Steve Stevens Reflects on Billy Idol Not Making the Rock Hall

Steve Stevens joined Loudwire Nights on Tuesday (May 20) to dive into his new signature guitar series with Ciari Guitars, but he also spent some time discussing his friendships with legends like Billy Idol, Billy Morrison and Ozzy Osbourne.

Listen to the full conversation in the player near the end of this article.

“You have a job to do, you’re there for a reason,” Stevens shared with Loudwire Nights‘ Chuck Armstrong.

“Obviously for me, it’s to play guitar or co-write. I feel the same way about Billy Idol as I do about Ozzy, I think he’s one of the greats. I’ve been blessed to work with so many great singers, been in the studio with them, creating … To me, Billy is one of the greatest, but I’m there as his partner, to contribute what I do. Hopefully they think I’m one of the greats, you know?”

As Stevens talked about this, Chuck said it was a travesty that Idol won’t be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame this year.

“I’m happy for the people that are getting in,” he said.

“I look at it glass half full. They are inducting some really worthwhile people and I believe Billy will get in at some point.”

Stevens said when it was announced that they received the nomination for the Rock Hall, he didn’t get overly excited.

“I still have to clean my cat’s litter box and take the garbage out on Tuesday, so it’s not going to change that much,” Stevens told Chuck with a laugh in his voice.

“You know, my life didn’t change when I won a Grammy one iota.”

That being said, Stevens made it clear that he’s still full of gratitude.

READ MORE: John Corabi Discusses Recording in Muscle Shoals + Cracking Jokes With Ozzy

“I’m really grateful that I get to do what I always wanted to do,” he admitted.

“Being a part of making new music that’s being celebrated — the new chart positions for Billy’s record came out and we haven’t had numbers like that since Rebel Yell. It’s quite amazing.”

What Else Did Steve Stevens Discuss on Loudwire Nights?

• What makes his new signature, foldable guitar with Ciari Guitars so special: “This is a revolutionary instrument … The design that goes into this thing is incredible. It’s no gimmick. It’s got absolutely great components to it; it fits in a backpack that you can put under the seat of an airplane.”
• What’s next for him: “The Testors — Sonny Vincent was the singer and he’s a legendary punk rock figure in New York. I’m going to be producing an EP for him and we just started to do that. We’ve got some basic tracks done. I’ve got to finish that. Sonny deserves some exposure.”
• What it was like living in New York City when Billy Idol moved to America to kickstart his solo career: “I lived in a legendary building … It was called the Music Building. Cyndi Lauper lived there. The Dead Boys used to rehearse there…Sylvain Sylvain rehearsed in our studio. We had a loft there and he actually helped give me my stage name.”

Listen to the Full Interview in the Podcast Player Below

Steve Stevens joined Loudwire Nights on Tuesday, May 20; the show replays online here, and you can tune in live every weeknight at 7PM ET or on the Loudwire app; you can also see if the show is available on your local radio station and listen to interviews on-demand.