Generation X

Generation X (later known as Gen X) were an English punk band formed in London on 21 November 1976 by Billy Idol, Tony James, and John Towe; former members of Chelsea. They released a total of four studio albums (though Sweet Revenge was published without the consent of Idol and James). After the split, Idol was advised by the manager Bill Aucoin to move to New York, and as a solo artist, he re-recorded the song "Dancing with Myself" as his debut single.
== Background ==
In an interview, Idol recalled, "Me and Tony got on well. We found Derwood playing in a youth club in Fulham, doing Jimi Hendrix and Deep Purple stuff. We knew we all had to be a little different. That's what Lou Reed and David Bowie had been saying to us: you've got to be yourself, find out who you are and be it. So we knew we're not going to be the Sex Pistols or The Clash or Buzzcocks, we're going to be Generation X". He added that he favoured the band's first album, though James turned them in a different direction genre-wise that he wished remained like their debut.DeRiso, Nick (28 February 2021). "40 Years Ago: Billy Idol Leaves Generation X For Solo Stardom". UCR.
It was reported in Idol's 2014 autobiography that "The last nail in the coffin for Tony and me was the relative lack of success of our final album together, Kiss Me Deadly". He claimed the difference in artistic direction was what caused a falling out, while James stated Idol's heroin addiction "drove a wedge between them". According to The Sputnik Story, James shared, "Sadly, Billy and I could not agree on the merits of dangerous drugs as a passport to credibility. I have seen too many times that heroin destroys everything that gets in its path, from work to friendships to lives. And then, almost from one day to the next, it was all over. Billy left the band to write his solo album in New York with the manager who I had brought in during the final year of Gen X to 'save' the band".Fortnam, Ian (19 April 2022). "Billy Idol: an extraordinary life, and vivid proof that dreams do come true". Louder.
In 1993, the original lineup performed for one show at London's Astoria Theatre.
== Discography ==
* Generation X (1978)
* Valley of the Dolls (1979)
* Kiss Me Deadly (1981)
* K.M.D. - Sweet Revenge (1998)
== References ==
Category:Bands
Category:Generation X