Boy George

Boy George opens music workshops for visually impaired people in Abbey Wood

by Marina Soteriou , Reporter Wednesday, April 13, 2011
2:13 PM

Boy George brought his mum along to officially open music workshops for visually impaired people in Abbey Wood.

Boy George with the people who will go to the workshops

The room above the Abbey Arms Pub in Wilton Road, Abbey Wood, was jammed packed on Monday, for the star’s arrival to the centre set up by his friend Danny Pickett.

Mr Pickett, 44, a guitarist from Shooters Hill, who has toured with bands such as The Hardliners, decided to set up the centre after he became visually impaired three years ago.

On the workshops Boy George, said: “It is great - it is hard enough to learn an instrument when you aren’t visually impaired so this is great.”

The pop singer who grew up in Eltham was disappointed that he was not allowed to film in his own school in Middlepark Avenue, when he made a documentary about his childhood last year.

Danny Pickett

He said: “I thought I am not the same person I was 30 years ago. It would have been cathartic to go back. I was really looking forward to it. I didn’t have a great time at school. After I discovered music I wasn’t interested in school. I saw David Bowie play at the Lewisham Odeon and The Who when I was 13 so that was it! ”

His mum Diane O’Dowd, 72, who lives in Shooters Hill, said: “These workshops are a brilliant idea.”

On her famous son, she said: “We are very close. He comes to visit me often and I go and see him play. He took me to the European Proms last year in Germany where he played. It was fantastic and Cliff Richard was there.”

The centre is currently offering guitar tuition but soon plans to hold piano workshops too.