Billy Idol
After fronting British punk band Generation X, Idol moved to New York and went solo in the early 1980s. With sneering vocals, spiked blond hair, and MTV-ready videos for 'White Wedding' and 'Rebel Yell,' he became a defining face of the channel's Second British Invasion in 1983-84.
Punk Roots
Born in England in 1955, Billy Idol rose through London's punk scene as frontman of Generation X. He went solo in 1981 and moved to New York to chase a bigger sound.
MTV Icon
Pairing with guitarist Steve Stevens, Idol turned 'White Wedding' and 'Rebel Yell' into video staples. His sneer and spiked hair made him one of MTV's most recognizable rock stars.
Survival and Comebacks
Idol survived a devastating 1990 motorcycle crash and scored the hit 'Cradle of Love' the same year. He has continued touring and recording across the following decades.
Career Timeline
- 1955William Michael Albert Broad born in England
- 1976Joins London punk scene, fronts Generation X
- 1981Goes solo and relocates to New York City
- 1982'White Wedding' becomes an MTV breakout
- 1983Rebel Yell album cements his sneering rock image
- 1984'Eyes Without a Face' reaches the US Top 5
- 1987'Mony Mony' tops the Billboard Hot 100
- 1990Motorcycle crash nearly costs him his leg
- 1990'Cradle of Love' becomes a comeback hit
- 2014Releases album Kings & Queens of the Underground
Biggest Hits
- His stage name came from a schoolteacher who described the young William Broad as 'idle.'
- A near-fatal 1990 motorcycle crash in Los Angeles nearly cost him a leg and forced him to relearn how to walk.
Portrait: GenerationSex · CC BY-SA 4.0 · via Wikimedia Commons