“There’s no one that deserves to be in the Rock N’ Roll Hall of Fame more than Billy Idol, it’s nice that they recognize I am part of that but he’s the real deal. He’s our Rock Star… there’s not many of these guys still doing it, and he’s just as good today as the day I met him.”
— Steve Stevens on Billy Idol
METAL SLUDGE / October 1st 2026 – Rock guitarist and Hall of Famer Steve Stevens of the Billy Idol band recently sat down with Get On The Bus to share his story.
Stevens is a New York City native who first started playing the same club circuit as fellow New Yorker’s Twisted Sister in the late 1970’s.
By 1981 Stevens found himself in a meeting with late Kiss manager Bill Aucoin who helped the guitarist connect with an English punk rocker who had just relocated to New York City… his name was Billy Idol.
Stevens tells Get On The Bus how he and Idol hit it off immediately.
Soon the two became band-mates, song-writing partners and developed a friendship that has lasted into its 5th decade.
Steve Stevens on Billy Idol “There’s no one that deserves to be in the Rock N’ Roll Hall of Fame more than Billy Idol, it’s nice that they recognize I am part of that but he’s the real deal.
“He’s our Rock Star… there’s not many of these guys still doing it, and he’s just as good today as the day I met him.
“Whatever you want to say, God or whatever gifted this guy and said, ‘I am going to make the ultimate Rock Star’, and he’s a great song-writer, and deserves to be in the Rock N’ Roll Hall of Fame.
“We make great music together and we’re really happy for each other.”
Stevens also talks a bit about working with at the time, former Mötley Crüe frontman Vince Neil on his 1993 debut solo release “Exposed.” Neil and his solo band with Stevens also toured with Van Halen but Stevens acknowledges it was during a time when Grunge had hit and Nirvana had started to rule the landscape of music.
The guitarist’s work with Michael Jackson on the song “Dirty Diana” is also covered.
“It wasn’t until the first time I heard the Van Halen record… I was at a party and everybody was getting really drunk and then, it F#@ked me up pretty good…” says Stevens.
“But someone put on that Van Halen record… and that track “Eruption”… and I said, ‘What the Hell is that?’, ‘that’s a guitar?'” added Stevens.
Watch the full interview with Steve Stevens on Get On The Bus as seen below.
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