page_title: Billy Idol
section_title: 2010–present: Kings & Queens of the Underground
hierarchical_section_title: Billy Idol / Life and career / 2010–present: Kings & Queens of the Underground
caption_attribution_description: English: Billy Idol performing at the 2013 Bonnaroo Music and Arts Festival in Manchester, Tennessee
context_page_description: William Michael Albert Broad, known professionally as Billy Idol, is an English musician, singer, songwriter, and actor who holds dual British and American citizenship. He first achieved fame in the 1970s emerging from the London punk rock scene as a member of Generation X. Subsequently, he embarked on a solo career which led to international recognition and made Idol a lead artist during the MTV-driven "Second British Invasion" in the United States. The name "Billy Idol" was inspired by a schoolteacher's description of him as "idle".
  Idol began his music career in late 1976 as a guitarist in the punk rock band Chelsea. However, he soon left the group. With his former bandmate Tony James, Idol formed the band Generation X. With Idol as lead singer, the band achieved success in the United Kingdom and released three albums on Chrysalis Records, then disbanded. In 1981, Idol moved to New York City to pursue his solo career in collaboration with guitarist Steve Stevens. His debut studio album, Billy Idol, was a commercial success. With music videos for singles "Dancing with Myself" and "White Wedding" Idol soon became a staple of then-newly established MTV.
context_section_description: On 16 February 2010, Idol was announced as one of the acts to play the Download Festival in Donington Park, England. He stated "With all of these great heavyweight and cool bands playing Download this year, I'm going to have to come armed with my punk rock attitude, Steve Stevens, and all of my classic songs plus a couple of way out covers. Should be fun!" In March 2010, Idol added Camp Freddy guitarist Billy Morrison and drummer Jeremy Colson to his touring line-up.
  In 2012, Idol appeared on the third episode of the BBC Four series How the Brits Rocked America.
  Idol released his 8th studio album Kings & Queens of the Underground in October 2014. While recording the album between 2010 and 2014, he worked with producer Trevor Horn, Horn's former Buggles and Yes bandmate Geoff Downes and Greg Kurstin. Idol's autobiography, titled Dancing with Myself, was published on 7 October 2014 and became a New York Times best seller.
  On 30 October 2018, former Generation X members Idol and Tony James joined with Steve Jones and Paul Cook, former members of another first wave English punk rock band, the Sex Pistols, to perform a free gig at the Roxy in Hollywood, Los Angeles, under the name Generation Sex, playing a combined set of the two former bands' material.
  In late February 2020, Idol starred in a public service campaign titled "Billy Never Idles," intended to fight the unnecessary idling of automobile engines in New York City, to reduce air pollution. Idol teamed with New York Mayor Bill de Blasio to open the campaign, which features Idol saying "If you're not driving, shut your damn engine off!" and other strong advice.
caption: Idol performing at Bonnaroo, 2013
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