Billy Idol is 'lucky to be here' after wild past, talks Joan Jett tour and new doc
Billy Idol knows he's taken too many risks.
Whether overindulging in drugs and alcohol or seriously injuring himself after speeding through a stop sign on his Harley Davidson, there have been more than a few moments to warrant reflection.
His upcoming documentary, 'Billy Idol Should Be Dead,' premieres at the Tribeca Film Festival June 10, and its bracing title is hardly hyperbole.
'I'm lucky to be here,' he tells USA TODAY. 'If I was doing today what I was doing in the '80s, I would be dead. A lot of people didn't make it out.'
Idol, who will turn 70 in November, has learned to temper his penchant for excess, crediting exercise, a good diet and trying to remain 'California sober' as his supporting behaviors.
Need a break? Play the USA TODAY Daily Crossword Puzzle.
He's also tried to instill some self-discipline, abiding by the rule of, 'If I do anything too much, don't carry on the next day.'
Why Billy Idol tempered his wild side
Along with the documentary, this year includes other high-profile activities for Idol. He has a thoughtful new album, 'Dream Into It,' which released April 25, and a lengthy tour with Joan Jett & The Blackhearts, which kicks off April 30 in Phoenix and rolls through the U.S. and Europe through Sept. 25 in Los Angeles.
Idol met longtime friend Jett after a Germs/Dead Kennedys concert at the Whiskey a Go Go in 1978, when his then-band, the respected punk outfit Generation X, was doing a round of publicity.
Along with touring together, Jett joins him on the new album's melodic rocker 'Wildside.' Idol confirms that even as age and wisdom have quelled his demons, some personality traits are inescapable.
'I most definitely still have a wild side,' he says. 'There's still the guy who doesn't mind risking things, just trying to keep it in check. The guy who is willing to move to another continent to start his life again or gamble his future a lot of the time.'
But Idol enforced moderation in his routine after having kids. Brant, Willem and Bonnie are all adults now and Idol is a gleeful grandfather of four, aged 2 to 5.
'I'm the head of the family,' he says proudly.
Billy Idol loved working with Avril Lavigne: 'She nailed it'
The latest single from 'Dream Into It,' a loose concept record with songs sequenced to track the different phases of Idol's life, is ''77,' a punchy blast of caffeinated pop-rock featuring Avril Lavigne.
Idol said daughter Bonnie is a massive fan of Lavigne – 'We were in a restaurant and Avril was there and my daughter was fan girling over her,' he recalls with a laugh. Idol says he always appreciated her music.
'The way she sang this song, she really nailed it. She's fantastic. It's been a lot of fun doing promotion with her,' he says.
For the upcoming tour, Idol will have guitar consigliere Steve Stevens alongside him, his faithful collaborator since the early '80s breakout smashes 'Rebel Yell,' 'White Wedding,' 'Eyes Without a Face' and 'Flesh for Fantasy.'
'When I met him, I realized I could do anything because he could (play) anything,' Idol says, agreeing that Stevens has been the main constant in his musical life. 'We grew up with eclectic records and it opened that door for me. We could do ballads or rockers and we're still making eclectic music.'
Billy Idol thanks fans who stuck with him 'through thick and thin'
Idol and Stevens – whose shock of ebony hair is almost as iconic as Idol's platinum spikes ('I dry it upside down,' Idol says is the key) – were nominated for the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame this year, but missed the cut.
Idol didn't know if he'd join the 2025 class at the time of this interview, but was unruffled when pondering the outcome.
'If I don't get in, it wouldn't be the end of the world because there's always another year,' he says. 'But if we do, it's a chance thank your fans. They're the reason you're here and they stuck with you through thick and thin – and believe me, some parts of it were thin! – and that's the reason I'm still going.'
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