Billy Idol

Spiky blond hair cut + dopey crooked sneer + leather goods = Billy Idol.# Born William Albert Michael Broad on November 30th, 1955, Billy Idol started his musical career in 1976 as a member of the Bromley Contingent, a group of followers of the Sex Pistols, which included members of the Clash and Siouxsie & the Banshees. The then Mr. Broad changed his name to Idol. A school teacher had returned a paper proclaiming him “idle” in class; he then twisted the word into a parody of rock idols. A parody that would later define his comment on his. The biting irony of the moniker is almost too much for one brain to bear.

Idol teamed with lyric writer and bass guitarist Tony James (later of Sigue Sigue Sputnik and Sisters of Mercy). Both joined the well-known punk legend Chelsea in its first incarnation, with Idol on the guitar. Idol and James subsequently left and formed Generation X, taking the name from a book about 60’s Youth Rock Culture. Though Generation X never toured the US, they did take it by storm in 1980 with their single named “Dancing with Myself,” featured on their last album with a new shortened name: GENX. “Kiss Me Deadly” was released with no impact in England. A breakup followed due to managerial problems.

Idol, disillusioned with his homeland, made a pilgrimage to New York City. He released an E.P. Don’t Stop in 1981, with 2 GENX remixes and a cover of Tommy James’s “Mony Mony.” Idol utilized producer Keith Forsey, ex-Kiss manager Bill Aucoin, and ex-Elvis bodyguard Ed Parker in his corner. Idol then found raven-haired, spikey-top, veteran New York guitarist Steve Stevens. They released four records together: Billy Idol, Rebel Yell, Whiplash Smile, and a best-of-studio-mixes album, Vital Idol.

Before the release of the album Charmed Life in 1990, Idol had a near-tragic motorcycle accident in which he almost lost a leg. The artist recovered to release Cyberpunk (1993), a work that combined the writings of William Gibson and the likes with a computer driven techno back beat.