EXCLUSIVE: One of the 1970s' Biggest Music Stars Floors Fans With Astonishingly 'Nasty' Drugs Confession
A 1970s music icon stunned fans with a shocking drugs confession.
March 17 2026, Published 9:45 a.m. ET
RadarOnline.com can reveal Billy Idol has stunned fans by revealing he only managed to break his heroin addiction by turning to crack cocaine – a shocking admission the veteran rocker says ultimately helped him escape one of the darkest chapters of his life.
Idol, 70, the British-born punk and rock icon best known for hits including Rebel Yell and White Wedding, opened up about his long struggle with heroin during an appearance on the Club Random with Bill Maher podcast.
Billy Idol has revealed how he finally escaped heroin addiction.
Billy Idol has spoken candidly about the desperate and unconventional path that eventually helped him leave heroin behind after years of heavy drug use during the height of his fame.
His struggles with addiction are explored in the documentary Billy Idol Should Be Dead, where the singer reflects on the chaotic lifestyle that surrounded his rise in the rock world.
Speaking about his attempts to quit heroin, Idol said: "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."
'It Worked,' Singer Said Of Controversial Strategy
Idol made the candid confession on the 'Club Random with Bill Maher' podcast.
During a conversation with Bill Maher on his podcast, the host appeared surprised by the admission.
Maher asked: "Did you really?"
Idol responded with laughter before doubling down on the claim.
He said: "It worked. It worked. This is probably the worst advert, but it worked. It's kind of nasty… I liked taking drugs back then. It took me a long time to put them in the rearview mirror. At some point, I realised you had to do that."
Rock Industry Source Said Era Fueled Excess
His struggles are also explored in the documentary 'Billy Idol Should Be Dead.'
The revelation has sparked discussion among music industry figures about the intense drug culture that surrounded many rock stars in the 1970s and 1980s.
One insider said Idol's experience reflects the chaotic environment young musicians often faced after sudden global fame.
They said: "Billy Idol came up during a time when drugs were deeply embedded in the rock scene, and many artists were trying to survive an environment where excess was normalized."
Another source added the singer's honesty highlights how complicated addiction recovery can be for performers surrounded by that lifestyle.
They said: "The fact he is openly talking about how messy the process was shows how difficult recovery really is."
Star Recalls Near Fatal Overdose In The 1980s
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Today he speaks openly about that chaotic period of his life.
Idol has also spoken about a near fatal overdose during the peak of his fame in the early 1980s.
In the documentary, he described the terrifying incident shortly before he was scheduled to appear on the British television program Top of the Pops after returning to the United Kingdom following his breakthrough success in the United States.
Idol said: "I did OD and nearly died. I went to America in March 1981 and came back to the U.K. in triumph in 1984, after Rebel Yell. I was due on Top of the Pops. I nearly ruined it and nobody knew."
He recalled how he and friends took heroin after arriving back in London.
Idol said: "Everybody did a line and they all nodded out except me and a mate and we did a few more lines. I was basically dying. I was turning blue."
"So they put me in an ice bath and walked me around on the roof of the building."
Reflecting on the struggle to quit heroin, Idol described withdrawal as brutal.
He added: "Getting off heroin is one of the most awful experiences in the world. Boy George said it right when he said it's like your skeleton trying to get out of your body."
"There's no quick fix. It's such a long time. You're just counting the days, the seconds, the hours. Even after six months, you still feel lousy."
