Along with bouts of drug abuse and a constant scowl, Billy Idol has defined what it means to be a true punk rocker. Beginning his careers in the 80's, the generation that started MTV, Idol idealized what it meant to rock hard. Born in Middlesex, England in 1955, Idol created a world that took new meaning to peroxide dyed hair, dark sunglasses and leather accessories. Born William Michael Albert Broad, the artist only briefly attended Sussex University before foreseeing his dreams of becoming a punk icon. Idol changed his name, after only a few missteps with some fellow punk rock teenagers, when he started to hold the mic instead of the guitar. Shortly thereafter, Idol became the face of Generation X, named after a famous 1960's book. Over the years, the group created several albums, including their first self-titled debut album in 1978, 1979's Valley of the Dolls, and 1981's Kiss Me Deadly. After Generation X split, this rocker proved that his gelled hair and slick ensemble were more than just a pretty face. The release of his first solo album, "White Wedding," topped charts, as well as viewers on MTV. Only two years later, Idol set the stage for another record shattering album Rebel Yell, his bestselling album that eventually went double platinum.Idol's sidekick Steve Stevens followed him during the most potent time of his career, leaving his background guitar strumming after 1987's album Whiplash Smile left a somewhat disappointing mark on this iconic punkster's repertoire. That same year, Idol released an eight-track best of set, titled Vital Idol, which proved Idol was still a chart topper. The live remake of a Tommy James' "Mony Mony" video streamlined MTV's wavelengths as Idol's Elvis-like style and punk-rocker attitude hit a chord with the country's teenagers.Despite his long lived career, Idol has lived up to the rebellious nature of punk rock legends, having two near-fatal accidents. The first, a motorcycle accident, left Idol with a nearly amputated leg and a limp he healed with a walking cane. In 1994, after his 6th solo album Cyberpunk left fans searching for their beloved leather clad rocker, the drug addicted Idol was hospitalized in a Los Angeles clinic for a drug overdose. Idol popped back into the scene four years later with a cameo in Adam Sandler's The Wedding Singer, reigniting this rocker's stardom. He later issued a more comprehensive Greatest Hits album in 2001 and his first solo album release since the somewhat failed Cyberpunk album, Devil's Playground in 1995.