Billy Idol, William Michael Albert Broad, was born on November 30, 1955 in Middlesex, England After a brief experience in the States, his parents returned to England and William enrolled at Sussex University, which he left after less than a year to devote himself to his true passion: music.While still a teenager, he formed a Punk group, the Bromley Contingent, drawing the greatest artistic inspiration from the Sex Pistols. In the years of English Punk, William embarked on the road that led him to become a Rock Star playing as a guitarist for Chelsea. The stage name Billy Idol comes from an episode that happened at school: on a William’s task that went wrong, the teacher put the words in “William is idle” (“William is a deadbeat”). In 1976 he formed a new punk band, Generation X, with whom he signed a contract with the record company Chrysalis. He created three albums, “Generation X” (1978), “Valley of the Dolls” (1979) and “Kiss me Deadly” (1979). The album, thanks also to the collaboration with the guitarist Steve Stevens and the videos of “White Wedding” and “Dancing with myself” that depopulate on MTV, gets a great success and wins a Platinum record. Billy Idol becomes the new icon of wild rock, shows off provocative attitudes and an aggressive look. 1984 saw the release of his second album, “Rebell Yell”, which surpasses the success of the first and wins two records of Platinum. The album contains hits that would become classics of the 80s, such as the title track “Rebel Yell”, the artist’s workhorse, “Eyes Without a Face” and “Flesh for Fantasy”. The abuse of alcohol and drugs distract Billy Idol who only in 1987 published his third work, “Whiplash Smile”. The album is a good success even if he can not repeat that of previous works. interrupted the collaboration with Steve Stevens, in 1989, while he is working on his fourth album, appears in the Live reissue of “Tommy”, the work of Who.in 1990 is released “Charmed Life”, fourth album and fourth album of Platinum. In the same year the English singer suffers a serious accident while running around with his beloved bike, risking losing a leg. The injuries caused by the accident forced him to use a stick, with which he introduced himself to the public on the world tour following the release of the disc. after an appearance in the film “The Doors” (1990, by Oliver Stone), in 1993 was published “Cyberpunk”. In addition to a renewed sound and deeply influenced by the Techno and Beat trends of those years, Billy Idol shows a completely upset look. The blonde crest gives way to rasta braids, which Billy shows off in the video “Shangrila” and in the tour that follows the release of the disc. In 1994 he was admitted to Los Angeles after an overdose from which he miraculously escaped. The road to get back on track is long and only in 2005, after having regained the collaboration with Steve Stevens, Billy publishes “Devil’s Playground” showing, at 50 years old, an unexpected determination. The album and the following world tour are a good success, restoring popularity to the former boy of Middlesex. 2007 comes, not without surprise from fans and critics, “Happy Holiday”, a collection of Christmas songs revisited in a rock key, underlining the new policy of the Rock Star, more healthy and less prone to excesses.
Discography
1982 – Billy Idol
1983 – Rebel Yell
1986 – Whiplash Smile
1990 – Charmed Life
1993 – Cyberpunk
2005 – Devil’s Playground
2006 – Happy Holidays
2014 – Kings & Queens of the Underground
