Billy Idol opened up about being ‘California sober’ instead of completely avoiding substances.
The Generation X singer said in an interview with People that after ‘a long time,’ he gradually ‘did manage to get some kind of control’ when it comes to substances. He also said he was no longer a drug addict and explained how he got over his addiction:
“I really started to think I should try and go forward and not be a drug addict anymore and stuff like that. 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.”
Idol added:
“I can have a glass of wine every now and again. 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.”
California sober is a term that means a person has mostly given up drugs and alcohol except for marijuana.
The Motorcycle Accident Started The Sobering Process
On February 6th, 1990, Idol was riding his motorcycle home from a Los Angeles studio when he ran a stop sign and got hit by a passing car. The accident left him seriously injured.
Idol was not wearing a helmet during the time of the accident, and it almost caused his leg. The rocker admitted to being drunk and ‘some kind of Quaalude or something’ during the accident. He recalled the accident and said he was on ‘the highest grade morphine’ for pain, but was still struggling with heroin addiction. The rocker then took control of his life. In an earlier interview, he explained:
“I had to really think about my future, where I was going. It was a bit of a watershed time for me. I had to change my life, had to think about things. I mean, I was kind of destroying myself, really. And I had young children as well at that time. I was thinking, ‘What am I saying to them by continuing to be a drug addict and nearly having an accident that seriously hurt me and possibly could have killed me?’ … I needed to get ahold of myself. I was going to kill myself, or I was going to go crazy, or be locked up forever. The motorcycle accident was a good sign of ‘You’ve got to stop.’”
The singer also said earlier that he was trying to forget about it but instead, he brought it out as a song. You can hear ‘Bitter Taste,’ the song inspired by the accident, below.