Rocker Billy Idol was spurred on to give up his drug habit because he didn't want his son reading about his overdoses in newspapers.

The REBEL YELL singer was so determined to play a proper parental role in his now-16-year-old son WOLF's life, he kicked his life-threatening addiction after collapsing twice in Los Angeles in 1994 due to excessive substance-taking.

Idol, 49, who also has a 15-year-old daughter called BONNIE BLUE, explains, "The worst thing about the overdoses were that my kids were going to read the news and it happened another time I knew they would know it, too.

"I realised my son would never be able to have friends round my house and because their parents would never trust them with me.

"I started to realise I wanted a straight relationship with him, one on one, where I was his dad and wasn't f**ked-up.

"It was their unconditional love that made me think, 'You've got to stop doing this.' Since the overdose in 1994 they haven't seen me f**ked-up, drunk or anything."

13/03/2005 14:38