William Michael Albert Broad known professionally as Billy Idol is a British-American singer, songwriter, and musician. He first achieved fame in the 1970s emerging from the London punk rock scene as the lead singer of the group Generation X.
Subsequently, he embarked on a solo career which led to international recognition and made Idol a lead artist during the MTV-driven “Second British Invasion” in the United States. The name “Billy Idol” was inspired by a schoolteacher’s description of him as “idle”.
Idol began his music career in late 1976 as a guitarist in the punk rock band Chelsea. However, he soon left the group.
Idol’s second studio album, Rebel Yell (1983), was a major commercial success. Idol spent the second half of the 1990s focusing on his personal life out of the public eye. He made a musical comeback with the release of Devil’s Playground (2005) and again with Kings & Queens of the Underground (2014).
Is Billy Idol Still Performing?
Yes, Billy Idol is currently touring across 4 countries and has 15 upcoming concerts.
What Ever Happened To Billy Idol?
In 1994, Idol collapsed outside a Los Angeles nightclub due to an overdose of the drug GHB. After the incident, Idol decided that his children would never forgive him for dying of a drug overdose, and he ceased his drug use.
On 6 February 1990 in Hollywood, Idol was involved in a serious motorcycle accident that nearly cost him a leg. He was hit by a car when he ran a stop sign while riding home from the studio one night, requiring a steel rod to be placed in his leg.
What Are Billy Idol’s Health Issues?
Billy promptly fell ill with an MRSA infection that persisted for months and forced him to cancel his spring tour dates. Billy stayed positive through it all, and he eventually got back on tour this summer, with more U.S. dates coming next spring.
Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) is a cause of staph infection that is difficult to treat because of resistance to some antibiotics. Staph infections—including those caused by MRSA—can spread in hospitals, other healthcare facilities, and in the community where you live, work, and go to school.