Ben Nevis is the highest Munro in Britain

A Munro is a mountain in Scotland with a height over 3,000 ft (914.4 m). They are named after Sir Hugh Munro, 4th Baronet (1856–1919), who produced the first list of such hills, known as Munros Tables, in 1891. A Munro top is a summit over 3,000 ft which is not regarded as a separate mountain. As of the 2009, revision of the tables, published by the Scottish Mountaineering Club, there are 283 Munros and 227 further subsidiary tops. The most well known Munro is Ben Nevis, the highest mountain in the British Isles, with an altitude of 1,344 metres (4,409 ft).

The Munros of Scotland are known for presenting challenging conditions to hikers, particularly in winter when a number of fatalities are reported each year. Nevertheless, a popular practice amongst hillwalkers is "Munro Bagging", the aim being to climb all of the listed Munros. As of 2009, more than 4,000 have reported completing their round. The first continuous round of the Munros was completed by Hamish Brown in 1974, whilst the current holder of the record for the fastest continuous round is Stephen Pyke who completed his 2010 round in just under 40 days.

History[link]

Before 1891 and the publication of Munros Tables there was considerable uncertainty about the number of peaks in Scotland over 3,000 feet. Estimates ranged from as few as 31 in the guides written by M.J.B. Baddeley, up to 236 listed by Robert Hall in the third edition of The Highland Sportsman and Tourist, published in 1884. One of the aims of the Scottish Mountaineering Club, formed in 1889, was to rectify this situation and accurately document all of Scotland's mountains over 3,000 feet. Sir Hugh Munro, a founding member of the Club, took on the task using his own experience as a mountaineer, as well as detailed study of the Ordnance Survey Six-inch to the mile and One-inch to the mile map series.^[1][2]

Munro's research produced a set of tables which were published in the Scottish Mountaineering Club Journal in September 1891. They listed 538 summits over 3,000 feet, of which 283 were regarded as "separate mountains"; the term Munro applies to the latter, while the lesser summits are known as tops. Munro did not set any measure of topographic prominence by which a peak qualified as a separate mountain, and much debate has since taken place over how distinct two hills must be if they are to be considered as two separate Munros.

The Scottish Mountaineering Club have carried out a number of revisions of the tables, both in response to new height data on Ordnance Survey maps and to address the perceived inconsistency as to which peaks qualify for Munro status. In 1992, the publication of Alan Dawson's book Relative hills of Britain, showed that three tops not already considered summits, had a prominence of more than 500 feet (152 m).^{[citation needed]} Given this they would have qualified as Corbett summits had they been under 3,000 feet. In the 1997 tables these three tops, on Beinn Alligin, Beinn Eighe and Buachaille Etive Beag, gained full Munro summit status. Dawson's book also highlighted a number of significant tops with as much as 60 metres (197 ft) of prominence which were not listed as Munro subsidiary tops. The 1997 tables promoted five of these to full Munro status.^{[citation needed]}

Other classification schemes in Scotland, such as the Corbetts 2,500–3,000 ft (760–910 m) and Grahams 2,000–2,500 ft (610–760 m), require a peak to have a prominence of at least 500 feet for inclusion. The Munros however, still lack a rigid set of criteria for inclusion, with many summits of lesser prominence listed, principally due to time or distance factors rendering their summits difficult to reach. The 1997 tables ironed out many anomalies, but despite it being the highest-profile hill list in UK, in a number of people’s eyes, the list still is, and will probably remain, not wholly satisfactory.^{[citation needed]}

During May and July 2009 several mountains were re-surveyed by the Munro Society to determine a more accurate height reading for those mountains which are known to be close to the 3,000 ft figure. In a press release on 10 September 2009 it was announced that the mountain Sgùrr nan Ceannaichean, south of Glen Carron, has a height of 913.43 metres (2,996.8 ft).^[3] As a result of the re-surveys the Scottish Mountaineering Club removed the Munro status of Sgùrr nan Ceannaichean and this mountain is now a Corbett.^[4]

The current revision of the tables, published in 2009, lists 283 Munros and 227 further subsidiary tops.

Bagging the Munros[link]

Ben Hope is the most northerly Munro

The triple buttresses of Coire Mhic Fearchair on Beinn Eighe

Despite their relatively modest height compared with some continental ranges, walking and climbing in the Scottish mountains may be made treacherous by their latitude and exposure to Atlantic and Arctic weather systems. Even in summer, conditions can be atrocious; thick fog, strong winds, driving rain and freezing summit temperatures are not unusual.

Winter ascents of certain Munros are widely accepted to provide among the most challenging ice climbs in Europe. Some walkers are unprepared for the often extreme weather conditions on the exposed tops and many fatalities are recorded every year, often resulting from slips on wet rock or ice.

Some hillwalkers climb Munros with an eye to climbing every single one, a practice known as "Munro bagging". Having climbed all of them, a walker is entitled to be called a Munroist. Munro-bagging is a form of peak bagging.

Perhaps the most famous Munro is Ben Nevis in the Lochaber area. It is the highest peak in the British Isles, with an altitude of 1,344 metres (4,409 ft). Other well-known Munros include:

• Ben Lomond, the most southerly of the Munros
• Ben Hope in Sutherland is the most northerly Munro
• Ben Macdui and Cairn Gorm in the Cairngorms
• Buachaille Etive Mòr at the entrance to Glencoe, one of the most photographed Munros
• Beinn Eighe in Torridon
• Liathach in Torridon
• Lochnagar, a mountain near the Royal Castle of Balmoral in the area of Glen Muick
• Schiehallion, a mountain often described as lying at the centre of Scotland
• Sgùrr nan Gillean, Sgùrr Alasdair and the Inaccessible Pinnacle, in the Cuillin Hills on the Isle of Skye

Notable completions[link]

As of 2009, more than 4,000 people have completed the Munros.^[5] The SMC, who maintain a list of those Munroists who have reported completing the Munros, have attempted to popularise the archaic spelling of compleation.^[6]

Hugh Munro never completed his own list, missing out on Càrn an Fhidhleir and Càrn Cloich-mhuillin (downgraded to a "top" in 1981).^[7] Sir Hugh is said to have missed the Inaccessible Pinnacle of Sgùrr Dearg, on the Isle of Skye, which he never climbed.^[8] However the "In Pinn", as it is known colloquially within Scottish mountaineering, was only listed as a subsidiary top on his list (despite being several metres higher than Sgùrr Dearg, which was listed as the main top).^[9]

The first "compleationist" was to be the Reverend A. E. Robertson, in 1901, later minister at Braes of Rannoch from 1907.^[7] However, research has cast doubt on this claim, and it is not certain that he reached the summit of Ben Wyvis.^[10] Also it is known that Robertson did not climb the Inaccessible Peak of Sgùrr Dearg.^[11] If Robertson is discounted, the first Munroist is Ronald Burn, who completed in 1923. Burn is also (indisputably) the first person to climb all the subsidiary "tops".^[7]

The person with the most rounds of Munros is Steven Fallon from Edinburgh, who has completed 13 rounds as of 2006.^[12]

Chris Smith became the first Member of Parliament to complete the Munros when he reached the summit of Sgùrr nan Coireachan on 27 May 1989.^[13]

Ben Fleetwood is probably the youngest person to have completed a round. He climbed the final Munro of his round – Ben More – on 30 August 2011 at the age of 10 years and 3 months.^[14] The youngest compleationist to have done the round without the presence of a parent or a guardian is probably Andy Nisbet, who finished his round in 1972 aged 18 years and 1 month.^[14]

Continuous rounds[link]

Hamish Brown did the first continuous self-propelled round of the Munros (except for the Skye and Mull ferries) between 4 April and 24 July 1974 walking 1,639 mi (2,638 km), 150 mi (241 km) of which were on a bicycle, with 449,000 ft (137,000 m) of ascent. The walk is fully documented in his book Hamish's Mountain Walk,^[15] which is credited^{[by whom?]} with kick-starting the popularity of Munro-bagging as a hobby. The average time taken to bag all the Munros is eight years.^[12]

The first reported completion of all the Munros plus the subsidiary tops in one continuous expedition was by Chris Townsend in 1996. His trip lasted between May 18 and September 12 (118 days), he covered a distance of 1,770 miles (2,849 km) (240 miles / 386 kilometres by bicycle) with 575,000 ft (175,000 m) of ascent. The round was broken twice for spells at the office^[16], which could be regarded as stretching the meaning of "continuous".

The first person to complete a winter round (all the Munros in one winter season) was Martin Moran in 1984/85. His journey lasted between December 21, 1984 and March 13, 1985 (83 days), he walked 1,028 miles (1,654 km) with 412,000 ft (126,000 m) of ascent. He used motor transport (Campervan) to link his walk.^[17]

In the winter of 2005/06, Steve Perry completed a continuous unsupported round entirely on foot (and ferry).^{[citation needed]} He is also the first person to have completed two continuous Munro rounds, having also walked Land's End to John O'Groats via every mainland 3,000 ft mountain between 18 February 2003 and 30 September 2003.^[18]

Fastest round[link]

Charlie Campbell, a former postman from Glasgow, held the record for the fastest round of the Munros between 2000 and 2010.^{[citation needed]} He completed his round in 48 days 12 hours, finishing on 16 July 2000, on Ben Hope.^{[citation needed]} His record was broken by Stephen Pyke of Stone, Staffordshire, in 2010 who completed the round in 39 days, 9 hours. Pyke's round started on the island of Mull on 25 April 2010 and finished on Ben Hope in Sutherland on 3 June 2010. He cycled and kayaked between Munros; no motorised transport was used. He was backed by a support team in a motor home, but had to camp out in the more remote areas.^[19]

On 18th September 2011 Alex Robinson and Tom O'Connell finished their self-propelled continuous round on Ben Hope in a time of 48 days 6 hours and 56 minutes setting the second fastest time ever. At the age of just 21, Alex also became the youngest person to have completed a continuous round without the use of any motorised transport.

See also[link]

The SMC recognises six peaks in England, fifteen in Wales and thirteen in Ireland that would be Munros or Munro Tops if they were in Scotland. These are referred to as Furth Munros, i.e. the Munros furth of Scotland.^[20] The first recorded Further is James Alexander Parker, who completed on Tryfan (Snowdonia) on 19 April 1929.^[21]

• Bill Smith (fell runner)
• List of Munros
• Hill lists in the British Isles
• Mountains and hills of Scotland

References[link]

Notations[link]

• The Munros (SMC Guide), Donald Bennet et al., ISBN 0-907521-13-4

Footnotes[link]

External links[link]

• Scottish Mountaineering Club official Munros page, including completionists.
• Track your Munro progress and keep your friends up to date.
• MunroMagic – details and route descriptions for all Munros. (Some content requires registration.)
• Walk Highlands guide to the Munros - includes free OS maps and GPS routes for each Munro, and detailed descriptions.
• The Munros and Tops 1891-1997 - Spreadsheet showing changes in successive editions of Munros Tables.
• ScottishHills.com - Hillwalking forum with Munro, Corbett, Graham and Donalds log, maps and trip reports.

v t e Mountains and hills of Great Britain and Ireland List of mountains and hills of the United Kingdom Corbetts · Donalds · Fells · Grahams · Hewitts · Marilyns · Munros · Murdos · Nuttalls · Wainwrights Scotland Mountains and hills of Scotland · Munros · Grahams/Corbetts/Marilyns · Donalds · County tops: 1974 · current England Hewitts and Nuttalls · Wainwrights · Marilyns · County tops: 1964 · current Wales Hewitts and Nuttalls · Marilyns · County tops: 1964 · current Northern Ireland Hewitts · Marilyns Republic of Ireland List of mountains in Ireland · Hewitts · Marilyns List of mountains and hills by height · List of mountains and hills by relative height

Gene Deitch
Born	(1924-08-08) August 8, 1924 (age 87) Chicago, Illinois, U.S.
Occupation	Illustrator, animator, director
Years active	1945–2006
Spouse	Marie Deitch (?-1960) Zdenka Deitch (1960-present)
Children	Kim Deitch, Simon Deitch, Seth Deitch
Website
http://www.genedeitch.com/

Eugene Merril "Gene" Deitch (born August 8, 1924)^[1] is an American illustrator, animator and film director. He has been based in Prague, capital of Czechoslovakia and the present-day Czech Republic, since 1959. Since 1968, Deitch has been the leading animation director for the Connecticut organization Weston Woods/Scholastic, adapting children's picture books. His studio is located in Prague near the Barrandov studios where many major films were recorded. In 2003, he was awarded the "Annie" by ASIFA Hollywood for a lifetime contribution to the art of animation.^[2]

Deitch married his wife Zdenka in 1960. His sons Kim Deitch and Simon Deitch are prominent artists in the underground comix and alternative comics movements. He currently resides with his wife in Prague, where he works as an independent animation scenarist/director. He wrote a memoir, For the Love of Prague, based on the experience of being "the only free American in Prague during 30 years of Communism."

Career[link]

From 1945 to 1951 Deitch was primary graphics contributor, and eventually art director, for The Record Changer, a jazz magazine. He was also an amateur recording engineer, who made tape recordings of artists like John Lee Hooker and Pete Seeger. He made recordings of Connie Converse in the mid-1950s, which led to her rediscovery forty years later.

Deitch has produced animated cartoons for studios such as UPA/Columbia Pictures, Terrytoons/20th Century Fox (Tom Terrific), MGM (Tom and Jerry), and Paramount Pictures (Nudnik. Popeye). He directed, with producer William L. Snyder, a series of made for TV shorts of Krazy Kat for King Features Television from 1962 to 1964. The Bluffers, which was based on one of Deitch's ideas, was also co-produced by him. He directed the 1966 film Alice of Wonderland in Paris.

[edit] Tom and Jerry

In 1960, Deitch and Rembrandt Films, after collaborating in a pool of producers that made the Popeye 1960's season for television by King Features, arranged a deal with MGM to revive the Tom and Jerry franchise overseas in Prague, Czechoslovakia.^[3][4][5][6] Deitch states that, being a member of the UPA, he has always had a personal dislike of Tom and Jerry, citing them as the "primary bad example of senseless violence - humor based on pain - attack and revenge - to say nothing of the tasteless use of a headless black woman stereotype house servant."^[7] Štěpán Koníček, a student of Karel Ančerl and conductor of the Film Symphony Orchestra, and Václav Lídl provided the musical score for the Deitch short, while Larz Bourne, Chris Jenkyns, and Eli Bauer wrote the cartoons. The majority of vocal effects and voices in Deitch's films were provided by Allen Swift.^[8]

Since the Deitch/Snyder team had seen only a handful of the original Tom and Jerry shorts, and since Deitch and Snyder produced their cartoons on a tighter budget of $10,000, the resulting films were considered unusual, and, in many ways, bizarre.^[4][7] The characters' gestures were often performed at high speed, frequently causing heavy motion blur. As a result, the animation of the characters looked choppy and sickly. The soundtracks featured sparse music, futuristic sound effects, dialogue that was mumbled rather than spoken, and heavy use of reverb. Fans that typically rooted for Tom criticized Deitch's cartoons for never having Tom become a threat to Jerry. Most of the time, Tom only attempts to hurt him when he gets in his way. Tom's new owner, a corpulent and grumpy middle-aged white man (with serious temper problems, often going red in the face similar to Deitch's earlier "Clint Clobber"^[9] character at Terrytoons), was also more graphically brutal in punishing Tom's mistakes as compared to Mammy Two-Shoes, such as beating and thrashing Tom repeatedly, searing his face with a grill and forcing Tom to drink an entire carbonated beverage.

However, all thirteen shorts were commercial successes; in 1961, the Tom and Jerry series became the highest-grossing film series of all-time, dethroning the Looney Tunes series which had held the position for sixteen years; this success was repeated once more in 1962.^[6] However, unlike the Hanna and Barbera shorts, none of Deitch's films were nominated nor did they win an Academy Award.^[6] The episodes created by Deitch have generally been less favorably received by the general audience and are often labeled as "very disappointing" compared to the rest of the series. In his review for Tom and Jerry: The Chuck Jones Collection, Paul Kupperberg of Comicmix called the shorts "perfectly dreadful" and "too often released", as well as a result of "cheap labor".^[10]

Deitch has frequently defended his films; in an interview with the New York Times, when asked about working on the Tom and Jerry series, Deitch responded "All the experts say [my shorts are] the worst of the 'Tom and Jerry's, [...] I was a UPA man -- my whole background was much closer to the Czechs. 'Tom and Jerry' I always considered dreck, but they had great timing, facial expressions, double takes, squash and stretch," all of which the interviewer stated were "techniques the Czechs had to learn," negatively adding "The Czech style had nothing in common with these gag-driven cartoons."^[11]

References[link]

External links[link]

• Gene Deitch official site
• Gene Deitch at the Internet Movie Database
• Howdy Doody lost work
• "How to succeed in animation" - a long article by Gene Deitch
• Biography of Gene Deitch from the Cartoon Hall of Fame of ASIFA-Hollywood

Herbert James "Burt" Munro (Bert in his youth) (25 March 1899 – 6 January 1978) was a New Zealand motorcycle racer, famous for setting an under-1,000 cc world record, at Bonneville, 26 August 1967.^[2] This record still stands today. Munro was 68 and was riding a 47-year-old machine when he set his last record.^[3]

Working from his home in Invercargill, he worked for 20 years to highly modify the 1920 Indian motorcycle that he had bought that same year. Munro set his first New Zealand speed record in 1938 and later set seven more. He travelled to compete at the Bonneville Salt Flats, attempting to set world speed records. During his ten visits to the salt flats, he set three speed records, one of which still stands today.

His efforts, and success, are the basis of the motion picture The World's Fastest Indian (2005), starring Anthony Hopkins, and an earlier 1971 short documentary film Burt Munro: Offerings to the God of Speed,^[4] both directed by Roger Donaldson.

Early life[link]

Munro was born in 1899 in Invercargill. His twin sister died at birth^[2] and Munro grew up on a farm in Edendale, east of Invercargill.

Munro's interest in speed began at a young age, riding the family's fastest horse across the farm, despite the complaints of his father. Trips via train to the port at Invercargill were a rare source of excitement, and the arrival of cars, motorcycles and aircraft added to Burt's eagerness to join the world outside of his farm. As Munro's family discouraged his endeavours outside of farm life, he became constantly bored with daily routine, and at the outbreak of World War I, he intended to go to war as soon as he was old enough, for a chance to see the world.^[1]

Munro remained on the family farm until the end of the First World War, when his father sold the farm. At that time, Munro worked on the Otira Tunnel construction until recalled to work with his father on a newly purchased farm.^[1] After this he became a professional speedway rider, but returned home to the family farm at the start of the Great Depression. Finding work as a motorcycle salesman and mechanic, he still raced motorcycles and rose to the top of the New Zealand motorcycle scene, racing on Oreti Beach and later in Melbourne, Australia.^[1]

After World War II, Munro and his wife divorced, and he subsequently gave up work to reside in a lock-up garage.^[5]

Challenges[link]

A replica of the 1920 Indian (with half the exterior removed to show detail) that Burt Munro used to set his record in 1967

Munro's Indian Scout was very early off the production line, being only the 627th Scout to leave the American factory.^[6] The bike had an original top speed of 55 mph (89 km/h).^[2] But this did not satisfy Munro, so in 1926 he decided to start modifying his beloved Indian.

The biggest two challenges for Munro to overcome while modifying his bike were his lack of money and the fact that he worked full time as a motorcycle salesman.^{[citation needed]} He would often work overnight on his bikes (he had a 1936 Velocette MSS as well), then he would go to work in the morning, having had no sleep the night before.

Because Munro was a man of modest means, he would often make parts and tools himself instead of having them professionally built. For example, he would cast parts in old tins, make his own barrels, pistons, flywheels, etc. His micrometer (a precision measuring instrument) was an old spoke.^[2]

In its final stages, the Indian's displacement was 950 cc (as built it was 600 cc) and was driven by a triple chain drive system.^[2]

The "Munro Special," as Munro called his bike, is now owned by a motorcycle enthusiast in New Zealand's South Island, and is on display at E Hayes & Sons, Invercargill.^[7] There is also a second motorcycle purported to be the original "Munro Special" in Te Papa Museum (Wellington).^[8]

Bonneville Salt Flats and Speed Week[link]

The Bonneville Salt Flats in northwestern Utah, are known worldwide for their many miles of flat, compacted salt, perfect for testing speed machines. During Speed Week, usually in mid-late August, vehicle enthusiasts from around the world gather at Bonneville.^{[citation needed]}

Munro travelled to Bonneville ten times, the first time for "sightseeing" purposes. In the nine times he raced at Bonneville,^{[citation needed]} Munro set three world records, in 1962, 1966 and 1967. He also once qualified at over 200 mph (320 km/h), but that was an unofficial run and was not counted.

Following the misspelling of his name in an American motorcycling magazine in 1957, Bert Munro changed his name to Burt.^[1]

Personal life[link]

Munro had four children—John, June, Margaret and Gwen—with his wife Florence Beryl Martyn, whom he married in 1927. They were divorced in 1947.

Having suffered from angina since the late 1950s, Munro suffered a partial stroke in 1977, and was admitted to hospital. He found his co-ordination had diminished. Frustrated, but wanting his motorcycles to remain in Southland, he sold both machines to a local dealer.^{[citation needed]}

Munro died of natural causes on 6 January 1978, aged 78 years.

Records[link]

• In 1962, he set a world record of 288 km/h (178.95 mph) with his engine bored out to 850 cc (52 cubic inches)^[2]
• In 1966, he set a world record of 270.476 km/h (168.066 mph)^[9]
• In 1967, his engine was bored out to 950 cc (58 cubic inches) and he set a class record of 295.453 km/h (183.586 mph). To qualify he made a one-way run of 305.89 km/h (190.07 mph), the fastest-ever officially-recorded speed on an Indian.^[2] The unofficial speed record (officially timed) is 331 km/h (205.67 mph) for a flying mile.^[2]
• In 2006, he was inducted into the AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame.^[10]

[edit] Feature film The World's Fastest Indian

Burt Munro was the subject of a 2005 film, The World's Fastest Indian, based on a composite of his Bonneville speed runs.

Sources[link]

• Burt Munro: Indian Legend of Speed, George Begg (2002)
• One Good Run: The Legend of Burt Munro, Tim Hanna (2006)

Notes[link]

External links[link]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Burt Munro

• E Hayes and Sons: The World's Fastest Indian Exhibition (original motorcyles), The World's Fastest Indian Legend
• The World's Fastest Indian at the Internet Movie Database
• Offerings to the God of Speed at the Internet Movie Database, a documentary
• Motorcycle Hall of Fame bio and photos
• Burt Munro Biography more detailed biography and photos
• “Hero!” article, courtesy of “Classic Bike” magazine to Granite State BMW Riders
• Burt Munro at Find a Grave

This article needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (October 2011)

Billy Idol
Billy Idol at Bospop festival 2010, Weert, the Netherlands
Background information
Birth name	William Michael Albert Broad
Born	(1955-11-30) 30 November 1955 (age 56) Stanmore, Middlesex, England
Genres	Punk rock, hard rock, glam rock, dance rock, New Wave, post-punk
Occupations	Singer-songwriter, musician, actor
Instruments	Vocals, guitar, bass guitar
Years active	1972–present
Labels	Chrysalis, EMI, Sanctuary
Associated acts	Generation X, Digital Underground, Mister Pusha, Chelsea
Website	www.billyidol.net

William Michael Albert Broad (born 30 November 1955), better known by his stage name Billy Idol, is an English rock musician. A member of the Bromley Contingent of Sex Pistols fans, Idol first achieved fame in the punk rock era as a member of the band Generation X. He then embarked on a successful solo career, aided by a series of stylish^{[citation needed]} music videos, making him one of the first MTV stars. Idol continues to tour with guitarist Steve Stevens and has a worldwide fan base.^{[citation needed]}

Life and career[link]

Early life and Generation X[link]

Idol was born in Stanmore, Middlesex, the son of a salesman.^[1]. The name Billy Idol was inspired by a schoolteacher's description of Broad as "idle".^[2]

In 1958, when Idol was two years old, his parents moved to Patchogue, New York, on Long Island. The family returned to England four years later with Idol and a younger child Jane (who had been born in the US), settling in Dorking, Surrey.^[1] In 1971 the family moved to Bromley, southeastern London, where Idol attended Ravensbourne School for Boys. Idol (rather William Broad) also attended Worthing High School for Boys (later becoming Worthing College), in West Sussex. In October 1975, Idol went to the University of Sussex, near Brighton, 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.^[3][4]

Idol first joined the punk rock band Siouxsie and the Banshees (before the band had decided on that name) in 1976, but soon quit and 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.^[5] Although a punk rock band, they were inspired by mid-Sixties 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".^[3] Generation X signed to Chrysalis Records and released three albums and performed in the 1980 film, D.O.A., before disbanding. Idol moved to New York in 1981, and became a solo artist working with Steve Stevens, Phil Feit and Steve Missal. Idol's debut solo album, Billy Idol, was released in July 1982.^[6]

Early solo success[link]

Idol's solo career began with the 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". In 1982, Idol became an MTV staple with "White Wedding" and "Dancing with Myself". 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 US in conjunction with a music video directed by Tobe Hooper, which played on MTV for six months.

[edit] Rebel Yell and superstar years

Steve Stevens and Billy Idol

Idol's second LP, Rebel Yell (1983) was a major success^{[citation needed]} and established Idol's superstar status^{[citation needed]} in the United States with hits like "Eyes Without a Face," "Flesh For Fantasy", and the title cut. Idol also became very popular in Europe^{[citation needed]} thanks to this album and its singles, particularly in Germany, Italy, Switzerland and later in the UK. Tracks from the album featured in the 1988 Hollywood comedy film Big,^[7] which starred Tom Hanks.

Idol released Whiplash Smile in 1986, which sold well.^{[citation needed]} The album included the hits "To Be a Lover," "Don't Need a Gun" and "Sweet Sixteen". Idol filmed a video featuring "Sweet Sixteen" (which he also wrote) in Florida's Coral Castle. The song was inspired by the story of Edward Leedskalnin's former love, Agnes Scuffs, who was the main reason Leedskalnin built the structure over a period of decades, starting years after she jilted him the day before their scheduled wedding in their native Latvia. Stevens parted ways with Idol after Whiplash Smile. In 1986, Stevens appeared with Harold Faltermeyer on the Top Gun soundtrack. Their contribution was the Grammy winning instrumental, "Top Gun Anthem".

A remix album was released in 1987 called, Vital Idol. The album featured a live rendition of his cover of Tommy James' "Mony Mony". The single topped the US chart in 1987.^{[citation needed]}

In 1989, Idol appeared on stage with The Who as Cousin Kevin as part of the live version of Tommy, which was aired as an HBO special and released on home video and later as a DVD. In later years, Idol also stood in as a guest performer with The Who on "Bell Boy", a hit from their rock opera album Quadrophenia, and provided the lead vocals that were originally sung by the band's late drummer Keith Moon. On these brief appearances, Idol dressed in a full bell boy's uniform to reflect upon Moon's eccentricity on stage.

Idol was involved in a serious motorcycle accident which nearly cost him a leg on 6 February 1990 at the corner of Gordon Avenue and Fountain Avenue in Hollywood.^[8] He was hit by a car when he ran a stop sign while driving home from the studio one night, requiring a steel rod to be placed in his leg.^[9] Shortly prior to this, film director James Cameron had chosen Idol to play the T-1000 character in Terminator 2: Judgment Day and had drawn storyboards to resemble him, but the accident prevented Idol from accepting.^[10]

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. Idol and George recreated the opening of the video for the 1991 American Music Awards.^{[citation needed]} Against his doctors' advice, he also managed to make appearances to promote Charmed Life.

Idol made a cameo appearance in the 1998 film The Wedding Singer with Adam Sandler, in which Idol ultimately saved the relationship between characters Robbie Hart (Sandler) and Julia Sullivan (played by Drew Barrymore). Idol also had a small part in the movie The Doors, directed by Oliver Stone. Idol played Jim Morrison's drinking buddy, Cat.^[11] Idol also performed at Roger Waters' live concert The Wall Live in Berlin in 1990.

Crisis and resurgence[link]

Billy Idol in concert

In 1993, Idol released Cyberpunk. Regarded as experimental, it was recorded in a home studio using a Macintosh computer, which was a new concept at the time. 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 the first album which listed the e-mail address of the artist (idol@well.sf.ca.us, which is now inactive) in its booklet. In 1996, Idol appeared in a live version of The Who's Quadrophenia. He returned to the public eye in 1998, when he played himself in The Wedding Singer, in which "White Wedding" was also the title track. He was also considered for the role of the villain, Jacob Kell, in Highlander: Endgame, although ultimately Bruce Payne was cast. He also shared the stage with the band Third Eye Blind.^{[citation needed]}

VH1 aired Billy Idol - Behind the Music on 16 April 2001. The Behind the Music series was popular, and each band or artist that was featured on that program usually gained a resurgence of interest after the show had aired.^{[citation needed]} Idol and Stevens were no exceptions, taking 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. The acoustic tour was a success,^{[citation needed]} and Idol eventually started adding new material into the show. Another Greatest Hits CD was issued in 2001, with Keith Forsey and Steve Schiff's "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 album 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", when he managed to sing only two words before a power failure ended the performance.^[12] "White Wedding" appeared on popular video game Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas, playing on fictional Classic rock radio station, K-DST.

[edit] Devil's Playground and beyond

Devil's Playground, which came out in March 2005, was Idol's first new studio album in nearly 12 years. It reached #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 UK's Download Festival at Donington Park, the Voodoo Music Experience in New Orleans and Rock am Ring.^[13] 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 $250,000 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 US TV series Soundstage. This performance was recorded and was released on DVD as In Super Overdrive Live, on 17 November 2009.^[14]

Recent events[link]

On 16 February 2010, Idol was announced as one of the acts to play the Download Festival in Donington Park. 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!"^[15] In March 2010, Idol added Camp Freddy guitarist, Billy Morrison^[16] and drummer Jeremy Colson to his touring line-up.

Live band[link]

Billy Idol's current band consists of:

• Steve Stevens - lead guitar (1981–1986, 2001–present)
• Stephen McGrath - bass guitar, backing vocals (2001–present)
• Derek Sherinian - keyboards (2002–present)
• Billy Morrison - rhythm guitar, backing vocals (2010–present)
• Jeremy Colson - drums, percussion (2010–present)

Former members[link]

• Gregg Gerson - drums, percussion (1981–1983)
• Steve Missal - drums, percussion (1981)
• Phil Feit - bass guitar (1981–1983)
• Thommy Price - drums, percussion (1983–1988)
• Steve Webster - bass guitar (1983–1985)
• Judi Dozier - keyboards (1982–1985)
• Kenny Aaronson - bass guitar (1986–1988)
• Phil Soussan - bass guitar (1988-1990)
• Mark Younger-Smith - lead guitar (1990–1996)
• Mark Schulman - drums, percussion (1993–2001)
• Brian Tichy - drums, percussion (2001–2009)
• Tal Bergman - drums, percussion (1990–1993)
• Danny Sadownik - drums, percussion (1993)
• Zane Fix - bass guitar (1980s)
• Jennifer Blakeman - keyboards (1993)
• Julie Greaux - keyboards (1993)

Discography[link]

• Don't Stop (EP) (1981)
• Billy Idol (1982)
• Rebel Yell (1983)
• Vital Idol (Compilation) (1985/1987)
• Whiplash Smile (1986)
• Idol Songs: 11 of the Best (1988)
• Charmed Life (1990)
• Cyberpunk (1993)
• Greatest Hits (2001)
• VH1 Storytellers (Live) (2002)
• Devil's Playground (2005)
• Happy Holidays (2006)
• The Very Best of Billy Idol: Idolize Yourself (2008)

List of Billy Idol awards and nominations[link]

Grammys[link]

MTV Video Music Awards[link]

The MTV Video Music Awards is an annual awards ceremony established in 1984 by MTV.

BRIT Awards[link]

The BRIT Awards are the British Phonographic Industry's annual pop music awards.^[17]

See also[link]

	Book: Billy Idol
Wikipedia books are collections of articles that can be downloaded or ordered in print.

• Coral Castle, a stone structure where Idol got his inspiration for his song "Sweet Sixteen".
• Bromley Contingent

References[link]

External links[link]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Billy Idol

Wikiquote has a collection of quotations related to: Billy Idol

• Official website
• Billy Idol MySpace page
• Billy Idol at the Internet Movie Database
• Interview @ Legends
• Billy Idol at Rolling Stone

Alan James Munro (born 19 February 1937) is a British immunologist and entrepreneur.

Munro was born in Madras, India and educated at the Edinburgh Academy.^[1] He attended the University of Cambridge, specialising in biochemistry. His PhD in the area of protein synthesis was supervised by Asher Korner at the Department of Biochemistry (1964), and his early posts were in this department (1963–8).^[1] His collaborators during this period include Tim Hunt.^[2]

He joined the MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology in Cambridge in 1968 to set up a cellular immunology programme. In 1971, he joined the Immunology Division of the Department of Pathology at the University of Cambridge. He spent sabbatical years at the Salk Institute, La Jolla, USA (1965–6) and University of Leiden, the Netherlands (1976–7). He became acting head of the Pathology Department in 1987.^[1]

His research interests during this period included the regulation of the immune response^[1] and the generation of therapeutic antibodies. He was instrumental in the early investigation of the Campath series of antibodies, which eventually resulted in the cancer treatment, alemtuzumab.^[3][4]

In 1988, Munro spent a sabbatical year working in the biotechnology company Celltech.^[1] He left the university in 1989 to co-found the highly successful Cambridge-based biotechnology company Immunology Ltd, later renamed Cantab Pharmaceuticals plc (now part of Celtic Pharma), specialising in therapeutic vaccines and immunotherapy, and he acted as its scientific director until 1995.^[1] He was also Chairman of Lorantis Ltd, another Cambridge-based immunology company.

He served as Master of Christ's College, Cambridge 1995–2002, being particularly active in establishing the college's fundraising campaign for the 2005 quincentenary.^[1]

As of 2006, Munro chairs the New Agents Committee of Cancer Research UK^[5] and holds non-executive directorships of Blackwell Publishing Ltd & Paradigm Therapeutics.^[6][7]

He is married to Mary Munro; they have two sons.^[1]

References[link]

External links[link]

• Christ's College