Trivia

Was kicked out of the Scouts at age 10 for kissing a girl.

Survived a serious motorcycle accident. A steel rod was surgically inserted into his right leg. (February 1990)

During the making of the music video for his single "Eyes Without a Face" (1984), he was temporarily blinded when the heat from studio lights fused his contact lenses.

His name is from a bad paper he made in school. In the margin, his teacher had written a short note to his parents: "Billy is Idle". Billy took that as his name, but changed this to "Idol", so not to be confused with actor Eric Idle.

Had a band called Generation X. With them, he cut the single "Dancing with Myself" which launched his solo career.

His role in Oliver Stone's The Doors (1991) was originally much larger. This was reduced after his motorcycle accident in 1990.

For the filming of the music video for his single "Cradle of Love" (1990), he was paralyzed from the waist down (on account of his motorcycle accident), so he was filmed from the torso and up.

When Billy was age three, his father moved the family to Long Island, New York, to "find the American dream," as Billy puts this. When the family moved back to the United Kingdom in 1962, they resided above a pub called The Running Horses in Dorking, Surrey.

Nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Male Rock Vocal Performance for the albums "Rebel Yell" (1983) and "Whiplash Smile" (1986).

He had been James Cameron's first choice for the role of the cruel T-1000 in Terminator 2: Judgment Day (1991). The role was recast entirely as a result of the accident and went to Robert Patrick.

Was in The Bromley Contingent with Susan Dallion, later of Siouxsie and the Banshees, and John Simon Richie, later known as Sid Vicious of Sex Pistols.

1980-89: Resided with Perri Lister. They had a son, Willem Wolf Broad (b. 15 June 1988) and he also had a daughter, Bonnie Blue Broad (b. 21 August 1989) after his affair with Linda Mathis, a native Californian 13 years his junior.

Treated in a hospital in Los Angeles, California after an apparent drug overdose. (1994)

Ranked #55 on VH1's 100 Sexiest Artists.

He was awarded a Star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame for Recording at 6212 Hollywood Boulevard in Hollywood, California on January 5, 2023. Henry Rollins and Shepard Fairey were guest speakers at the ceremony. His Walk of Fame star is located in front of Amoeba Music.

Pleaded guilty to assault and battery charges after punching companion Amber Nevel outside a restaurant in West Hollywood, California. He paid $2,700 in fines and was required to appear in a series of anti-drug commercials. (1992)

Known for his white spiky hair and sneer.

Winter 1990-91: Made the cover of "In Fashion" magazine along with Sherilyn Fenn.

1976: Chose his surname.

Dropped out of the University of Sussex after one year.

Has claimed that he was offered the role of Spike on Buffy the Vampire Slayer (1997), which went to James Marsters, but turned it down because his manager did not want him doing television. In the story, Billy Idol actually copied Spike's looks.