Billy Idol
Billy Idol (born
William Michael Albert Broad on
30 November,
1955 in
Middlesex,
England) is an English
hard rock musician.
Idol lived in
Worthing before attending
Sussex University for only a year before joining the
Bromley Contingent of keen
Sex Pistols fans. He joined a
punk rock band
Chelsea in 1977, soon leaving it to form
Generation X.
Generation X signed to
Chrysalis Records and released three somewhat successful albums before breaking up. Idol moved to
New York City and began working as a solo artist and working with
Steve Stevens, soon becoming an MTV staple with "White Wedding" and "Dancing with Myself," the latter of which had originally been recorded with Generation X. Idol's second LP,
Rebel Yell (1984) was a blockbuster success, and established Idol's
superstar status in the United States with singles like "Eyes Without A Face," "Flesh For Fantasy," and the title cut.
Idol did not release a new album until 1986;
Whiplash Smile sold very well and proved to be a smash, including the hits "To Be A Lover," "Don't Need A Gun," and the Country-flavored "Sweet Sixteen." Stevens soon left for a solo career and Idol continued. A live
cover of
Tommy James' "Mony Mony" (the studio version of which was an Idol staple from early on) did well on MTV, and Idol played Cousin Kevin in a performance of
Tommy.
Just before the release of
Charmed Life in 1990, Idol was in a motorcycle accident in which he almost lost his leg. The album sold extremely well (led by "Cradle Of Love," from
The Adventures of Ford Fairlane film), but Idol decided to take a break and acted in
The Doors, directed by
Oliver Stone. The follow-up to
Charmed Life was 1993's
Cyberpunk, which was a flop in the States, and Idol sank into drug addiction, nearly dying of a
GHB overdose in 1994.
Idol returned to the popular eye in 1998, when he played himself in
The Wedding Singer, an
Adam Sandler and
Drew Barrymore romantic comedy, where "
White Wedding" was used as the title track. Idol appeared on
VH1 Storytellers and issued a successful
Greatest Hits CD in 2001.
Devil's Playground (album), which came out
22 March,
2005, is his first new studio album in nearly 12 years. This album was heavily promoted with use of the
Devil's Playground album website, which was
made by Squad in early 2005.
Idol played a handful of dates on the 2005 Vans
Warped Tour. Then in 2006, as his only UK live date, he appeared headlining the Sunday night of
Guilfest.
Idol also filmed a live DVD at the Congress Theatre in
Chicago on July 28, 2006, where his most dedicated fans braved 100 degree heat to attend the show. The DVD is yet to be released.
|
The "Greatest Hits" album cover |
Albums
#
Don't Stop (EP) -
1981 #
Billy Idol -
1982#
Rebel Yell -
1984#
Vital Idol -
1985#
Whiplash Smile -
1986#''
Idol Songs: 11 of the Best -
1988#
Charmed Life -
1990 #
Cyberpunk -
1993#
Greatest Hits -
2001#
VH1's Storytellers -
2002#
Essential Billy Idol -
2003#
Devil's Playground -
2005Starting with the 1983 re-release of "White Wedding",
Chrysalis issued Billy's singles with an
IDOL vanity catalogue numbering system, much like
Nine Inch Nails's
halo numbering system. This lasted for roughly seven years and sixteen singles (including various re-issues) until the release of "Prodigal Blues" in 1990.
| Year | Song | UK singlesU.S. Hot 100| Album | | 1981 | "Dancing With Myself" | - | - | Don't Stop | | 1981 | "Mony Mony" | - | - | Don't Stop | | 1982 | "Hot in the City" | 58 | 23 | Billy Idol | | 1982 | "White Wedding" | 6 | 36 | Billy Idol | | 1983 | "White Wedding" (re-issue) | - | - | Billy Idol | | 1984 | "Rebel Yell" | 6 | 46 | Rebel Yell | | 1984 | "Eyes Without a Face" | 18 | 4 | Rebel Yell | | 1984 | "Flesh for Fantasy" | 54 | 29 | Rebel Yell | | 1988 | "Catch My Fall" | 63 | 50 | Rebel Yell | | 1984 | "White Wedding" (re-release) | - | - | Vital Idol | | 1985 | "Rebel Yell" (re-release) | - | - | Vital Idol | | 1986 | "To Be a Lover" | 22 | 6 | Whiplash Smile | | 1987 | "Don't Need a Gun" | 26 | 37 | Whiplash Smile | | 1987 | "Sweet Sixteen" | 17 | 20 | Whiplash Smile | | 1987 | "Mony Mony (Live)" | 7 | 1 | Vital Idol | | 1988 | "Hot in the City" (re-release) | 13 | 48 | Vital Idol | | 1988 | "Cradle of Love" | 34 | 2 | Charmed Life | | 1990 | "L.A. Woman" | 70 | 52 | Charmed Life | | 1990 | "Prodigal Blues" | 47 | - | Charmed Life | | 1993 | "Shock to the System" | 30 | - | Cyberpunk | | 1993 | "Heroin" | - | - | Cyberpunk | | 1994 | "Speed" | 47 | - | - | | 2000 | "Grand Theft Auto" | - | - | - | | 2005 | "Scream" | - | - | Devil's Playground | |
| |
*
"Everybody got it wrong. I said I was into porn again, not born again." [
1] after being injured in a motorcycle incident.
*
"I love it when someone insults me. That means that I don't have to be nice anymore." [
2]
* '' "Rock & roll is all about masturbation" "
*
Coral Castle, a stone structure where Idol recorded his song
Sweet Sixteen.
*
Bromley Contingent*
Billy Idol Official Site*
Devil's Playground Album Site*
Fan Site*
Polish Fan Site *
Interview @ Legends*
Billy Idol Lyrics*
2003 Show Review
