Billy Idol
Billy Idol
William Michael Albert Broad, known professionally by his stage name Billy Idol, is an English musician, singer, songwriter and actor. He first achieved fame in the 1970s as a member of the punk rock band Generation X. Subsequently, he embarked on a solo career which led to an international recognition and made Idol one of the lead artists during the MTV-driven "Second British Invasion" in the United States...
NationalityBritish
ProfessionPunk Singer
Date of Birth30 November 1955
CityStanmore, England
My dad was one of the reasons I got into rock and roll, because I was learning the ropes of his business, which was selling powertools, and I was looking for a way out from under his heel. I was like, 'Where's the fun? Where's the glamour?
I'm not trying to hide from my past. I want to roll in it. Like a dog, rolling in feces, I'm rolling in the feces of my greatest hits - that's a bit of a wild way of looking at it, but I am a man, and we do like rolling in our own feces at times.
I am quite a romantic person, really, and I should have put that into my music earlier, but I was probably denying it... I didn't want to be soft because I felt I had to be so hard to get people to believe in me.
They wouldn't play my records on American radio because I had spiky hair. They said, 'Punk rock doesn't sell advertising, it won't make any money.
The world goes on, you go on and you change. You want to show the fans those changes, and you want to be able to verbalize them.
I don't care what stage or what reason, as long as we're playing.
I love it when someone insults me. That means that I don't have to be nice anymore.
Rock isn't art, it's the way ordinary people talk.
It doesn't matter about money; having it, not having it. Or having clothes, or not having them. You're still left alone with yourself in the end.
If your world doesn't allow you to dream, move to one where you can.
It's like, what happened, I was always leading fashion, and then the grunge thing kind of came along. And because I've been so on top in the '80s you know, I, you know, what can I do? Suddenly go grunge?
We were all following in their path. I believe I'm still following in their path today.
I'll do anythingFor my sweet sixteen,And I'll do anythingFor little run away child.
I'll do anything For my sweet sixteen, And I'll do anything For little run away child.