An always entertaining, sometimes controversial figure in the music world over the last two decades, Boy George, will perform tonight at 303 S. Front St. (the former Red Zone) in his newest incarnation, a DJ.

Although more well known in the United States as the extravagantly dressed, heavy make-up wearing ’80s pop music icon, Boy George has been regarded as one of the best techno DJs in the world since reentering the European club scene in the early ’90s.

“He’s one of the top three DJs ever to come here, the other two being Paul Oakenfold and Eric Morillo,” said Fabric and 303 co-owner Mike Gallicchio, who put together Boy George’s visit. “We’re real excited, he’s a great DJ and we are very lucky to have him come here.”

As a DJ, Boy George’s style is unlike anything heard in this city before.

Combining the irreverence and flair that made him so popular in the past with his masterful skills as a mixer and his unique musical tastes, he neatly dodges being classified in any single electronic genre.

Instead, Boy George offers his own original style of DJing, one that he has pioneered over the last 10 years working on the European club circuit. In his sets he plays a wide variety of music, blending together reggae, two step, progressive house, disco and light trance along with the occasional club classic or two.

Boy George’s journey to the top of the electronic music industry actually began before his more reknowned work with the popular pop group, Culture Club. He was only 17 when he first began deejaying at Planets nightclub in London, and he was one of the cities top club DJs during the late ’70s and early ’80s.

After an extremely successful five year run as the lead singer for Culture Club, which included seven straight Top 10 singles in the United Kingdom, six Top 10 singles in the United States and the quadruple platinum album, “Colour by Numbers,” the group broke up in 1986 and Boy George embarked on a somewhat successful solo career.

As a soloist, Boy George had four top European singles in 1987 and three more in 1988, but he was not able to duplicate the success Culture Club enjoyed in the States. His popularity continued to wane, until 1992 when he re-surfaced again with a cover of Dave Berry’s “The Crying Game.”

While he continued writing and producing songs, now under various aliases (Angela Dust and Jesus Loves You), Boy George began concentrating more and more on making a return to his roots, the British club scene.

He quickly rose to prominence as a DJ in England and was a key contributor to several ground breaking, early editions of the now famous “Ministry of Sound: The Annual” compilation series, the first of which sold more than 100,000 copies.

Today, Boy George is one of the most sought after DJs in the industry and he has performed in clubs all over the world, from Bosnia to Hong Kong.

He also is the host of an extremely popular Saturday night radio show on the United Kingdom’s Galaxy FM, an all music station which broadcasts out of cities such as Manchester and Yorkshire, and reaches most of the country.

In 1998, Culture Club reunited briefly, and put out a two-disc CD, “VH1 Storytellers Greatest Moments.”

Boy George’s accomplishments haven’t just been limited to music though, he has written an international best selling autobiography, “Take it Like a Man,” and he even had a regular Sunday column in British newspapers.

Boy George’s “A Boy’s Night Out Tour” is promoting his first DJ album released in the United States, “Essential Mix.” He has already played in several cities, including Los Angeles and San Francisco, and after playing in Columbus he will wrap up the tour with performances in New York, Houston, Philadelphia and Boston.

Tickets for this special event are available at all Ticket Master outlets and at the door for $20. The doors open at 10 p.m. for ages 18 and over.