Billy Idol Height, Weight, Age, Body Statistics

Billy Idol is a talented and successful English musician, singer, songwriter, and actor. He is known for his punk rock style of music and songs like Rebel Yell, To Be a Lover, Cradle of Love, Dancing With Myself, Eyes Without a Face, and Shock to the System. In the mid-1970s, he quit retro-rock band Chelsea as a guitarist and formed his own punk band called Generation X. The name Billy Idol was coined after his teacher’s unfortunate remark calling him “William is IDLE”. He attended the University of Sussex for a year. He has a huge social media fan base with more than 850k followers on Instagram.

Born Name

William Michael Albert Broad

Nick Name

Billy Idol

Sun Sign

Sagittarius

Born Place

Stanmore, Middlesex, England, United Kingdom

Residence

• London, England, United Kingdom
• Los Angeles, California, United States

Nationality

Education

Billy Idol studied at the Ravensbourne School for Boys in London Borough of Bromley, England and Worthing High School for Boys in Worthing, West Sussex.

In October 1975, he joined the University of Sussex to major in English, however, he left after a year.

Occupation

Musician, Singer, Songwriter, Actor

Family

• Father – Bill Broad (Salesman)
• Mother – Joan Broad
• Siblings – Jane Broad (Younger Sister)
• Others – Albert Broad (Paternal Grandfather), Naomi Heslop (Paternal Grandmother), Michael O’Sullivan (Maternal Grandfather)

Manager

Billy Idol is managed by William Morris Endeavor Entertainment, Talent and Literary Agency, Beverly Hills, California, United States.

Genre

Punk Rock, Hard Rock, Glam Rock, Dance-Rock, New Wave, Post-Punk, Dance-Punk

Instruments

Vocals, Guitar

Labels

• Chrysalis Records
• EMI Records
• Sanctuary Records
• BFI

Build

Athletic

Height

5 ft 9 in or 175 cm

Weight

70 kg or 154.5 lbs

Girlfriend / Spouse

Billy Idol has dated –

1. Heather McCartney – In the early 1980s, Billy dated Heather McCartney.
2. Savannah – Billy was in a brief relationship with p*rnographic film actress Savannah.
3. Sonja Morgan – Billy dated fashion model and actress Sonja Morgan in the past.
4. Ginger Lynn Allen – Billy briefly dated p*rnographic actress and model, Ginger Lynn Allen.
5. Patti Johnsen – Billy was rumored to be dating Patti Johnsen in the past.
6. Justine Bateman – Billy had an encounter with writer Justine Bateman.
7. Bridgette Monroe – Billy was linked to actress Bridgette Monroe.
8. Heather Hart – Billy is rumored to have had an encounter with Heather Hart.
9. Downtown Julie Brown – Billy had an encounter with former MTV VJ and host, Downtown Julie Brown in the past.
10. Pleasant Gehman – Billy reportedly dated author, writer, poet, actress, dancer, and musician, Pleasant Gehman in the past.
11. Vanity – Billy was in a brief relationship with singer Vanity.
12. Seka – Billy was also linked to Seka.
13. Linda Susebach – Billy is also rumored to have had a brief encounter with Linda Susebach.
14. Sherilyn Fenn – Billy is rumored to have had an encounter with actress Sherilyn Fenn. The pair also appeared together on the cover of In Fashion (January 1991) magazine.
15. Kristi Michaels – Billy had an encounter with Kristi Michaels.
16. Joan Jett (1978) – Billy had an encounter with rock singer, songwriter, composer, musician, record producer, and occasional actress, Joan Jett in 1978.
17. Perri Lister (1980–1989) – In 1980, Billy began a relationship with Hot Gossip dancer, Perri Lister. Perri had a significant influence on his music and his life; however, Perri ended their relationship in 1989. The couple has a son together named, Willem Wolf Broad (b. June 15, 1988).
18. Julia Roberts (1984) – In March 1984, Billy briefly dated actress Julia Roberts, who was only 16 years old then. They met on a flight to Australia. Julia incidentally told her high school friends that she lost her v*rginity to Billy.
19. Brooke Fields – Billy was rumored to have had an encounter with Brooke Fields.
20. Melissa Gilbert (1986) – In 1986, Billy had a fling with actress Melissa Gilbert.
21. Bunty Bailey (1987–1988) – In 1987, Billy began a relationship with former English model, dancer, and actress Bunty Bailey who reportedly dumped Norwegian musician Morten Harket for Billy. However, their relationship only lasted a year.
22. Grace Hattersley (1987) – In February 1987, Billy briefly dated socialite, Grace Hattersley.
23. Linda Mathis (1988–1990) – In 1988, Billy began a relationship with Linda Mathis, who was 13 years younger than him. They have a daughter together named, Bonnie Blue Broad (b. August 21, 1989). They separated after 2 years in 1990.
24. Maria Conchita Alonso (1989) – In 1989, Billy was rumored to have had an encounter with Venezuelan singer, songwriter, and actress Maria Conchita Alonso.
25. Josi Campos (1991) – In 1991, Billy had a fling with former model Josi Campos.
26. Peggy Trentini (1991) – In 1991, Billy had an encounter with model and actress Peggy Trentini. Peggy considers Billy to be the best kisser amongst the other men she had dated.
27. Hilary Herth (1991) – In 1991, Billy had an encounter with Hilary Herth. Their brief encounter ended miserably, as Hilary who was only 17 years, filed a paternity suit stating that she wants Billy to support her baby daughter. However, after a blood test, Hilary’s claim turned out to be false.
28. Shanna Moakler (1994-1996) – In the mid-1990s, Billy started dating model, actress, reality television star, and beauty queen, Shanna Lynn Moakler. Their relationship lasted for 2 years.
29. Drew Barrymore (1994) – In January 1994, Billy was spotted with actress Drew Barrymore and the couple was rumored as dating each other.
30. Tammy Pobi (1995) – In 1995, Billy had a brief encounter with Tammy Pobi, a Canadian dance artist from Quebec, Canada.
31. Lindsay Cross – In 2008, Billy started dating stylist Lindsay Cross. Their relationship lasted for more than 4 years.
32. China Chow (2018) – In April 2018, Billy began a relationship with British socialite China Chow.

Race / Ethnicity

White

He is of English and Irish descent.

Hair Color

Blonde

He often tends to bleach his hair.

Eye Color

Blue

Sexual Orientation

Straight

Distinctive Features

• Spiky hair
• Signature sneer and curled lips
• Often seen in leather jackets and chains

Brand Endorsements

Billy Idol has either endorsed or appeared in commercials for brands like Ikea (2002).

In February 2023, Billy appeared in Workday‘s 2023 “Super Bowl” commercial alongside Gary Clark Jr., Joan Jett, Paul Stanley, and Ozzy Osbourne.

Religion

Christianity

Best Known For

Being the lead vocalist of the punk band Generation X and later, for popularizing the punk rock culture with his songs like White Wedding, Rebel Yell, To Be a Lover, Cradle of Love, Dancing With Myself, Eyes Without a Face, and Shock to the System.

First Album

In July 1982, Billy released a debut solo self-titled studio album, Billy Idol through Chrysalis Records. The album received a ‘Gold’ certification from RIAA.

First Film

In 1991, he made his theatrical film debut in the biographical drama film The Doors as the Cat.

In 2000, he made his theatrical film debut as a voice actor in the animated action-adventure film Heavy Metal 2000 as Odin.

First TV Show

In 1977, he made his first TV show appearance on the music series Top of the Pops.

In 2010, he lent his voice in the animated comedy series Glenn Martin DDS.

Personal Trainer

Billy Idol maintains a steady workout schedule to stay fit as he advances in age. He practices Pilates to remain flexible and garner strength.

He is a pescatarian.

Billy Idol Favorite Things

• Piece Of Music – Johnny Burnette and the Rock ‘n Roll Trio (1956) by Johnny Burnette and The Rock and Roll Trio
• Film – The Searchers (1956)

Source – YouTube, TribuneContentAgency.com

Billy Idol Facts

1. His father relocated them to Long Island, New York when he was 3 years old. However, they moved back to the UK after 4 years.
2. Growing up, he lived in a place above a pub called The Running Horses in Dorking, Surrey.
3. After dropping out of the university in 1976, he joined the Bromley Contingent of S*x Pistols fans.
4. Billy’s parents were religious who attended the Anglican Church regularly.
5. At the age of 10, he was dismissed from Boys Scouts in Goring for kissing a girl.
6. In 1994, he was admitted to the Los Angeles hospital and was treated for a drug overdose.
7. In 1992, he admitted his charges for assaulting and punching his companion Amber Nevel outside a West Hollywood restaurant; and as a result of which he had to pay a fine of $2,700 and appear in a series of anti-drug commercials.
8. Billy coined his stage name “Billy Idol” from a bad paper which his Chemistry teacher wrote as a note to his parents “William is IDLE”.
9. In 1976, after performing for a few weeks with the retro-rock band Chelsea as a guitarist, he quit and formed his own punk band called Generation X.
10. He temporarily lost sight during the making of the music video Eyes Without A Face when the studio lights’ heat fused his contact lenses.
11. In February 1990, he survived a serious motorcycle accident which left him temporarily paralyzed waist down, as a steel rod had to be surgically inserted into his right leg.
12. While making the music video for Cradle of Love, he had to be filmed from the torso and up as he was paralyzed due to his motorcycle accident.
13. Moreover, his role in the film The Doors (1991) had to be reduced after his motorcycle accident.
14. VH1 had ranked him #55 on their list of ‘100 Sexiest Artists’.
15. Apart from making to the covers of many music magazines, Billy has also been featured on the covers of fashion magazines such as Harper’s Bazaar, In Fashion, Blitz, and more.
16. If he could go and save someone from the past, he would have saved John Lennon.
17. He is one of the first musicians to include an email address in the album liner notes in the early 1990s.
18. In 1963, he bought his first record, She Loves You by the Beatles.
19. He enjoys a bit of golf.
20. He wrote his song White Wedding in just 20 minutes.
21. Billy confesses that he lost his v*rginity to Tommy James and the Shondells’ song Mony Mony; the cover song which he later included in his EP titled Don’t Stop in 1981.
22. While working for his father’s company, he delivered tools.
23. His usual mode of travel is a motorcycle.
24. He loves Kendrick Lamar’s album To Pimp a Butterfly (2015).
25. He is an avid reader of history books.
26. The title for his song Rebel Yell was inspired after seeing the Rolling Stones drink Rebel Yell bourbon.
27. He often jammed with Adam Sandler in his trailer during the filming of The Wedding Singer (1998).
28. He loves dub and reggae genres of music.
29. Billy was James Cameron‘s first choice to play the robot assassin T1000 in the 2nd Terminator film, which however became impossible due to Billy’s bike accident as the role demanded him to run fast.
30. On October 7, 2014, he released his autobiography, Dancing With Myself.
31. On November 14, 2018, Billy got U.S. citizenship. With this, he was holding dual citizenship of America and England.
32. In 2020, he became a grandfather for the first time after his daughter Bonnie gave birth to a child, daughter Poppy Rebel. In 2022, Bonnie gave birth to her second child, daughter Mary Jane.
33. In 2023, he got to perform his concert for the first time at Hoover Dam.
34. On January 6, 2023, he received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
35. Visit his official website @ billyidol.net.

Featured Image by possan / Flickr / CC BY-2.0