In 1958, when he was two years old, he moved with his parents to Patchogue, New York. His parents were devout Anglicans and attended church regularly. Idol was born William Michael Albert Broad on 30 November 1955 in Stanmore, Middlesex.

2.6 2010–present: Kings & Queens of the Underground.

2.4 1993–2004: Cyberpunk, decline, and resurgence.

2.3 1986–1992: Whiplash Smile and Charmed Life.

2.2 1981–1985: Solo career and breakthrough.

He made a musical comeback with the release of Devil's Playground (2005) and again with Kings & Queens of the Underground (2014). Idol spent the second half of the 1990s focusing on his personal life out of the public eye. Idol then released Charmed Life (1990) and the concept album Cyberpunk (1993). Having accumulated three UK top 10 singles ('Rebel Yell', 'White Wedding' and ' Mony Mony') Idol released a 1988 greatest hits album titled Idol Songs: 11 of the Best the album went platinum in the United Kingdom. The album was certified double platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) for shipment of two million copies in the US. Idol's second studio album, Rebel Yell (1983), was a major commercial success, featuring hit singles ' Rebel Yell' and ' Eyes Without a Face'. With music videos for singles ' Dancing with Myself' and ' White Wedding' Idol soon became a staple of then-newly established MTV. His debut studio album, Billy Idol (1982), was a commercial success. In 1981, Idol moved to New York City to pursue his solo career in collaboration with guitarist Steve Stevens. With Idol as lead singer, the band achieved success in the United Kingdom and released three albums on Chrysalis Records, then disbanded. With his former bandmate Tony James, Idol formed Generation X. Idol began his music career in late 1976 as a guitarist in the punk rock band Chelsea. The name 'Billy Idol' was inspired by a schoolteacher's description of him as 'idle'.

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. He first achieved fame in the 1970s emerging from the London punk rock scene as the lead singer of the group Generation X. William Michael Albert Broad (born 30 November 1955), known professionally as Billy Idol, is an English singer who holds dual British and American citizenship.

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