Rock legend Billy Idol set to visit Griffiths Middle School

Photo by Rebecca Sapp/Getty Images for The Recording Academy

DOWNEY – Rock singer Billy Idol, known for hits including "White Wedding" and "Rebel Yell," will visit a Downey middle school Thursday to meet with students and promote music education as part of a nationwide initiative involving the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame.

Idol, who is among the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame's 2026 inductees, will visit Griffiths Middle School from 10:15 to 11:30 a.m. Thursday, where students will perform for him before participating in a question-and-answer session, according to organizers.

Henry Donahue, executive director of Save The Music, will also attend the event.

The visit is part of a multiyear partnership between the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Foundation and Save The Music aimed at expanding music education in public schools across the country.

The initiative will fund at least 25 new music education programs over three years and bring Rock & Roll Hall of Fame inductees into classrooms to mentor and encourage young musicians, organizers said.

Save The Music is the first recipient of the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Foundation's grantmaking initiative, with programs planned in several communities, including the Los Angeles and Compton areas.

Idol, 70, rose to prominence in the late 1970s as the frontman of the British punk rock band Generation X before launching a solo career that made him a fixture on MTV during the 1980s.

Born William Broad in England, he found commercial success with his self-titled 1982 album, which included "White Wedding" and "Hot in the City."

His 1983 album "Rebel Yell" produced several of his best-known songs, including the title track, "Eyes Without a Face" and "Flesh for Fantasy."

Idol's career has included a decades-long collaboration with guitarist Steve Stevens, who is also being recognized as part of his 2026 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame induction.

In 2025, Idol released "Dream Into It," his first full-length album of new material in more than a decade. The record featured collaborations with Avril Lavigne, Joan Jett and Alison Mosshart.

His life and career are also chronicled in the documentary "Billy Idol Should Be Dead," which examines his beginnings in Britain's punk movement, rise to fame and struggles throughout his career.

Idol is scheduled to be inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame during a Nov. 14 ceremony at the Peacock Theater in downtown Los Angeles.

The Rock & Roll Hall of Fame and Save The Music partnership is intended to provide schools with musical instruments, technology and educational resources while connecting students with professional musicians.

The school visit will take place at Griffiths Middle School, 9633 Tweedy Lane, in Downey.