He has also been voted into the 2026 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. The induction ceremony takes place later this year.
Stevens and Idol have been friends and collaborators for nearly 45 years, and Stevens quipped that it's his longest relationship.
"The more you have this kind of symbiotic friendship, you can translate it into the music. And the music gets better, the songs get better, and it means so much to our audience," he explained.
Previous inductees to the Guitar Centre's Hollywood Rockwalk include John Lennon, Eric Clapton, Stevie Wonder, Aerosmith, Janis Joplin, Jimi Hendrix, Alanis Morissette, The Ramones, Elvis Presley, Johnny Cash and Black Sabbath.
"We created the Rockwalk at a time when there was no Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. And we wanted to recognise people who were making a lasting impact on music," explained Gabe Dalporto, Guitar Centre's CEO.
"They really changed how you experience music, they brought new genres to the forefront, and we thought they were well deserving of the honour."
The Hollywood Rockwalk hosted at least one induction ceremony in every year but one from 1985 to 2018 (they skipped 2009), but then went on hiatus, in part because of the pandemic but also because of shifting priorities at Guitar Center. The return began in 2014 with an induction ceremony for Gary Clark Jr.
Rockwalk was paused as Guitar Center’s business priorities shifted at the time. As part of the company’s transformation under Dalporto, it is re-investing in the programs and experiences that have long connected Guitar Center to artists and musicians.
British rocker Billy Idol has been honoured for a music career spanning 50 years that he thought would only last six months.
✊ @BillyIdol has arrived! The #AMAs red carpet is LIVE at the @MGMGrand NOW! pic.twitter.com/Sy2bbHaEjf
— American Music Awards (@AMAs) May 25, 2026
The Rebel Yell singer received the lifetime achievement accolade to a standing ovation at the American Music Awards (AMAs), held at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas on Monday night.
The 70-year-old closed the glitzy star-studded ceremony with Eyes Without a Face, followed by Dancing with Myself, his first breakout solo hit back in 1981 after leaving his punk band Generation X.
Thanking his fans after being presented with his award, he said: “I’ve been able to live my dream, and it’s really all because of you.”
Idol added: “When I started out in punk rock back in 1976, we thought it may only last about six months, let alone 50 years.
“But we were doing it for the love and because music was the only thing that gave us a sort of feeling of freedom, a sense of freedom.
“We believed in what we were doing and we thought maybe if we just dreamed into this life and gave it everything we had it would give it all back to us in spades, and that’s exactly what happened.
“So to any kid out there who loves rock and roll or any music of any kind… and if you’re inspired to create that sense of freedom and pursue a life of art, then all I can say is pick an instrument, find out who you are and beit.”
