Billy Idol Biography

While Billy Idol has the dubious honor of having a youth culture named after his former band, Generation X, the British musician's work as a solo artist gave him mass acceptance. His solo New Wave music impacted the charts, but Generation X's punk music helped shape a genre.

It was Generation X's "Dancing With Myself" that helped launch Idol's solo career, when he included a club remix of the song on his 1981 Don't Stop EP, which also featured a cover of the Tommy James & The Shondells' "Mony Mony." In 1982, living in New York and working with guitarist Steve Stevens, Idol released his self-titled debut album, which featured the top 40 hits "Hot In The City" and "White Wedding"; the latter's video marked Idol's emergence as an MTV star, making his signature snarl and blonde spikes fantasy pin-up fodder for teenage females.

The snappy dance rock of 1983's Rebel Yell, with the hits "Eyes Without A Face," "Flesh For Fantasy" and the title track, further propelled Idol's career, earning Idol a Grammy nomination for Best Male Rock Vocal Performance. Idol was once again nominated with 1986's Whiplash Smile, but the record lacked his earlier energy and conviction, with Stevens stealing most of the spotlight. Idol also released a dance remix collection, Vital Idol, which cracked the top 10 and sold platinum thanks to a new version of "Mony Mony," which went straight to number one. Stevens split to form the Atomic Playboys.

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It took Idol three years to come up with Charmed Life, but, in tragic irony, while he was awaiting its release, he got into an accident while riding his Harley in February 1990; he was left with multiple fractures and muscle damage. Idol not only survived the crash, but once recovered, toured in support the pushed-back Charmed Life, which generated the top five hit "Cradle Of Love." (Set to have a prominent role in Oliver Stone's movie The Doors, the accident meant he only could have a cameo--on crutches.) It took another three years for Idol to release his next musical offering, Cyberpunk, a coupling of music with videos, computer graphics and manipulated imagery; while it was supposed to be a tribute to pop music's growing fascination with computers, it comes across as Idol jumping on the latest bandwagon.

Nearing the close of the '90s, Idol has yet to follow up with another full-length attempt. After performing the title cut for the Speed soundtrack, Idol once again bowed to the Who (in the late '80s, Idol guest-starred in a stage production of the Who's Tommy) with his role as "Ace Face/The Bellboy" in the '96 tour of Quadrophenia. Word has it the man with the million-dollar snarl is writing new music for a forthcoming album.