Born in Stanmore, Middlesex, Idol first achieved fame in the punk rock era as a member of the band Generation X.
Idol then embarked on a successful solo career, and was a member of the MTV-driven "Second British Invasion" of the United States.[2]
A series of music videos for songs such as "Dancing with Myself", "White Wedding", "Rebel Yell" and "Eyes Without a Face" made him one of the first MTV stars.
Idol continues to tour with guitarist Steve Stevens.
Coral Castle is a stone structure created by the Latvian American eccentric Edward Leedskalnin (1887–1951) located in Leisure City, Florida, in Miami-Dade County at the intersection of South Dixie Highway (U.S. 1) and SW 157th Avenue.
The structure comprises numerous megalithic stones (mostly limestone formed from coral), each weighing several tons.[2]
It currently operates as a privately operated tourist attraction.
Coral Castle is noted for legends surrounding its creation that claim it was built single-handedly by Leedskalnin using reverse magnetism or supernatural abilities to move and carve numerous stones weighing many tons.[3]
Coral Castle
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Coral Castle (also known as Rock Gate)
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| Location | Leisure City, Florida | ||||
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| Coordinates | 25°30′1.227″N 80°26′41.9028″WCoordinates: 25°30′1.227″N 80°26′41.9028″W | ||||
| Built | 1920 | ||||
| NRHP Reference # | 84000840[1] | ||||
| Added to NRHP | May 10, 1984 | ||||
History
According to the Coral Castle's own promotional material, Edward Leedskalnin was suddenly rejected by his 16-year-old fiancée Agnes Skuvst in Latvia, just one day before the wedding.Leaving for America, he came down with allegedly terminal tuberculosis, but spontaneously healed, stating that magnets had some effect on his disease.
Edward spent more than 28 years building the Coral Castle, refusing to allow anyone to view him while he worked.
A few teenagers claimed to have witnessed his work, reporting that he had caused the blocks of coral to move like hydrogen balloons.
The only tool that Leedskalnin spoke of using was a "perpetual motion holder".
Leedskalnin originally built the castle, which he named Rock Gate Park, in Florida City, Florida, around 1923.
He purchased the land from Ruben Moser whose wife assisted him when he had a very bad bout with tuberculosis.[4][5]
Florida City, which borders the Everglades, is the southernmost city in the United States that is not on an island. It was an extremely remote location with very little development at the time.
The castle remained in Florida City until about 1936 when Leedskalnin decided to move and take the castle with him to its final location at 28655 South Dixie Highway Miami, FL 33033.
The Coral Castle website states that he chose to move in order to protect his privacy when discussion about developing land in the area of the castle started.[6]
He spent three years moving the Coral Castle structures 10 miles (16 km) north from Florida City to its current location in Leisure City, Florida.
Leedskalnin continued to work on the castle up until his death in 1951. The coral pieces that are part of the newer castle, not among those transported from the original location, were quarried on the property only a few feet away from the southern wall.
Leedskalnin charged visitors ten cents apiece to tour the castle grounds.
There are signs carved into rocks at the front gate to "Ring Bell Twice" and a second sign just inside the property that says "Adm. 10c Drop Below".
He would come down from his living quarters in the second story of the castle tower close to the gate and conduct the tour.
Leedskalnin never told anyone who asked him how he made the castle.
He would simply answer "It's not difficult if you know how."
When asked why he had built the castle, Leedskalnin would vaguely answer it was for his "Sweet Sixteen".
This is widely believed to be a reference to Agnes Skuvst (whose often-misspelled surname "Scuffs" is not even a legitimately formed Latvian word).
In Leedskalnin's own publication A Book in Every Home, he implies his "Sweet Sixteen" was more an ideal than a reality.
According to a Latvian account, the girl existed, but her name was actually Hermīne Lūsis.[7]
When Leedskalnin became ill in November 1951, he put a sign on the door of the front gate "Going to the Hospital" and took the bus to Jackson Memorial Hospital in Miami.
Leedskalnin suffered a stroke at one point, either before he left for the hospital or at the hospital.
He died twenty-eight days later of Pyelonephritis (a kidney infection) at the age of 64.
His death certificate noted that his death was a result of "uremia; failure of kidneys, as a result of the infection and abscess."[8]
While the property was being investigated, $3,500 was found among Leedskalnin's personal belongings.
Leedskalnin had made his income from conducting tours, selling pamphlets about various subjects (including magnetic currents) and the sale of a portion of his 10-acre (4.0 ha) property for the construction of U.S. Route 1.[6]
As Leedskalnin had no will, the castle became the property of his closest living relative in America, a nephew from Michigan named Harry.[9]
The Coral Castle website reports that the nephew was in poor health and he sold the castle to an Illinois family in 1953.
However, this story differs from the obituary of a former Coral Castle owner, Julius Levin, a retired jeweler from Chicago, Illinois.
The obituary states Levin had purchased the land from the state of Florida in 1952 and may not have been aware there was even a castle on the land.[10]
The new owners changed the name of Rock Gate Park to Coral Castle and turned it into a tourist attraction.[11]
In January 1981, Levin sold the castle to Coral Castle, Inc., for $175,000.[12]
The company retains ownership today.
In 1984, the property was listed on the National Register of Historic Places.[1] It was added under the name of "Rock Gate", but the name on the list was changed to "Coral Castle" in 2011.[13]
The Castle
A view from within Leedskalnin's Coral Castle.
The Thirty Ton Stone.
Commonly referred to as being made up of coral, it is made of oolite, also known as oolitic limestone.
Oolite is a sedimentary rock composed of small spherical grains of concentrically layered carbonate that may include localized concentrations of fossil shells and coral.
Oolite is found throughout southeastern Florida from Palm Beach County to the Florida Keys.[14]
Oolite is often found beneath only several inches of topsoil, such as at the Coral Castle site.
The stones are fastened together without mortar.
They are set on top of each other using their weight to keep them together.
The craftsmanship detail is so skillful and the stones are connected with such precision that no light passes through the joints.
The 8-foot (2.4 m) tall vertical stones that make up the perimeter wall have a uniform height.
Even with the passage of decades and a direct hit on August 24, 1992, by the Category 5 Hurricane Andrew, the stones have not shifted.
Many of the features and carvings of the castle are notable. Among them are a two-story castle tower that served as Leedskalnin's living quarters (walls consisting of 8-foot-high pieces of stone); an accurate sundial; a Polaris telescope; an obelisk; a barbecue; a water well; a fountain; celestial stars and planets; and numerous pieces of furniture.
The furniture pieces include a heart-shaped table, a table in the shape of Florida, twenty-five rocking chairs, chairs resembling crescent moons, a bathtub, beds and a throne.
With few exceptions, the objects are made from single pieces of stone that weigh on average 15 short tons (14 t) each. The largest stone weighs 30 short tons (27 t) and the tallest are two monoliths standing 25 ft (7.6 m) each.
A 9-short-ton (8.2 t) revolving 8-foot tall gate is a famous structure of the castle, documented on the television programs In Search of...[15] and That's Incredible!.[16]
The gate is carved so that it fits within a quarter of an inch of the walls. It was well-balanced, reportedly so that a child could open it with the push of a finger.
The mystery of the gate's perfectly balanced axis and the ease with which it revolved lasted for decades until it stopped working in 1986.
In order to remove it, six men and a 50-short-ton (45 t) crane were used.
Once the gate was removed, the engineers discovered how Leedskalnin had centered and balanced it.
He had drilled a hole from top to bottom and inserted a metal shaft.
The rock rested on an old truck bearing.
It was the rusting out of this bearing that resulted in the gate's failure to revolve.
Complete with new bearings and shaft, it was set back into place on July 23, 1986.[17]
It failed in 2005 and was again repaired; however, it does not rotate with the same ease it once did.
The Coral Castle remains a popular tourist attraction with various popular culture speculations regarding how Leedskalnin was able to construct the structure and move stones that weigh many tons.
The Coral Castle website states that "if anyone ever questioned Ed about how he moved the blocks of coral, Ed would only reply that he understood the laws of weight and leverage well."[6]
He also stated that he had "discovered the secrets of the pyramids",[18] referring to the Great Pyramid of Giza in either esoteric or engineering terms.
In popular culture
The numerous references to Coral Castle throughout popular culture include these:- Billy Idol wrote and recorded the song "Sweet Sixteen" and filmed the video in the Coral Castle. The song was inspired by the story of Leedskalnin's former love, Agnes Skuvst, who purportedly was the main reason Leedskalnin built the structure.
- Scott Mitchell Putesky, former guitarist for Marilyn Manson (as Daisy Berkowitz), named his first solo project Three Ton Gate as a tribute to the massive coral gate at the park's entrance.
- Contemporary Christian artist Andrew Peterson recorded a song entitled "The Coral Castle" as an unrequited love song from the point of view of Edward. It can be found on his album "Carried Along".
- The New York-based band Piñataland wrote a song about Leedskalnin and the Coral Castle, called "Latvian Bride".
- The Wild Women of Wongo used the Coral Castle for their dragon-god temple in the eponymous 1958 film.[19]
- The 1961 Doris Wishman film Nude on the Moon used the Coral Castle as the "moon" scene for the moon people's home.
- Several scenes of the 1966 Herschell Gordon Lewis film Jimmy the Boy Wonder were filmed at the Coral Castle which doubled as both the Astronomer's house and the coral maze at the End of the World.
- Cuban-American author Daína Chaviano has dedicated a whole chapter to Coral Castle in her novel The Island of Eternal Love (Riverhead Books/Penguin Group, 2008).
- "The Castle of Secrets (a.k.a. Coral Castle)" is an episode of Leonard Nimoy's program In Search of..., which includes a reenactment of Leedskalnin inexplicably moving the stones.[15]
- John Martin's book, Coral Castle Construction,[20] released In November 2012, describes how Ed Leedskalnin built his structure based on fundamental engineering principles.
- A postcard image of Leedskalnin in "Rock Gate" appears within the back cover artwork of Pavement's Westing (By Musket and Sextant) compilation.
| Billy Idol | |
|---|---|
Idol performing at the Peace & Love festival, June 2012.
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| Background information | |
| Birth name | William Michael Albert Broad |
| Born | 30 November 1955 Stanmore, Middlesex, England |
| Genres | Punk rock, hard rock, glam rock, dance-rock, new wave, post-punk |
| Occupation(s) | Singer-songwriter, musician, actor |
| Instruments | Vocals, piano, guitar, bass guitar, drums |
| Years active | 1977–present |
| Labels | Chrysalis, EMI, Sanctuary |
| Associated acts | Generation X, Mister Pusha, Chelsea, The Who, Def Leppard, Slash, Tony Iommi |
| Website | www |
Life and career
Early life and Generation X
Idol was born in Stanmore, Middlesex, England. The name Billy Idol was inspired by a school teacher's description of Broad as "idle".[3]In an interview on 21 November 1983, Idol said the name "was a bit of a goof, but also part of the old English school of rock.
Billy Fury and all that. It was a 'double thing' not just a poke at the superstar-like people ... It was fun, you know?"[4]
In another interview for BBC Breakfast on 27 October 2014 he said that he wanted to be "Billy Idle" but thought he could not because of the Monty Python star Eric Idle and so chose Idol instead.[5]
In 1958, when Idol was two years old, his parents moved to Patchogue, on Long Island, New York, United States.
The family returned to the UK four years later with Idol and a younger child Jane (who had been born in the US), settling in Dorking, Surrey.[6]
In 1971 the family moved to Bromley, Southeast London, where Idol attended Ravensbourne School for Boys. Idol also attended Worthing High School for Boys in West Sussex.
In October 1975, Idol went to Sussex University, to pursue an English degree and lived on campus (East Slope) but left after year one (1976).
He then went on to join the Bromley Contingent of Sex Pistols fans, a loose gang that travelled into town when the band played.[7][8]
Idol first joined Chelsea in 1977 as a guitarist. However, he and Chelsea bandmate Tony James soon left that group and co-founded Generation X, with Idol switching from guitarist to lead singer.
Generation X were one of the first punk bands to appear on the BBC Television music programme Top of the Pops.[9]
Although a punk rock band, they were inspired by mid-1960s British pop, in sharp contrast to their more militant peers, with Idol stating; "We were saying the opposite to the Clash and the Pistols.
They were singing 'No Elvis, Beatles or the Rolling Stones', but we were honest about what we liked. The truth was, we were all building our music on the Beatles and the Stones".[7]
Generation X signed with Chrysalis Records and released three albums and performed in the 1980 film, D.O.A., before disbanding.
Early solo success
Idol moved to New York City in 1981 and became a solo artist, working with ex-Kiss manager Bill Aucoin. Idol's punk-ish image worked well with the glam rock style of his new partner on guitar, Steve Stevens.[10]Together they worked with bassist Phil Feit and drummer Gregg Gerson. Idol's solo career began with the Chrysalis Records EP titled Don't Stop in 1981, which included the Generation X song "Dancing with Myself", originally recorded for their last album Kiss Me Deadly, and a cover of Tommy James & the Shondells' song "Mony Mony".
Idol's debut solo album, Billy Idol, was released in July 1982.[11]
Part of the MTV-driven "Second British Invasion" of the United States, in 1982 Idol became an MTV staple with "White Wedding" and "Dancing with Myself".[2]
In 1983, in an effort to introduce Idol to American audiences not yet as familiar with him as those in the UK, Idol's label released "Dancing with Myself" in the United States in conjunction with a music video directed by Tobe Hooper, which played on MTV for six months.
Rebel Yell and superstar years
Steve Stevens and Billy Idol in 2003
"Eyes Without a Face" peaked at number four on the United States Billboard Hot 100, and "Rebel Yell" reached number six in the UK Singles Chart.[13][14]
This album and its singles saw Idol become popular in other countries such as Germany, Italy, Switzerland and New Zealand.
Whiplash Smile
Idol released Whiplash Smile in 1986, which sold well.[12]The album included the hits "To Be a Lover", "Don't Need a Gun" and "Sweet Sixteen".
Idol filmed a video featuring "Sweet Sixteen" in Florida's Coral Castle.
In 1986, Stevens appeared with Harold Faltermeyer on the Top Gun soundtrack. Their contribution was the Grammy winning instrumental, "Top Gun Anthem". Stevens was working on Whiplash Smile, and Faltermeyer supplied the keyboards which led to both of them playing on the Top Gun score.
After Stevens' success, the partnership between Idol and Stevens fell apart. Besides playing an acoustic show for KROQ in 1993, Stevens and Idol did not tour again until early 1999.
Stevens and Idol collaborated in the mid-1990s, playing with Guns N Roses members Duff McKagan and Matt Sorum in 1995. Idol, Stevens, McKagan and Sorum performed "Christmas in the USA" on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno in 1995.
A remix album was released in 1987 called, Vital Idol. The album featured a live rendition of his cover of Tommy James' "Mony Mony".
In 1987 the single topped the United States chart, and reached number 7 in the UK.[12][14] The album had already been available in the UK for two years.
Idol and his partner Perri Lister moved from New York to Los Angeles. Lister became pregnant with Idol's son Willem Wolfe Broad, born on 15 June 1988.
Idol did not stay loyal to Lister and started seeing Linda Mathis, who was 13 years younger than Idol. At the age of 19, Mathis became pregnant and chose to move in with her mother to have her child, a girl named Bonnie Blue Broad, born on 21 August 1989.
Idol was involved in a serious motorcycle accident, which nearly cost him a leg, on 6 February 1990 in Hollywood.[15]
He was hit by a car when he ran a stop sign while riding home from the studio one night, requiring a steel rod to be placed in his leg.[16]
Shortly prior to this, film director Oliver Stone had chosen Idol for a role in his film The Doors, but the accident prevented him from participating in a major way and Idol's role was reduced to a small part.
He had also been James Cameron's first choice for the role of the villainous T-1000 in Terminator 2: Judgment Day; the role was recast entirely as a result of the accident.
Charmed Life
Charmed Life was released in 1990, and a video for the single "Cradle of Love" had to be shot. The song had been featured in the Andrew Dice Clay film, The Adventures of Ford Fairlane.Since Idol was unable to walk, he was shot from the waist up. The video featured video footage of him singing in large frames throughout an apartment, while Betsy Lynn George was trying to seduce a businessman.
The video was placed in rotation on MTV. "Cradle of Love" earned Idol a third Grammy nomination for Best Male Rock Vocal Performance.[17]
Against his doctors' advice, he also managed to make appearances to promote Charmed Life.
Cyberpunk
This section of a biography of a living person does not include any references or sources. (May 2013)
Billy Idol performing in 2006
Regarded as experimental, it was recorded in a home studio using a Macintosh computer, which was a new concept at the time.
Idol used Studiovision and Pro-Tools to record the album.
The album took ten months to make. Idol recorded the album with guitarist Mark Younger-Smith and producer Robin Hancock.
Special editions of the album were issued with a floppy disc which contained a screensaver.
It was one of the first albums which listed the e-mail address of the artist (idol@well.sf.ca.us, now inactive) in its booklet.
In 1996, Idol appeared in a live version of The Who's Quadrophenia.[19]
He played a Generation X reunion show in 1993.[20]
Idol shot a concept video for "Shock to the System".
The video featured Idol being attacked by several police for trying to videotape them beating up someone on the street.
It resembled the Rodney King beating that prompted the LA riots.
Idol then turned into a cyborg that scared away the police.[citation needed]
In 1994, Idol collapsed outside a Los Angeles nightclub due to an overdose[21] on a drug called GHB.
GHB happened to be a legal drug at the time, which was mainly used by weight-lifters.[22]
After the incident, Idol realized that his children would never forgive him for dying of a drug overdose, and he began to focus more on fatherhood.
Idol has never admitted that he is totally off drugs, just that he has his habit under control. He claims to have first smoked marijuana at the age of 12, and also says he took acid at the age of thirteen.
Cyberpunk pays tribute to Lou Reed with Idol's cover of "Heroin".
Idol did not want to release an album during this period because he was having a lot of problems with his record label.
It was decided that he would wind up owing the record company money if he produced anything. EMI hired producer Glenn Ballard to work with him on a new project, but Idol battled the label over creative differences and the album was put on hold.[citation needed]
In 1994, Idol and Steve Stevens contributed a song called "Speed" to the soundtrack of the hit movie Speed, starring Keanu Reeves and Sandra Bullock.
Film appearances
Idol made a cameo appearance as himself in the 1998 film The Wedding Singer with Adam Sandler, in which Idol played a pivotal role in the plot.Idol also had a small part in the film The Doors, directed by Oliver Stone.
Idol played Jim Morrison's drinking pal, Cat.[23]
Reunion with Steve Stevens
In 1998, Idol returned to the public eye playing himself in The Wedding Singer, a film that also featured "White Wedding" on its soundtrack.He was also considered for the role of the villain, Jacob Kell, in Highlander: Endgame, although ultimately Bruce Payne was cast.
VH1 aired Billy Idol – Behind the Music on 16 April 2001. Idol and Stevens took part in a VH1 Storytellers show three days later.
The reunited duo set out to play a series of acoustic/storytellers shows before recording the VH1 special. Another Greatest Hits CD was issued in 2001, with Keith Forsey and Simple Minds' "Don't You (Forget About Me)" appearing on the compilation.
Forsey and Schiff had originally written it with Idol in mind, but the singer turned it down and eventually the song was given to Simple Minds, who made it a hit in 1985.
The LP also includes a live acoustic version of "Rebel Yell", taken from a performance at Los Angeles station KROQ's 1993 Acoustic Christmas concert.
In 2000, Idol was invited to be a guest vocalist on Tony Iommi's album. His contribution was on the song "Into The Night", which he also co-wrote.
That year he voice acted the role of Odin, a mysterious alien character, in the animated fantasy film Heavy Metal 2000.
In the 2002 NRL Grand Final in Sydney, Idol entered the playing field for the pre-match entertainment on a hovercraft-type stage to the intro of "White Wedding," where he managed to sing only two words before a power failure ended the performance.[24]
Devil's Playground and beyond
Idol reunited with guitarist Steve Stevens and producer Keith Forsey to record the album.
It was after a concert at the Hammerstein Ballroom that Sanctuary Records approached Idol about making new music in his older style.
The album was recorded with the entire band playing in one room, rather that each person recording their part separately.
Idol's drummer, Brian Tichy, collaborated with Idol and Stevens and co-wrote some of the tracks on the album. The first single and video to be released was "Scream."
Idol had been playing a batch of new songs in concert that never made the final release of the album. These songs include 'Monster,' 'Stranger in My Skin,' 'Walk the Line,' 'Man in the Killbox,' 'Beautiful Life' and 'Big World' (written for his daughter).[citation needed]
It reached No. 46 on the Billboard 200.
The album included a cover of "Plastic Jesus." Idol played a handful of dates on the 2005 Vans Warped Tour and also appeared at the Download Festival at Donington Park, the Voodoo Music Experience in New Orleans and Rock am Ring.[25]
Guitarist Steve Stevens broke his ulna while taking a few bags into his hotel in New Orleans. The guitarist had to perform most of the tour in a two piece removable cast.
In 2006, as his only UK live date, he appeared headlining the Sunday night of GuilFest. That same year he made an appearance on Viva La Bam where he helped Bam Margera succeed in "creating" a sunroof for his Lamborghini Gallardo and performed live for April Margera for her birthday.
In 2006, Idol guested on his keyboardist Derek Sherinian's solo album Blood of the Snake, covering the 1970 Mungo Jerry hit "In the Summertime".
A video was made featuring Idol and guitarist Slash. In November 2006, Idol released a Christmas album called Happy Holidays.
In 2008, "Rebel Yell" appeared as a playable track on the video game, Guitar Hero World Tour, and "White Wedding" on Rock Band 2. The Rock Band 2 platform later gaining "Mony Mony" and "Rebel Yell" as downloadable tracks.
On 24 June 2008, Idol released a new greatest hits album, The Very Best of Billy Idol: Idolize Yourself. The compilation featured two previously unreleased tracks, "John Wayne" and "New Future Weapon."
A third track, "Fractured," was available for download on iTunes. He embarked on a worldwide tour, co-headlining with Def Leppard.
In July 2009, Idol performed at the Congress Theater, Chicago for the United States television series Soundstage.
This performance was recorded and was released on DVD/Blu-ray as In Super Overdrive Live, on 17 November 2009.[26]
2010–present: Kings & Queens of the Underground
He stated, "With all of these great heavyweight and cool bands playing Download this year, I'm going to have to come armed with my punk rock attitude, Steve Stevens, and all of my classic songs plus a couple of way out covers. Should be fun!"[27]
In March 2010, Idol added Camp Freddy guitarist Billy Morrison[28] and drummer Jeremy Colson to his touring line-up.
In 2012, Idol appeared on the third episode of the BBC Four series, How the Brits Rocked America.[29]
Idol released his 8th studio album Kings & Queens of the Underground in October 2014. Whilst recording the album between 2010 and 2014, he worked with producer Trevor Horn, Horn's former Buggles and Yes bandmate Geoff Downes[30] and Greg Kurstin, who has previously produced records for Beyoncé, Pink, Sia and Lily Allen.
Idol will go on tour in November 2014 through April 2015 to support the album.[needs update]
Idol's self-penned autobiography, Dancing With Myself[31] was released on October 7, 2014 via Touchstone.
Source: Wikipedia.org
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