Billy Idol

About Billy Idol

The chiseled, bleach blond punk godfather Billy Idol became an MTV icon in the 80's with a series of punk/new wave hits and flashy videos. Idol was always a rebellious youth-his nom de rock came from a teacher's reprimand that "BILL IS IDLE"-and his dreams of rock glory were sparked by the Sex Pistols and London's 70's punk scene. In the late 70's, Idol formed the influential glam punk combo Generation X. Idol played guitar and sang lead vocals and his high octane stage presence got the band recognition and a record deal. They released three full albums-the self-titled Generation X, Valley of the Dolls and Kiss Me Deadly-but met with only modest success, and it was only a matter of time before Idol set off on his own. His debut 1981 EP included the instant MTV hit singles "Dancing With Myself" and "Mony Mony." Idol's image was perfect for the fledgling TV station-his platinum spiked hair and penchant for leather practically defined "punk" for a generation. His self titled debut full length, Billy Idol, kept his hit streak going with the recriminatory "White Wedding" and "Hot In the City." Idol has his biggest success with 1984's Rebel Yell. The title single, along with "Eyes Without A Face," "Flesh For Fantasy" and "Catch My Fall" all got major radio play. In the early 90's, Idol released the album Cyberpunk and revealed a dramatically reworked image to go along with it. Billy Idol's cameo in the Adam Sandler blockbuster The Wedding Singer brought him a whole new wave of pop stardom.