Billy Idol’s Generation X Disappointment Became His Salvation

Many Billy Idol fans probably recall the singer as a rebel and a veteran of the original punk movement. The vocalist has been in the game for many years, and those who have kept up with his journey in the rock scene that started with Chelsea to Generation X, which jump-started his solo career, might have heard about his perseverance and dedication to make it in the ruthless industry against all odds.

The long road ahead for Idol started with him being a part of Chelsea, one of the first punk bands at the time. Not long after, he started his band, Generation X, which seemed to be the right move to make a name for himself, with the band becoming the talk of the town as they became more rock and roll by the day. However, the glory days that produced tracks like ‘Your Generation,’ ‘Ready Steady Go,’ and ‘Valley of the Dolls’ didn’t last long for the band.

Everything started to crumble for the frontman due to major problems with their manager, Stewart Joseph. He took advantage of Generation X, and it took two long years for them to be free of him. However, by the time they were done with the legal disputes, the band had already split up, and Idol was left with nothing but the fire to continue to go after his dream.

Although they made a final LP under the name Gen X, it didn’t have enough sales to keep them going, so Billy took the plunge with the pursuit of making it in the music business and moved to New York. That was the beginning of the real challenges the singer would face, whether it be trying to gather a group of musicians or sleeping on friends’ floors. However, it was also the secret to his success because, in the end, Idol learned what it took to get back on his feet and keep going to have a long-lasting career.

Billy Idol’s words to the Guardian in 2013 about Generation X’s disbandment:

“[Generation X were] ripped off by their manager and never recovered from a bitter, two-year dispute with him over their contract. And after we got rid of him, we found out that we were no longer together. It had split us up.

It was a move I had to make to relearn what it’s like not to be in anybody’s papers, to try to get a group together because you care, just to be yourself. I really went through hell – but I needed to. I needed to be ripped off and go through hell because that way, I would understand and be strong enough to do what I’m doing now and actually last doing it.

[He slept on his friends’ floors in New York] just like I did when I first came up to London from Bromley. So we took my picture off the next single, ‘Hot in the City,’ and they didn’t know who it was. So they played it, and it went to No 24.”

So to regain control of his career, he found a new manager named Bill Aucoin, who also managed KISS and started recording. His first solo single, ‘Mony Mony,’ right off the bat faced difficulties when American radio stations didn’t play it because of his picture on the sleeve with spiky hair and punk growl.

Idol’s choice of manager at the time paid off almost immediately with his next release, ‘Hot in the City.’ The track became a hit, which was also the start of his long career that has evolved over the years. In the grand scheme of things, Generation X disbanding was not the worst thing that happened to Billy Idol as he got his career to this point due to the hardship he faced years prior. Luckily, an excellent new manager was there coming to his rescue.