An appeal by Boy George to embark on a tour of the US and Canada has been rejected by the US Visa Office.
The singer had scheduled his first tour here in 10 years, including a special performance for the New York Department of Sanitation workers Family Day in August, to say thanks for their kindness when he carried out his community service there in 2006.
His US visa application was rejected due a pending trial in London in November for allegedly imprisoning a male escort, despite UK courts giving him the freedom to travel in the meantime.
In a statement released today George said: “I was really hoping that the issue would be resolved and that some kind soul at the US Visa Office would realize that if the police in the UK 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.”
The tour will be scheduled for late 2009.
--By our New York staff.
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