THE GENDER BENDER OF THE 80'S

[b] The first gender-bending artist to hit the limelight of the 80' was, of course, Boy George of Culture Club. Boy George took America by surprise....and, by storm.
By 1984, Culture Club had released 2 very successful albums, and dominated the charts and radio airwaves. Boy's look,half drag-queen, half punk, was not simply a gimmick. He dressed outrageously from a young age,coming from the U.K.'s punk scene. And, while his outrageous looks made him a media sweetheart,his voice was soulful,sweet, and took Culture Club to the top. In an age when MTV actually played music videos,and success depended on being piped into the homes of the public via music video,his image was a definite advantage to the band's success.
Boy George inspired many young people by showing them that is it important to be yourself....and that dressing up was fun.
It is important to note, that Boy George NEVER wore dresses. All of his clothes were custom made....
His make-up skills were impeccable...many women were jealous
Whether you loved him or hated him, there was no ignoring him.
Recently, Boy George started a new tour. Unfortunatly, the U.S. has denied him a work visa, so, he will not be playing here in the States.

The next genbender on my list is the 'Freak Unique" himself, Dead or Alive frontman Pete Burns.
Dead or Alive,who also hailed from the U.K.,were one of the best synth pop bands of the 1980's. Their breakthrough lp,"YouthQuake", spawned the huge hit,"You Spin Me Round:(Like A Record). With massive radio and MTV rotation,the song took Dead or Alive to the top of the U.S. charts.
With long , curly hair, and donning an eye patch,Pete Burns went beyond anyone else on the music scene when it came to gender-bending. He was ,un-fairly, constantly compared to Boy George, but the two had very little in common.
Pete played with his sexuality, and, un-like Boy George,never shied away from the subject of gender or sexual orientation.
As the years went by,DOA released several successful albums, and had more hits than "You Spin Me Round".
Their third lp, "Mad,Bad,and Dangerous to Know",gave us great tunes like "Brand New Lover", "Something In My House" and club favourite,"Saving All My Kisses".
Through out the 80's, Pete's look became even more extreme,and left any gender line far behind him.
DOA continued to create and release awesome dance music into the 90's and the new millienium.