1980s Punk Rock Icon, 70, Says He Legit 'Dreamt Himself' Into Being a Star

Beloved ’80s rocker Billy Idol said he “legit dreamt” himself into being a rock star.

The British rocker, 70, rose to stardom during the ’80s with hits like “Dancing with Myself” and “White Wedding.” He continued his reign during the MTV era with singles like “Rebel Yell” and “Eyes Without a Face,” but found significant struggles during the ’90s. A serious motorcycle accident in 1990 nearly cost him his leg, and he had to have a steel rod inserted. His drug and alcohol use also caught up with him during this period, and derailed his career. But in a new interview, the music master said he “dreamt” himself into being Billy Idol.

As a younger person, Idol watched music legends like David Bowie rise to fame. So when his time came, he knew he was ready.

“I dreamt myself into being Billy Idol,” the rocker shared on CBS Mornings.

@cbsmornings

“I dreamt myself into being Billy Idol”: After spending his childhood watching musicians, Billy Idol was prepared to create a stage persona on the punk rock scene. Watch more of his conversation with Anthony Mason tomorrow (3/27). #billyidol

♬ original sound – CBS Mornings

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What Did Billy Idol Say About His Horrifying Drug Addiction?

During an interview with Bill Maher on “Club Random with Bill Maher,” Idol opened up about how he started to smoke crack to quit using heroin.

“Once you’re trying to get off heroin, what do you go to? You go to something else. I started smoking crack to get off heroin,” Idol said.

“Did you really?” Maher asked.

“It worked. It worked,” Idol replied, laughing.

What’s Billy Idol’s New Documentary About?

In his new documentary, Billy Idol Should Be Dead, Idol details his tremendous rise to fame, his serious addiction issues, and his return to performing music.

In an interview with the New York Times, Idol detailed how severe his issues became.

“I had it all, and I lit it with butane,” he said.

To see the trailer for Idol’s new documentary, watch below:

Idol Was Nominated for the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame for the Second Year in a Row

Recently, Idol was nominated for induction into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame for the second year in a row. But the rocker said that this second time around has even more meaning than the first.

“It’s really exciting,” Idol told Billboard. “It would be incredible this year. This is 50 years ago when I started (with the band Generation X), so it would be really incredible.”

Idol went on to say that the induction would be the perfect cap on 50 years of work.

“It would cap off an amazing 50 years,” the rocker added. “When I walked through that door, that punk rock opened up, you really didn’t know if you’ve got the goods; only over time, you see, I really did have the goods, and I think the songs I’ve made are lasting, the recordings are still good. And I had great people around me to get to where I wanted to go.”

Related: Billy Idol, 70, Says Smoking Crack Helping Him Quit Using Heroin: ‘It Worked’