An early architect of punk rock’s sound, style, and fury, Billy Idol remains to this day a true rock ‘n’ roll icon. From punk pioneer to global superstar, Billy Idol has left an indelible mark on popular music and remained a household name for over three decades. His style, music, and attitude have transcended time and trends. Born in 1955 in Stanmore, North London, Idol spent several formative years living on Long Island, NY as a child before returning to the UK and emerging as a central figure of the British punk movement. As part of the infamous Bromley Contingent and a fan of the Sex Pistols, Idol was inspired to front the pioneering British punk band Generation X from 1976 until the band’s split in 1981. Determined to break through in America, Billy Idol hooked up with guitar genius Steve Stevens and a crucial musical partnership was forged.
Idol’s lip-curling sneer and fist-pumping persona vaulted him into the mainstream as one of MTV’s first megastars, making him one of the most recognisable faces in pop music, while selling out arenas everywhere he played. He has sold 40 million albums while scoring numerous platinum albums worldwide, nine top forty singles in the US and 10 in the UK. Hit singles include ‘Dancing With Myself’, ‘Hot In The City’, ‘Eyes Without A Face’, ‘Rebel Yell’, ‘Mony Mony’, and arguably Idol’s most famed song ‘White Wedding.’
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