Billy Idol BioSnap a weekly updated Biography.
Billy Idol is closing in on his 70th birthday at the end of November, and true to form, he is not letting up. The big headline everyone in both rock and pop circles is buzzing about is the worldwide premiere of his new documentary Billy Idol Should Be Dead, which hits the Tribeca Film Festival on June 10. Titled with a nod to his infamous, risk-laden past, the documentary captures Idol’s near-miraculous survival through decades of excess and rebellion; as he told USA TODAY, if he were still living as wildly as in the 80s, “I would be dead. A lot of people didn’t make it out.” This frank and self-aware tone is a throughline as Idol reflects on his health discipline, current “California sober” lifestyle, grandfather-hood, and career-long devotion to family and fans.
Just as major, Idol released a brand-new album in April, Dream Into It, which delivers personal storytelling through its sequencing—tracking the phases of his rollercoaster life. The standout singles include 77, a caffeinated duet featuring Avril Lavigne, a favorite of Idol’s daughter Bonnie. Avril and Billy have been seen together at several promotional events, lighting up both traditional and social media with behind-the-scenes photos and informal interviews. Joan Jett, a lifelong friend since the heady days of LA’s punk explosion, joins Idol on the album’s rocker Wildside and is co-headlining a sprawling tour that kicked off in April in Phoenix and is winding through the US and Europe, with the last leg ending September 25 in LA. Idol’s ever-faithful guitar virtuoso Steve Stevens is on the road with him, as always, garnering praise for their onstage chemistry.
In the past few days, Idol was back in the headlines thanks to his appearance at the Above Ground 4 benefit on October 26 at the Fonda Theatre in LA, where he joined an all-star roster including Corey Taylor and DMC to raise over half a million dollars for MusiCares and mental health awareness. He was featured in performances of classic tracks like Rebel Yell and covered The Cars and New York Dolls, earning viral clips across YouTube and music channels. Idol and Steve Stevens also played an exclusive acoustic set for winners at the Alice Lounge in San Francisco October 29, stirring a burst of social chatter and photos that trended in local media.
On the business side, Idol is actively promoting ticket sales for ongoing fall dates, including Morongo Casino Resort and Spa for October 29, and remains a serious contender for Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction—though he brushes off not making the cut this year, staying focused on his fans and longevity above all. With his 70th birthday looming, the web is teeming with tributes and retrospectives, hailing him as the “master of rebel rock” and that iconic sneer. There’s a visible sense that the current documentary, album, collaborations, and benefit performances may prove a pivotal late-career moment—cementing Idol’s resilience and legacy in music history.
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