The U.S. State Department Does Not Care About Boy George

Problems in Iran and Afghanistan, an Albanian ambassador embroiled in an ammunition cover-up and Boy George's denial of a U.S. visa were among the topics the U.S. States Department spokesman Tom Casey faced at a press briefing yesterday. Sandwiched between two much more serious subjects, one confused member of the press asked Casey why Boy George wasn't allowed into the U.S., thus forcing the Culture Clubber to cancel his first American tour in a decade. Nearly choking on his drink after being caught off-guard by the question, Casey replied, "I've seen the report that's out there. Obviously, visa records are confidential. But I'd simply note that there often are difficulties for individuals who either are currently subject to criminal charges or otherwise may have criminal records." The charges Casey is insinuating about date back to April 2007, when George allegedly imprisoned a male escort in his London apartment as well as 2005 arrest for possessing cocaine in New York City. After being told the decision was "tragic" by the questioner, the quick-witted Casey replied "Do you really want to hurt him?," referencing one of George's more famous songs. Check out the video above — the George question pops up at the 2:26 mark.

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Song Stories

“Help Me”

Joni Mitchell | 1974

Joni Mitchell wrote and recorded this song for her album Court and Spark, but she had to switch from her regular band to make the song sound exactly the way she wanted. "I had attempted to play my music with rock & roll players," she told Rolling Stone. "They’d laugh, 'Awww, isn't that cute? She's trying to teach us how to play.'" Mitchell switched to a jazz band, Tom Scott’s L.A. Express, and scored the biggest hit of her career in the process.

More Song Stories entries »

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