Billy Idol
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Billy Idol Biography
Along with Duran Duran, Billy Idol was one the first pop/rock
artists to achieve massive success in the early '80s due to a then
brand-new U.S. television network, MTV. Mixing his bad-boy good looks
with an appealing blend of pop hooks, punk attitude, and a dance beats,
Idol quickly rocketed to stardom, before hard living derailed his
career and almost proved fatal. Born William Michael Albert Broad on
November 30, 1955, in Middlesex, England, the youngster relocated with
his family for a brief spell to New York, before returning back to
England. After a stint at Sussex University only last a year, Broad
found himself as part of a group of teen punk rockers who befriended
and followed the Sex Pistols, known as the Bromley Contingent (a
member of this colorful group of characters was Siouxsie Sioux,
eventual leader of Siouxsie & the Banshees).
It wasn't long before Broad realized that he too could be the frontman
of a punk band, and assumed the name Billy Idol shortly thereafter.
After a stint playing guitar in a group called Chelsea didn't pan out
(interestingly, the group featured future Clash guitarist Mick Jones
and future Damned guitarist Brian James), Idol put down the guitar and
picked up the mic, and recruited bassist Tony James, drummer John Towe,
and guitarist Bob Andrews, forming Generation X in 1976. Named after a
1960s paperback book, the band signed a recording contract with
Chrysalis shortly thereafter (Towe was replaced with new skinsman Mark
Laff) -- resulting in such releases as 1978's self-titled debut, 1979's
Valley of the Dolls, and 1981's Kiss Me Deadly -- before splitting up.
Disappointed with Generation X's demise, Idol relocated to New York
City, where he pursued a career as a solo artist. Hooking up with Kiss
manager Bill Aucoin, Idol issued the 1981 EP Don't Stop (comprised of a
cover of Tommy James' '60s hit Mony Mony and a pair of remixed
Generation X tracks), which helped the singer score another record deal
with his former band's label, Chrysalis. Idol found the perfect
collaborator and partner in guitarist/Johnny Thunders look-alike Steve
Stevens, and issued a self-titled debut in July of 1982. A pair of
eye-catching videos for the tracks White Wedding and Dancing With
Myself (the latter a remake of a Generation X composition) scored
major air time on MTV, with both clips focusing in on Idol's spiky,
peroxide blonde hair and Elvis-like sneer. The debut eventually
obtained gold certification, and set the stage perfectly for Idol's big
commercial breakthrough, 1984's Rebel Yell.
Rebel Yell became the singer's best-selling album of his career
(eventually going double platinum), spawning such big-time MTV/radio
hits as the album's anthemic title track, Eyes Without a Face, and
Flesh for Fantasy, establishing Idol as an arena headliner stateside.
But with massive success came its many distractions, which prevented
Idol from issuing a new studio album until three years after Rebel
Yell. 1987's Whiplash Smile was another sizeable hit on the strength of
such hits as To Be a Lover and Sweet Sixteen, but failed to live up
to the lofty expectations set by his previous releases. Stevens jumped
ship shortly thereafter to launch his own band, Steve Stevens' Atomic
Playboys (and eventually was a member of Mötley Crüe singer Vince
Neil's solo band), leaving Idol to fend for himself.
An eight-track best-of set, Vital Idol, was issued later the same year,
spawning one of the year's most heavily played MTV videos -- a live
version of the previously recorded cover of Mony Mony -- which helped
keep Idol in the spotlight. Idol spent the next few years working on
his fourth studio release, but reappeared in the summer of 1989 as part
of an all-star rendition of the Who's Tommy, with Idol playing the role
of the sadistic character Cousin Kevin. Around the time of Idol's next
release, 1990's Charmed Life, the singer was involved in a serious
motorcycle accident (in which he almost lost his leg), forcing the
singer to walk with a cane for a period of time; the video for the
album's lead-off single, Cradle of Love, featured the singer filmed
from the waist up. The ploy worked, as the single (which was also used
as the theme song in the failed Andrew Dice Clay movie, Ford
Fairlane) was another smash hit, making Charmed Life the fourth Idol
album in a row to achieve at least reach platinum sales.
Expectedly, several years passed before the release of Idol's next
album, during which time he tried his hand at acting with a bit part in
Oliver Stone's motion picture The Doors. By the time 1993's Cyberpunk
surfaced, Idol had dropped his spiky peroxide hairstyle in place of
dreadlocks, and experimented with techno beats. The move proved to be
an unwise one, as the album tanked and sank from the charts. At the
same time, Idol was knee deep in drug addiction, resulting in another
close brush with death when he overdosed and had to be treated in a Los
Angeles hospital in 1994. Not much was heard from Idol until 1998, when
he made a cameo appearance (as himself) in the hit Adam Sandler/Drew
Barrymore comedy The Wedding Singer, which resulted in renewed
interest. Idol teamed up once again with Stevens, was the subject of a
VH1: Behind the Music special (as well as a Storytellers episode for
the channel, which was ultimately issued as a CD), and issued a more
extensive Greatest Hits set in 2001; the latter of which sold 500,000
copies in the U.S. alone. Next up was his first studio album since
Cyberpunk, Devil's Playground, released on Sanctuary in 2005. ~ Greg
Prato, All Music Guide
Written by Greg Prato