Billy Idol Says Crack Played a Role in Overcoming Heroin Addiction

In a revealing conversation on the March 2 episode of Club Random with Bill Maher, rock icon Billy Idol opened up about the unconventional and dangerous method he used to distance himself from heroin. The 70-year-old musician explained that his path to sobriety involved swapping one powerful addiction for another in a desperate bid to change his life.

Idol told Maher that when someone is trying to move away from a substance as heavy as heroin, they often feel compelled to seek out a substitute. He candidly admitted that he started smoking crack to get off heroin, a statement that led the host to ask for clarification on whether he truly took that route.

The White Wedding performer stood by the claim, simply stating that it worked in breaking the cycle of his previous habit. While acknowledging that this was perhaps the worst possible advertisement for recovery, he reiterated that the shift allowed him to finally leave heroin behind.

The rock star’s history with substance abuse is a central theme in his new documentary, Billy Idol Should Be Dead, which arrived in theaters on February 26. In the film, he recalls a harrowing 1984 incident in London where a celebration of his American success nearly ended in tragedy.

After returning to England for what he called a victory lap, Idol and a group of friends experimented with a particularly potent batch of heroin that left most of the room unconscious. He remembered that he was basically dying and had begun turning blue before his companions attempted to revive him.

They eventually resorted to placing him in an ice-cold bath and walking him across the roof of the building to keep him conscious. Looking back on that era, he noted that the intense drug culture was something the rock scene of the 1980s actively embraced.

The documentary also details another low point during a trip to Bangkok that resulted in $75,000 in damages to a hotel room. This period of chaos coincided with the infancy of his son, Willem, adding a layer of personal urgency to his eventual decision to clean up his act.

A major turning point for the singer came in 1990 following a severe motorcycle accident that nearly cost him his leg. He shared that the injury forced him to realize he should try to go forward and not be a drug addict anymore, leading to a gradual shift in his lifestyle.

While he acknowledges that some recovery philosophies believe a person is always an addict, he currently identifies as California sober. He explained to People that he has achieved a level of discipline where he can enjoy a glass of wine without falling back into the destructive patterns of his youth.

The legendary punk pioneer has remained incredibly active, coinciding with the 50th anniversary of his musical career, which began with Generation X in 1976. He is currently a nominee for the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame’s Class of the year, a recognition he says would be an incredible honor to cap off five decades in the industry.

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