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Boy George: Garbage Man

People thought actress Michelle Rodriguez was crazy when she chose jail time over performing community service. But considering Boy George's current predicament, Rodriguez is looking pretty smart.

The former Culture Club lead singer was hauled into a New York City courtroom on Monday (June 26) and chastised for failing to complete a court-mandated stint of community service in a timely fashion. Now, he's been belatedly given his marching orders: For five days, the once-fabulous crooner of such hits at "Karma Chameleon" and "The Crying Game" will work for the New York Department of Sanitation.

Does this mean New York City residents can look forward to having their trash collected by Boy George? Possibly, say officials. "He will be part of our team," a sanitation spokesman confirmed yesterday (June 27). "We won't know exactly what he will be doing for several weeks, though."

The singer is doing penance for making a false police report in October of last year. At that time, police were called to the 45-year-old singer's Manhattan apartment after he reported a burglary -- but instead of finding missing items, they found 13 bags of cocaine. Boy George -- George O'Dowd to his parents -- maintains that he does not know how the cocaine got there, but pled guilty to the lesser charge of false reporting of an incident to avoid any drug charges.

Meanwhile, George's old bandmates are getting Culture Club back together -- without him. The band has announced plans for a 2007 world tour and TV series and taken out ads looking for "a unique vocalist with a brilliant voice." "We do not want a karaoke Boy George 'lookalike,'" the ad reads, "but a charismatic and unique performer in his or her own right with something truly fresh, contemporary and original to offer."

--The ARTISTdirect Staff
06.28.06