Today's guest is the artist formerly known as Dusty O, otherwise known as David Hodge.
For many years, David presented as Dusty – drag DJ and club promoter extraordinaire, self-proclaimed queen of Soho.
As Dusty, he met everyone from childhood heroes Boy George and Pete Burns to Madonna. But the lifestyle took its toll.
A few years ago, David stepped away from the gay scene and began painting. He was the first out gay artist to exhibit his work at the Houses of Parliament.
Now he's written a memoir, The Boy Who Sat By The Window, which charts his life from bullied schoolboy in Walsall to queen of Soho and beyond.
David's heroes include Boy George, Vivienne Westwood and Molly Parkin.
We also discuss how he went from painting his face to making paintings and publishing his memoir.
To find out more about David and his artwork, please visit Instagram
Paul Burston's memoir We Can Be Heroes will be published in June 2023 and is available to pre-order now from Amazon and other bookshops.
Artwork by Mark Wardel aka Trademark.
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