In 1976, a group of enthusiastic punk fans, known as the “Bromley Contingent”, began to tag along with the Sex Pistols as they toured Europe. Among them was a young fan named William Broad, who would later become the iconic rocker Billy Idol. Over 40 years later, Idol found himself performing a groundbreaking concert at Nevada’s Hoover Dam, aimed at raising awareness about drought conditions. This concert happened to coincide with the 40th anniversary of his hit album Rebel Yell, a double-platinum record that solidified Idol as a rock superstar, selling 40 million albums worldwide.
Idol’s unpredictable career started when he moved to New York after his time with Generation X, working with Steve Stevens, producer Keith Forsey, and KISS manager Bill Aucoin. Idol recalls the challenge of finding where he fit in as a rock musician in the American music industry, especially in the midst of the emergence of MTV.
The success of Idol’s move to the U.S. was solidified when he was encouraged by the reception of an iconic punk anthem, “Dancing With Myself”, as he watched a crowd fill the dance floor of a New York club. Despite his jump to commercial success, Idol had to fight for control of his image. He faced challenges from his label about the cover art for Rebel Yell.
Despite tension with his label, Idol switched to an MTV star when “Eyes Without a Face” became his career’s biggest hit. During the filming of the video for “Eyes Without a Face”, Idol had a run-in with the authorities in Phoenix due to sleep deprivation and contact lens issues. Though he may have appeared “some kind of bum” to the authorities, Idol didn’t let that affect the star he had become.
