Billy Idol shares how he stays 'California sober' after wild rock star phase
Billy Idol, 68, considers himself 'really lucky' to have been able to work through his substance abuse struggles
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Billy Idol is looking back on his sobriety journey.
During an interview with People, Idol shared that, at 68, he's now "California sober" and no longer considers himself to "be a drug addict anymore." The musician told the outlet this decision came after he nearly lost a leg in motorcycle accident in 1990.
"I really started to think I should try and go forward and not be a drug addict anymore and stuff like that," Idol said of the accident. "It took a long time, but gradually I did achieve some sort of discipline where I'm not really the same kind of guy I was in the '80s. I'm not the same drug-addicted person.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Billy Idol shared that he's "California sober." (Getty Images)
"I mean, AA would say, 'You're always a drug addict.' And that may be true, but I don't do anything that much anymore. I got over it somehow. I was really lucky that I could get over it because a lot of people can't."
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Idol told the outlet he's in a place today where he can indulge without going overboard.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Billy Idol nearly lost his leg in a motorcycle accident in 1990. (David Livingston/Getty Images)
"I can have a glass of wine every now and again," Billy explained. "I don't have to do nothing. But, at the same time, I'm not the drug addict that I was in the peak '70s, '80s."
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The "White Wedding" crooner said he's been able to stay committed to his lifestyle change due to the people he surrounds himself with.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Billy Idol posed backstage on May 23, 1987, in Michigan. (Ross Marino/Getty Images)
"A lot of my friends from the old days are sober. [My guitarist] Steve Stevens is sober, and [guitarist/singer] Billy Morrison in my band is sober. There are people around me who are sober. That helps a lot," Idol told the outlet.
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"I'm, I suppose, 'California sober.' I just tell myself I can do what I want, but then I don't do it. If I tell myself I can't do anything, I want to do it. So, I tell myself, 'You can do anything you like.' But I don't actually do it."
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Billy Idol revealed he no longer considers himself a "drug addicted person." (Tim Mosenfelder/Getty Images)
Idol acknowledged not everyone has the ability to be "California sober," so he considers himself "really lucky."
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Idol has sold more than 40 million albums worldwide and was one of the early stars of MTV in the 1980s. Some of his biggest hits include "Dancing With Myself, "White Wedding," "Rebel Yell," "Mony Mony," "Hot in the City," "Flesh For Fantasy" and "Cradle Of Love."