Billy Idol's Real Name: William Michael Albert Broad

Quick answer: Billy Idol's documented birth name is given as William Michael Albert Broad by AllMusic, which dates his birth to November 30, 1955, in Stanmore, Middlesex, England. Encyclopedia.com gives William Broad and the same date, placing the birth in Stanmore, England (AllMusic; Encyclopedia.com).

Real name and early life

He is known professionally as Billy Idol. Encyclopedia.com says he spent four years with his family on Long Island, New York, before returning to England, and that his grandfather bought him a guitar at age ten. AllMusic says a year at Sussex University ended after one year; Encyclopedia.com likewise says he dropped out of college. AllMusic says he took the name Billy Idol around the time he entered the London punk scene. He then placed a Melody Maker advertisement seeking a band, Encyclopedia.com records. Bassist Tony James answered; they formed Chelsea with vocalist Gene October in August 1976, a group that lasted about two months, then started Generation X the following year.

Career highlights

Generation X released a self-titled album in 1977, Encyclopedia.com says, and became popular in the United Kingdom; the source also lists later group albums Valley of the Dolls (1979) and Kiss Me Deadly (1981). Idol later moved to New York, in 1981 according to Encyclopedia.com, and began a solo career with guitarist Steve Stevens. AllMusic cites early singles including "Dancing with Myself" and "White Wedding." Encyclopedia.com dates the debut album Billy Idol to 1982 and Rebel Yell to 1983; AllMusic's biography dates Rebel Yell to 1982. Hits associated with Rebel Yell include the title track, "Eyes Without a Face," and "Flesh for Fantasy." Later albums cited by the sources include Whiplash Smile (1986) and Charmed Life (1990), the latter of which AllMusic says featured the Hot 100 hit "Cradle of Love." Encyclopedia.com lists Cyberpunk (1993) and a VH1 Storytellers set (2002). AllMusic also notes a cameo in The Wedding Singer (1998), a career interruption after a motorcycle accident in the later 1990s, and later records including Devil's Playground (2005), Kings & Queens of the Underground (2014), and Dream Into It (2025).

Name notes for searchers

AllMusic gives William Michael Albert Broad; Encyclopedia.com gives William Broad. The professional name is Billy Idol. Searchers looking for Generation X's singer, or for the voice on "White Wedding" and "Rebel Yell," are usually aiming at the same person.