Boy George had planned to play a series of U.S. clubs July and August, as well as perform a free concert for the New York City Department of Sanitation's Family Day. (Associated Press)

U.S. fans hoping to catch Boy George in concert this summer are out of luck for now, after the former Culture Club frontman was denied an entry visa.

"George is astounded at the decision and is having his lawyers [in the U.S.] look at it in the hope that someone will change their mind," read a statement on the British performer's website on Tuesday.

According to his management, the singer was denied a visa because of his pending trial in London this fall relating to charges of false imprisonment. The denial was not related to his 2005 drug bust and subsequent community service sentence in New York, they said.

Boy George, whose real name is George O'Dowd, rose to fame as the lead singer of 1980s band Culture Club and the voice behind hits like Do You Really Want to Hurt Me? and Karma Chameleon.

Since then, he has worked as a music producer, D.J. and creator of the stage musical Taboo.

In recent years, he has made headlines for his run-ins with police on both sides of the Atlantic.

In 2006, after being convicted of falsely reporting a burglary at his New York flat, George received a sentence that included five days of community service with the sanitation department.

Amid a list of gigs at U.S. clubs in July and August, George was also to perform a free concert for the New York City Department of Sanitation's Family Day.

Then, in 2007, a man filed a complaint that the singer had imprisoned him at his London flat in April. George, who was arrested and then released on bail, faces trial over the incident in November.

With files from the Associated Press