Billy Idol se raconte dans le documentaire "Billy Idol Should Be Dead"
·4 min
The episode focuses on Billy Idol's personal and professional life as depicted in the documentary 'Billy Idol Should Be Dead'. It begins by highlighting how Idol miraculously survived a life filled with drugs and sex. His real name is William Michael Albert Broad, and his stage name 'Idol' originated from a teacher's comment calling him a lazy idol. Before gaining international fame, Idol was successful with the London punk band Generation X, which Elton John once described as 'really awful,' though they had three top 40 singles. After moving to New York, Idol met guitarist Steve Stevens and Kiss's manager, who encouraged him to reinvent himself. His first eponymous album sold nearly 1.5 million dollars in the US, with hits like 'Hot in the City' and 'White Wedding' establishing him as a legend. A notable anecdote involves a 1982 night in New York where Idol was partying with Nile Rodgers before meeting David Bowie and vomiting on him; this encounter led to the collaboration between Rodgers and Bowie on the album 'Let's Dance,' which revived Bowie's career. In 1990, during his peak success in the United States, Idol suffered a serious motorcycle accident in Los Angeles, breaking his leg and nearly requiring amputation, with lasting sequelae; the accident also cost him a role in 'Terminator 2'. Idol discusses his addictions to cocaine and describes himself as a 'sexual maniac,' noting that the 1980s were a time of 'limitless' partying where AIDS was largely ignored until Magic Johnson's diagnosis in 1991. He reflects on living as if it were the end of the world, in an 'illusory paradise'. Today, at 71 years old, Idol leads a more peaceful life, mostly free from past addictions, though he still uses marijuana and wine. He expresses gratitude for being alive and a desire to share his story, feeling that someone 'up there must love me' for his survival. The episode concludes with a mention of the show's schedule on Nostalgie.
