The former Culture Club frontman's new song, Yes We Can, is influenced by the journey that presidential candidate Barack Obama has gone through since he announced he would run for the White House.

And fans of the English singer-songwriter, who was part of the English New Romantic movement which emerged in the early '80s, can find out why Boy George is still one of the UK's best-loved performers, when he sings in Peterborough next week.

Boy George's life has been played out in spectacular public style since his meteoric rise to international stardom in 1982, when Culture Club's first hit, Do You Really Want To Hurt Me? hurled them on to an unsuspecting and enthralled public.

By the time their second album, Colour By Numbers, was released, Culture Club were the most popular pop group in the world and Boy George the most colourful, original and soulful lead singer of any band on both sides of the Atlantic.

Colour By Numbers spawned Karma Chameleon a transatlantic Number 1, which sold more than five million copies worldwide.

Following a well publicised battle with drug addiction, Boy George launched a solo career in 1987, and went on to have lots more hits across the world.

Being involved in many art forms (songwriting, DJing, writing books, designing clothes, photography), he has released less music material in the last decade, although the anticipated new single is out this month.

The Guide had a few words with Boy George just before he set off on the 29-date tour, which takes in Aberdeen, Truro and Bradford.

He said: "I've just come back from South America for my first ever solo tour there, but it's good to be back in the UK, I'll just get in the tour bus and see where it takes me.

"Yes We Can was inspired by Barack Obama and his inspirational speeches throughout his campaign for the US presidency.

"We've sampled his voice throughout the track, it's about his journey and also about what I've been going through too – it's very uplifting."

Boy George's unique vocals are instantly recognisable, and have been responsible for the sale of millions of albums worldwide.

The man, whose unique style has always been as important as his music and whose clever, witty responses to boorish questions have in turn thrilled and horrified his huge audience, has remained in the public eye for 25 years.

His international career as a DJ and a musician, his fashion label B-Rude and his colourful off-stage life have, it could be argued, helped keep some newspapers in business for a long time.

Guide readers can win one of 10 copies of Boy George's new single, Yes We Can on CD.