William Michael Albert Broad (born 30 November 1955), known professionally as Billy Idol, is an English rock singer. He achieved fame in the 1970s on the London punk rock scene as the lead singer of Generation X. He later embarked on a solo career which led to international recognition and made him a lead artist during the MTV-driven "Second British Invasion" in America.
Idol began his music career in 1976 as a guitarist in the punk rock band Chelsea, but left the group after a few weeks and formed Generation X with his former Chelsea bandmate Tony James. With Idol as lead singer, the band achieved success in the UK and released three studio albums on Chrysalis Records before disbanding. In 1981, Idol moved to New York City to pursue his solo career in collaboration with guitarist Steve Stevens. His debut studio album Billy Idol (1982) was a commercial success, and Idol became a staple of the then-new television channel MTV with the music videos for his singles "Dancing with Myself" and "White Wedding".
Idol's second studio album Rebel Yell (1983) was a major commercial success, featuring hit singles "Rebel Yell" and "Eyes Without a Face". The album was certified double platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) for selling 2 million copies in America, and he then released Whiplash Smile (1986). He released the greatest hits album Idol Songs: 11 of the Best (1988), which went platinum in the UK, and then released Charmed Life (1990) and the concept album Cyberpunk (1993).
Idol spent the second half of the 1990s focusing on his personal life out of the public eye. In 1990, he broke his leg in a motorcycle accident, and later said in his biography Dancing With Myself (2014) that "by the time the motorcycle accident happened, [he] had been living by the credo 'live every day as if it's your last, and one day you're sure to be right'". He made a musical comeback with the release of Devil's Playground (2005) and later released Kings & Queens of the Underground (2014) and Dream Into It (2025). Idol is a three time Grammy Award nominee in the now defunct Best Male Rock Vocal Performance category. In 2023, he received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. Idol and Stevens were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2026.
William Michael Albert Broad was born in Stanmore on 30 November 1955, to Irish housewife Joan (née O'Sullivan) and English salesman William Alfred Broad. His mother was from Cork, his father was from Birmingham. His parents attended Church of England services regularly. In 1958, at the age of two, he moved with his parents to the U.S. and settled in Patchogue, New York; they also lived in Rockville Centre, New York. His younger sister, Jane, was born during this time. The family returned to England four years later and settled in Dorking. In 1971, when Idol was 15, the family moved to Bromley, where he attended Ravensbourne School for Boys. His family later moved to Goring-by-Sea, where he attended Worthing High School for Boys. In October 1975, he began attending the University of Sussex to pursue a Philosophy with Literature degree, but left after year one in 1976. He later joined the Bromley Contingent, a loosely organised gang of Sex Pistols fans who travelled to see the band wherever they played.
The stage name "Billy Idol" was coined after a chemistry teacher, Bill Price, described Idol as "idle" on his school report card. Idol has stated that he had hated chemistry and underachieved in it. In a 1983 interview, he said of the name, "It was a bit of a goof, but part of the old English school of rock. It was a 'double thing', not just a poke at the superstar-like people... It was fun, you know?" In another interview for BBC Breakfast in October 2014, he said that he wanted to use the name "Billy Idle", but thought the name would be unavailable due to its similarity to the name of Monty Python star Eric Idle and chose Billy Idol instead.
In late 1976, Idol joined the newly formed West London 1960s retro-rock band Chelsea as a guitarist. The act's singer/frontman Gene October styled Idol's image, advising him to use contact lenses instead of eyeglasses for his short sight, and dye his hair blonde with a crew cut for a retro-1950s rocker look. After a few weeks performing with Chelsea, Idol and Tony James, the band's bass guitarist, quit and co-founded Generation X, with Idol switching from guitarist to the role of singer/frontman. Generation X was one of the first punk bands to appear on the BBC Television music programme Top of the Pops. Although a punk rock band, they were inspired by mid-1960s British pop, in sharp contrast to their more militant peers, with Idol stating, "We were saying the opposite to the Clash and the Pistols. They were singing 'No Elvis, Beatles or the Rolling Stones', but we were honest about what we liked. The truth was we were all building our music on the Beatles and the Stones."
In 1977, Idol sang "Your Generation" on the TV series Marc. Generation X signed a recording contract with Chrysalis Records, released three studio albums, performed in the 1980 film D.O.A.: A Rite of Passage, and then disbanded.
1981–1985: Solo career and breakthrough
Idol moved to New York City in 1981 and became a solo artist, working with former Kiss manager Bill Aucoin. Idol's punk-like image worked well with the glam rock style of his new partner on guitar, Steve Stevens. Together they worked with bassist Phil Feit and drummer Gregg Gerson. Idol's solo career began with the Chrysalis Records EP titled Don't Stop in 1981, which included the Generation X song "Dancing with Myself", originally recorded for their last album Kiss Me Deadly, and a cover of Tommy James and the Shondells' song "Mony Mony". Idol's debut solo album Billy Idol was released in July 1982. The album debuted at number 45 on the Billboard 200 and number 5 in New Zealand.
Part of the MTV-driven "Second British Invasion" of the US in 1982, Idol became an MTV staple with "White Wedding" and "Dancing with Myself". The music video for "White Wedding" was filmed by the British director David Mallet and played frequently on MTV. The motorcycle smashing through the church window stunt was carried out by John Wilson, a London motorcycle courier. In 1983, Idol's label released "Dancing with Myself" in the US in conjunction with a music video directed by Tobe Hooper, which played on MTV for six months.
Rebel Yell (1983), Idol's second LP, was a major success peaking at number 2 in both Germany and New Zealand, while also establishing Idol in the United States with hits such as "Rebel Yell", "Eyes Without a Face", and "Flesh for Fantasy". "Eyes Without a Face" peaked at number four on the US Billboard Hot 100, and "Rebel Yell" reached number six in the UK Singles Chart. “Rebel Yell” also garnered Idol his first Grammy nomination for Best Male Rock Vocal Performance at the 27th Annual Grammy Awards. The record has since been certified platinum by the RIAA, RMNZ, Music Canada and Pro-Música Brasil.
1986–1992: Whiplash Smile and Charmed Life
Idol released Whiplash Smile in 1986, which sold well, charting in the top ten in 9 countries with the highest spot being number 3 in Finland. The album included the hits "To Be a Lover", "Don't Need a Gun" and "Sweet Sixteen". Idol filmed a video for the song "Sweet Sixteen" in Florida's Coral Castle. “To Be a Lover” peaked at number 6 on the Billboard Hot 100, number 3 in both Australia and Finland and number 2 in New Zealand. The song also garnered him another nomination for Best Male Rock Vocal Performance at the 29th Annual Grammy Awards. The album has since been certified platinum in the US, Canada and New Zealand.
A remix album was released in 1987, titled Vital Idol. The album featured a live rendition of his cover of Tommy James' "Mony Mony". In 1987, the single topped the United States chart and reached number 7 in the UK. The following year in 1988 a compilation album titled Idol Songs: 11 of the Best was released, it charted at number 2 in both the UK and Iceland along with reaching number 1 in Finland. It has since gone platinum in multiple countries.