Citing Visa Problems, Boy George Cancels Concert for City's Sanitation

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By Irina Aleksander

July 1, 2008 | 3:55 p.m

Boy George in 2006

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This morning Boy George announced that he's canceling his tour and will not be able to perform for New York City's Department of Sanitation workers as he had planned.

Last week his managers said that the singer was denied a visa to the States because he was awaiting trial in London on charges of falsely imprisoning a man. Boy George, whose real name is George O'Dowd, reportedly pleaded not guilty to accusations made by a 28-year-old man who claimed he was imprisoned in the singer's home.

In a statement sent out to press outlets, Mr. O'Dowd said:

I was really hoping that the issue would be resolved and that some kind soul at the U.S. Visa Office would realize that if the police in the U.K. placed no restrictions on my movements, that should have been good enough for them. I am very sorry that I will not see all my American fans this year, but I wish them a happy and healthy Fourth of July. I include the Visa Office in those good wishes and realize they are doing a very difficult job and I just got unlucky.

Mr. O'Dowd's North American tour will be rescheduled for next winter.