Billy Idol goes teetotal, and honestly, the rock ‘n’ roll icon makes it sound like the most punk thing he’s done lately. The 69-year-old legend, known for his wild ’80s lifestyle and iconic tracks like White Wedding, has officially given up booze-saying hangovers and liver worries just aren’t worth the party anymore.
In a recent chat with The Independent, Billy revealed, “I’ve actually just stopped drinking. I used to have a glass of wine at a restaurant. I’m just watching out for my liver these days- unfortunately!” He’s not thrilled about it, but he’s real. “I’d love to be piling them back! Then again, you put on weight; that’s all that happens with alcohol these days. You just get puffy.” And worst of all? “I started getting a really bad headache if I had more than two glasses of wine.” Honestly, relatable.
This isn’t Billy’s first major lifestyle shift. He famously kicked a serious drug habit in the ‘80s, and he credits working out as the key to turning things around. “Caring about your body took precedence over the drug addiction,” he said. That fitness routine gave him the discipline he needed to keep drugs in the rearview. And it clearly worked-he’s almost 70 and still rocking stages.
Now, don’t get it twisted-Billy Idol goes teetotal, but he’s not claiming total sobriety. He openly admits, “I still take marijuana and stuff like that, so I’m not completely sober.” Classic Billy. Still rebellious, still honest, still very much himself.
He’s got big plans for his 70th birthday coming up in November, and it’s going to be wild. “We’ll probably have some wingding South American party,” he teased. “You don’t see yourself aging. But this one, I might have to celebrate. I’ll be on the road with a load of people I’m enjoying playing with. So we’ll make it fun. It’ll be killer. Seventy, here we come!”
Billy also opened up to PEOPLE about how a motorcycle accident in 1990 was a major wake-up call. That crash nearly took his life and made him seriously reevaluate everything. “It took a long time, but gradually I did achieve some sort of discipline… I got over it somehow. I was really lucky.”
What do you think about Billy Idol going teetotal but still keeping it chill with weed? Rockstars never really lose their edge, do they?
