Billy Idol
The sneering punk rocker who fused leather-clad rebellion with synth-pop hooks, becoming a definitive MTV idol of the 1980s.
Born 1955 (age 71)·English singer·Birthday: November 30·Baby Boomers
Biography
Billy Idol transformed from a Chelsea punk into a global rock star by embracing contradiction. Born William Broad, he found his stage name and snarling persona in the late-70s London punk band Generation X. His real breakthrough, however, was a solo move to New York, where he teamed with guitarist Steve Stevens and producer Keith Forsey. Together, they welded his punk attitude to a sleek, danceable rock sound. The music video era was his natural habitat; his peroxide hair, leather jacket, and lip-curling performances in clips for 'Dancing With Myself' and 'White Wedding' made him a constant presence on the nascent MTV. Hits like 'Rebel Yell' and 'Eyes Without a Face' blended muscular guitar riffs with romantic, almost gothic undertones, creating anthems that were both rebellious and radio-friendly. His career survived a near-fatal motorcycle accident in 1990, and he has persisted as a touring force, a living emblem of rock's ability to adapt and endure, his sneer forever etched into the iconography of the decade.
Baby Boomers
1946–1964
The largest generation in history at the time. Shaped by postwar prosperity, the Vietnam War, the sexual revolution, and Watergate. They questioned every institution their parents built — then ran them.
Billy was born in 1955, placing them squarely in the Baby Boomers. The events that shaped this generation — postwar prosperity, civil rights, Vietnam, and the counterculture — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Billy Was Born
The biggest hits of 1955
#1 Movie
Lady and the Tramp
Best Picture
Marty
#1 TV Show
The $64,000 Question
Billy's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1955Born
Rosa Parks refuses to give up her bus seat
Gas: $0.29/galHome: $9,550Min wage: $0.75/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"Rock Around the Clock" — Bill Haley & His CometsBest Picture: Marty
1960Started school
Kennedy-Nixon debates become first televised presidential debates
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $11,900Min wage: $1.00/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"Theme from A Summer Place" — Percy FaithBest Picture: The Apartment
1968Became a teenager
Martin Luther King Jr. and Robert Kennedy assassinated
Gas: $0.34/galHome: $14,950Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"Hey Jude" — The BeatlesBest Picture: Oliver!
1971Could drive
Voting age lowered to 18 in the US
Gas: $0.36/galHome: $18,100Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"Joy to the World" — Three Dog NightBest Picture: The French Connection
1973Could vote
US withdraws from Vietnam; Roe v. Wade decided
Gas: $0.39/galHome: $22,100Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"Tie a Yellow Ribbon Round the Ole Oak Tree" — Tony Orlando & DawnBest Picture: The Sting
1976Turned 21
Apple Computer founded; US bicentennial
Gas: $0.59/galHome: $29,300Min wage: $2.30/hrPresident: Gerald Ford"Silly Love Songs" — WingsBest Picture: Rocky
1985Turned 30
Live Aid concerts raise money for Ethiopian famine
Gas: $1.12/galHome: $62,900Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Careless Whisper" — Wham!Best Picture: Out of Africa
1995Turned 40
Oklahoma City bombing; Windows 95 released
Gas: $1.15/galHome: $96,500Min wage: $4.25/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Gangsta's Paradise" — CoolioBest Picture: Braveheart
2005Turned 50
Hurricane Katrina devastates New Orleans; YouTube launches
Gas: $2.30/galHome: $167,500Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: George W. Bush"We Belong Together" — Mariah CareyBest Picture: Crash
2015Turned 60
Paris climate agreement; same-sex marriage legalized in the US
Gas: $2.43/galHome: $171,900Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Uptown Funk" — Mark Ronson ft. Bruno MarsBest Picture: Spotlight
2025Turned 70
AI agents go mainstream
Gas: $3.10/galHome: $385,000Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Donald Trump"APT." — Rose & Bruno Mars
2026Age 71 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Led the punk band Generation X, which achieved significant UK chart success and influenced the pop-punk movement.
- His 1983 solo album 'Rebel Yell' was a multi-platinum success, spawning the enduring title track and 'Eyes Without a Face.'
- Pioneered the use of music video on MTV, with his stylized clips becoming essential to the channel's early identity.
- Successfully revived his career in the 1990s after a severe motorcycle accident with the hit song 'Cradle of Love.'
- Inducted into the UK Music Hall of Fame in 2005 as a member of Generation X.
Did You Know?
He was a childhood friend of Sex Pistols bassist Sid Vicious; they attended the same school.
He studied English literature at Sussex University and was inspired by the Romantic poet William Blake.
His trademark sneer was the result of a childhood accident where he cut his lip on a coffee table.
He provided the voice for the character of himself in an episode of 'The Simpsons' ('Kill the Alligator and Run').
“I didn't want to do something that was safe. I wanted to do something that was dangerous.”
