Billy Idol
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Billy Idol (born William Michael Albert Broad on 30 November, 1955 in Middlesex, England) is an English hard rock musician.
Life and career
Idol lived in Worthing before attending Sussex University for only a year before joining the Bromley Contingent of keen Sex Pistols fans. During this period, Idol decided to become a musician and originally was suppose to play guitar with Siouxsie & The Banshees but instead 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 MTV staples 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.
Trivia
- When Idol was performing live at the 2002 Australian National Rugby League grand final, the power went out.
- He has a son, Willem, by a relationship with Perri Lister. Idol has never married.
- He appeared in a recent episode of Viva La Bam where he performed for April Margera on her birthday.
- Idol became a vegetarian because he wanted to look like David Bowie. He is still largely a vegetarian but does eat shellfish.
- Idol's hobbies include shell collecting. His favourtie shell is the Pismo Clam (Spisula Solida).
- In the television show "Buffy the Vampire Slayer", the vampire Spike (James Marsters) claims Billy Idol stole his look from him.
- Idol attended Sussex University but dropped out after one year.
Discography
Albums
- Don't Stop EP - 1981
- Billy Idol - 1982
- Rebel Yell - 1984
- Vital Idol - 1985
- Whiplash Smile - 1986
- Vital Idol - 1987
- '' - 1988
- Charmed Life - 1990
- Cyberpunk - 1993
- Rebel Yell: Expanded - 1999
- Greatest Hits - 2001
- VH1's Storytellers - 2002
- Essential Billy Idol - 2003
- Devil's Playground - 2005
Singles
Starting 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 singles | U.S. Hot 100 | Album |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1981 | "Dancing With Myself" | align="center" | ||
| align="center" | ||||
| Don't Stop | ||||
| 1981 | "Mony Mony" | align="center" | ||
| align="center" | ||||
| Don't Stop | ||||
| 1982 | "Hot in the City" | 58 | 23 | Billy Idol |
| 1982 | "White Wedding" | 6 | 36 | Billy Idol |
| 1983 | "White Wedding" (re-issue) | align="center" | ||
| align="center" | ||||
| 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) | align="center" | ||
| align="center" | ||||
| Vital Idol | ||||
| 1985 | "Rebel Yell" (re-release) | align="center" | ||
| align="center" | ||||
| 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 | align="center" | |
| Charmed Life | ||||
| 1993 | "Shock to the System" | 30 | align="center" | |
| Cyberpunk | ||||
| 1993 | "Heroin" | align="center" | ||
| align="center" | ||||
| Cyberpunk | ||||
| 1994 | "Speed" | 47 | align="center" | |
| - | ||||
| 2000 | "Grand Theft Auto" | align="center" | ||
| align="center" | ||||
| - | ||||
| 2005 | "Scream" | align="center" | ||
| align="center" | ||||
| [Devil's Playground] | ||||
Quotes
- "Everybody got it wrong. I said I was into porn again, not born again." [link] 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." [link]
See also
- Coral Castle, a stone structure where Idol recorded his song Sweet Sixteen.
- Bromley Contingent
External links
- [Official Site]
- [Devil's Playground Album Site]
- [Fan Site]
- [Polish Fan Site]
- [Interview @ Legends]
- [Billy Idol Lyrics]
- [2003 Show Review]
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