise to some of you, but leaders at the city’s sanitation department actually went public yesterday saying that some of them were actually looking forward to Boy George’s concert: “Keeping New York City safe and clean is a daunting challenge – as Boy George well knows – and we welcome his generous offer to entertain those who have made our city the cleanest it has been in more than 30 years.”
By the way for those of you who want in on the concert action, Boy George is launching a North American tour in Aspen, Colorado on July 10th.