Billy Idol Opens up About the Overdose That Nearly Took His Life and the Unconventional Way He Beat His Addiction

Considered one of the leading voices of the punk rock era in London, Billy Idol also helped lead the Second British Invasion helmed by MTV. Throughout that time, he produced singles like “Dancing with Myself”, “White Wedding”, and “Rebel Yell.” While some artists only portray the rocker lifestyle, Idol embraced it. And recently, he discussed what that lifestyle brought him and the one time he nearly died when partying with his band and h—–. 

Speaking with Bill Maher on the Club Random podcast, Idol didn’t hide from his past as he remembered the success that came from his album Rebel Yell. Ready to return to London, the singer wanted to make it a celebration. “I was going to do it on Top of the Pops in England. You know, kind of returning to England. I’ve had this big record in America. So a load of friends of us met us at the airport, and they had a bunch of h—– on them.”

As time passed, Idol eventually found himself surrounded by his friends, who were all passed out from partying and drugs. The singer explained how he decided to snort some h—–, which led to him passing out. “When people, other people in the room came to, I was going blue.”

Thankfully, the group was able to revive Idol, who declared, “I survived.” 

[RELATED: On This Day in 1990, Billy Idol Crashed His Motorcycle and Lost the Movie Role of a Lifetime]

The Unconventional Way Billy Idol Beat His Addiction

Having carried that story with him for decades, he took a moment to reflect on his years of drug abuse. He promised, “[H—–] is really great. It’s just the worst thing is getting off it. It’s just getting off it. And that’s what stops me going back to doing it, is the thought of getting off. It’s so terrible.”

Giving fans an all-access pass to his life, Idol noted how he beat his addiction. “Once you’re trying to get off h—–, what do you go to? You go to something else. I started smoking c—- to get off h—–… It worked.”

While some live with the regret of drugs, Idol only lived with the memory of good times. “I liked taking drugs back then, I’d really, I enjoyed it. It took me a long time to put them in the rear view mirror, but at some point I realized you had to do that.”

Considering himself California sober, Idol had a different reason to celebrate as he was nominated for the 2026 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Although the night nearly ended in tragedy, Idol now looks back at the moment as part of a chaotic era that helped shape both his music and his life.

(Photo by John Parra/Getty Images)