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==Early life==
==Early life==
Armstrong was born and grew up in [[Rodeo, California|Rodeo]], [[California]] as the youngest of six children. His father, Andy, was a part time [[jazz]] musician and truck driver for Safeway. He died of cancer on [[September 10]], [[1982]] when Billie Joe was ten. His mother, Ollie Armstrong, worked as a waitress at Rod's Hickory Pit, where Billie Joe and [[Mike Dirnt]] got their first gig during their teen years.
Armstrong grew up in [[Rodeo, California|Rodeo]], [[California]]. He's the youngest of six children. His father, Andy, was a retired [[Minor League Baseball]] [[catcher]], who worked as a [[jazz]] musician and truck driver for [[Safeway]] to support the family. He died from [[esophageal cancer]] on [[September 10]], [[1982]] when Billie Joe was ten. His mother Ollie worked as a waitress at Rod's Hickory Pit, where Billie Joe and [[Mike Dirnt]] got their first gig during their teen years.


Billie Joe's interest in music started at a young age. He recorded a song titled "Look For Love" at the age of 5 on the Bay Area label "Fiat Records".<ref>http://www.recordmecca.com/view_item.aspx?id=82</ref> As a teenager he originally was into [[metal music]], but got into punk after hearing the [[Sex Pistols]] song [[Holidays in the Sun]].<ref>{{cite web | author= [[Billie Joe Armstrong|Armstrong, Billie Joe]]| year= 2005 | title="The Sex Pistols" | work=Rolling Stone| url=http://www.rollingstone.com/news/story/7235474/58_the_sex_pistols | accessdate= October 28 | accessyear=2006}}</ref> He attended [[John Swett High School]], and then [[Pinole Valley High School]], dropping out on [[February 16]], [[1990]], to pursue his musical career. While in high school he was nicknamed "Two Dollar Bill", because he was supplying the school with [[marijuana|joint]]s for two dollars.<ref>http://www.greendayauthority.com/TheBand/billiejoe.php</ref>
Billie Joe's interest in music started at a young age. He recorded a song titled "Look For Love" at the age of 5 on the Bay Area label "Fiat Records".<ref>http://www.recordmecca.com/view_item.aspx?id=82</ref> As a teenager he originally was into [[metal music]], but got into punk after hearing the [[Sex Pistols]] song [[Holidays in the Sun]].<ref>{{cite web | author= [[Billie Joe Armstrong|Armstrong, Billie Joe]]| year= 2005 | title="The Sex Pistols" | work=Rolling Stone| url=http://www.rollingstone.com/news/story/7235474/58_the_sex_pistols | accessdate= October 28 | accessyear=2006}}</ref> He attended [[John Swett High School]], and then [[Pinole Valley High School]], dropping out on [[February 16]], [[1990]], to pursue his musical career. While in high school he was nicknamed "Two Dollar Bill", because he was supplying the school with [[marijuana|joint]]s for two dollars.<ref>http://www.greendayauthority.com/TheBand/billiejoe.php</ref>

==Sweet Children and Green Day==
In 1987, Armstrong formed a band called [[Sweet Children]] with childhood friend [[Mike Dirnt]]. In 1989, they joined up with drummer [[Al Sobrante]] and became known as Green Day, allegedly choosing the name for their fondness of [[marijuana]].<ref>http://metropolis.co.jp/tokyomusicconcerts/concert/359/tokyomusicconcertsinc.htm</ref>. That same year they recorded the EP [[1,039/Smoothed Out Slappy Hours]], on [[Lookout! Records]]. Sobrante eventually left Green Day in order to go to college,without informing Billie Joe and in return [[Tré Cool]] replaced Sobrante without Sobrante knowing. [[Tre Cool]] made his debut on Green Day's second album, [[Kerplunk!]]. With their next album, [[Dookie]], the band broke through into the mainstream, and have remained one of the most popular rock bands of the [[1990s]] and [[2000s]] with over 85 million records sold worldwide{{Fact|date=February 2007}}.

Apart from working with Green Day, and side-band [[Pinhead Gunpowder]], Armstrong has proved himself busy in the music world, collaborating with many artists over the years. He has co-written for [[The Go-Gos]] ("Unforgiven"), former Avengers singer [[Penelope Houston]] ("The Angel and The Jerk" and "New Day"), co-wrote a song with [[Rancid (band)|Rancid]] ("Radio"), sung backing vocals with [[Melissa Auf Der Maur]] on [[Ryan Adams]]' "Do Miss America", where they acted as the backing band for [[Iggy Pop]] on his "Skull Ring" album ("Private Hell" and "Supermarket"). Armstrong has produced an album for [[The Riverdales]], and is also rumored to be part of a side project, [[The Network]]. The Network released an album called [[Money Money 2020]]. Many long-time Green Day fans who listened to the record remarked that it sounds just like a Green Day album{{Fact|date=March 2007}}, also Money Money 2020 was released on [[Adeline Records]], a record label co-owned by Billie Joe.


==Guitars==
==Guitars==
Billie recieved his first guitar, a fender stratocaster nicknamed, "Blue", as a gift from his father when he was eleven. He still plays blue today, and owns several replicas of it. Green Day toured with this guitar from the band's early days and into their first few major-label tours. Blue also appears in several of their music videos starting with [[Longview (song)|Longview]], and appearing most recently in [[Minority (song)|Minority]]. Billie has made several replicas of this guitar and uses them at concerts.
Billie Joe received his first guitar, a Fernandes Stratocaster copy that he named "Blue", when he was eleven. He modified the guitar to have a [[humbucking]] pickup in the bridge position. He initially installed a Bill Lawrence pickup but later switched to the Duncan JB model. He toured with this guitar from the band's early days and into their first few major-label tours. "Blue" also appears in several of their music videos starting with [[Longview (song)|Longview]], and appearing most recently in [[Minority (song)|Minority]]. Billie has made several replicas of this guitar and uses them at concerts.
Today Armstrong mainly uses [[Gibson Guitar Corporation|Gibson]] and [[Fender Musical Instruments Corporation|Fender]] Guitars. Twenty of his Gibson guitars are [[Les Paul Junior]] models from the mid to late-[[1950s]].<ref>http://www.gibson.com/bja/interview2.htm</ref> His Fender collection includes: [[Stratocaster]], [[Jazzmaster]], [[Gretsch]], [[Telecaster]], and his Fernandes, "Blue". He states that his favorite guitar is a 1956 Gibson Les Paul Junior he calls "Floyd". He bought this guitar in 2000 just before recording their album ''[[Warning:]]''.<ref>http://www.gibson.com/bja/interview.htm</ref>
Today Armstrong mainly uses [[Gibson Guitar Corporation|Gibson]] and [[Fender Musical Instruments Corporation|Fender]] Guitars. Twenty of his Gibson guitars are [[Les Paul Junior]] models from the mid to late-[[1950s]].<ref>http://www.gibson.com/bja/interview2.htm</ref> His Fender collection includes: [[Stratocaster]], [[Jazzmaster]], [[Gretsch]], [[Telecaster]], and his Fernandes, "Blue". He states that his favorite guitar is a 1956 Gibson Les Paul Junior he calls "Floyd". He bought this guitar in 2000 just before recording their album ''[[Warning:]]''.<ref>http://www.gibson.com/bja/interview.htm</ref>
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==Personal life==
==Personal life==
In Minneapolis, in 1990, Billie first met his wife, [[Adrienne Armstrong|Adrienne Nesser]]. They dated for a while and had a short split. In this time both Billie and Adrienne met other partners; Adrienne was engaged to be married, and Billie was seeing another girl. However Billie and Adrienne were eventually married on [[July 2]], [[1994]] in a 5 minute ceremony. The day after their wedding, Adrienne found out she was pregnant. Their first son, Joseph Marcicano Armstrong, was born in early [[1995]].<ref>"[http://www.greendayauthority.com/TheBand/articles/rollingstone011206.jpg Rock's Rude Boy]"</ref> Three years later on [[September 11]], [[1998]], another boy, Jakob Danger Armstrong, was born. Today the Armstrong family resides in [[Oakland]], [[California]].
In Minneapolis, in 1990, Billie first met his wife, [[Adrienne Armstrong|Adrienne Nesser]]. They dated for a while and had a short split. In this time both Billie and Adrienne met other partners; Adrienne was engaged to be married, and Billie was seeing another girl. However Billie and Adrienne were eventually married on [[July 2]], [[1994]] in a 5 minute ceremony. The day after their wedding, Adrienne found out she was pregnant. Their son, Joseph, was born in early [[1995]].<ref>"[http://www.greendayauthority.com/TheBand/articles/rollingstone011206.jpg Rock's Rude Boy]"</ref> Three years later on [[September 12]], [[1998]], another boy, Jakob Danger Armstrong, was born.


Armstrong has stated that he is [[bisexuality|bisexual]],<ref>"[http://web.archive.org/web/20050309020312/http://www.advocate.com/html/stories/822/822_greenday672_3.asp Coming Clean]", [[The Advocate]] interview with Billie Joe Armstrong (24th January, 1995)<br>''"I think I've always been bisexual. I mean, it's something that I've always been interested in. I think everybody kind of fantasizes about the same sex. I think people are born bisexual, and it's just that our parents and society kind of veer us off into this feeling of Oh, I can't. They say it's taboo. It's ingrained in our heads that it's bad, when it's not bad at all. It's a very beautiful thing."''</ref> which is the subject of ''[[Dookie]]'' track "Coming Clean". In his 1995 interview, he explained his sexual attraction to men and women. He also kisses men in concerts.<ref>[http://www.greendayauthority.com/TheBand/didjaknow.php?section=all Green Day Authority - Didja Know]<br>''"It's an old tradition of Billie's that at every one of his concerts he kisses a guy."''</ref>
Armstrong has stated that he is [[bisexuality|bisexual]],<ref>"[http://web.archive.org/web/20050309020312/http://www.advocate.com/html/stories/822/822_greenday672_3.asp Coming Clean]", [[The Advocate]] interview with Billie Joe Armstrong (24th January, 1995)<br>''"I think I've always been bisexual. I mean, it's something that I've always been interested in. I think everybody kind of fantasizes about the same sex. I think people are born bisexual, and it's just that our parents and society kind of veer us off into this feeling of Oh, I can't. They say it's taboo. It's ingrained in our heads that it's bad, when it's not bad at all. It's a very beautiful thing."''</ref> which is the subject of ''[[Dookie]]'' track "Coming Clean". In his 1995 interview, he explained his sexual attraction to men and women. He also kisses men in concerts.<ref>[http://www.greendayauthority.com/TheBand/didjaknow.php?section=all Green Day Authority - Didja Know]<br>''"It's an old tradition of Billie's that at every one of his concerts he kisses a guy."''</ref>

Revision as of 03:26, 23 May 2007

Billie Joe Armstrong

Billie Joe Armstrong (born February 17, 1972, in Oakland, California) is best known for his role as the main songwriter, lead vocalist, and guitarist for the pop-punk band Green Day.

Early life

Armstrong grew up in Rodeo, California. He's the youngest of six children. His father, Andy, was a retired Minor League Baseball catcher, who worked as a jazz musician and truck driver for Safeway to support the family. He died from esophageal cancer on September 10, 1982 when Billie Joe was ten. His mother Ollie worked as a waitress at Rod's Hickory Pit, where Billie Joe and Mike Dirnt got their first gig during their teen years.

Billie Joe's interest in music started at a young age. He recorded a song titled "Look For Love" at the age of 5 on the Bay Area label "Fiat Records".[1] As a teenager he originally was into metal music, but got into punk after hearing the Sex Pistols song Holidays in the Sun.[2] He attended John Swett High School, and then Pinole Valley High School, dropping out on February 16, 1990, to pursue his musical career. While in high school he was nicknamed "Two Dollar Bill", because he was supplying the school with joints for two dollars.[3]

Sweet Children and Green Day

In 1987, Armstrong formed a band called Sweet Children with childhood friend Mike Dirnt. In 1989, they joined up with drummer Al Sobrante and became known as Green Day, allegedly choosing the name for their fondness of marijuana.[4]. That same year they recorded the EP 1,039/Smoothed Out Slappy Hours, on Lookout! Records. Sobrante eventually left Green Day in order to go to college,without informing Billie Joe and in return Tré Cool replaced Sobrante without Sobrante knowing. Tre Cool made his debut on Green Day's second album, Kerplunk!. With their next album, Dookie, the band broke through into the mainstream, and have remained one of the most popular rock bands of the 1990s and 2000s with over 85 million records sold worldwide[citation needed].

Apart from working with Green Day, and side-band Pinhead Gunpowder, Armstrong has proved himself busy in the music world, collaborating with many artists over the years. He has co-written for The Go-Gos ("Unforgiven"), former Avengers singer Penelope Houston ("The Angel and The Jerk" and "New Day"), co-wrote a song with Rancid ("Radio"), sung backing vocals with Melissa Auf Der Maur on Ryan Adams' "Do Miss America", where they acted as the backing band for Iggy Pop on his "Skull Ring" album ("Private Hell" and "Supermarket"). Armstrong has produced an album for The Riverdales, and is also rumored to be part of a side project, The Network. The Network released an album called Money Money 2020. Many long-time Green Day fans who listened to the record remarked that it sounds just like a Green Day album[citation needed], also Money Money 2020 was released on Adeline Records, a record label co-owned by Billie Joe.

Guitars

Billie Joe received his first guitar, a Fernandes Stratocaster copy that he named "Blue", when he was eleven. He modified the guitar to have a humbucking pickup in the bridge position. He initially installed a Bill Lawrence pickup but later switched to the Duncan JB model. He toured with this guitar from the band's early days and into their first few major-label tours. "Blue" also appears in several of their music videos starting with Longview, and appearing most recently in Minority. Billie has made several replicas of this guitar and uses them at concerts.

Today Armstrong mainly uses Gibson and Fender Guitars. Twenty of his Gibson guitars are Les Paul Junior models from the mid to late-1950s.[5] His Fender collection includes: Stratocaster, Jazzmaster, Gretsch, Telecaster, and his Fernandes, "Blue". He states that his favorite guitar is a 1956 Gibson Les Paul Junior he calls "Floyd". He bought this guitar in 2000 just before recording their album Warning:.[6]

Armstrong also has his own line of Les Paul Junior guitars from Gibson.

Personal life

In Minneapolis, in 1990, Billie first met his wife, Adrienne Nesser. They dated for a while and had a short split. In this time both Billie and Adrienne met other partners; Adrienne was engaged to be married, and Billie was seeing another girl. However Billie and Adrienne were eventually married on July 2, 1994 in a 5 minute ceremony. The day after their wedding, Adrienne found out she was pregnant. Their son, Joseph, was born in early 1995.[7] Three years later on September 12, 1998, another boy, Jakob Danger Armstrong, was born.

Armstrong has stated that he is bisexual,[8] which is the subject of Dookie track "Coming Clean". In his 1995 interview, he explained his sexual attraction to men and women. He also kisses men in concerts.[9]

Trivia

Awards

  • Esquire awarded him an "Esky" for Best Frontman in the Esky Music Awards in the April 2006 issue.
  • Kerrang! magazine awarded him the Worst Dressed Star and Hero of the Year in 2005
  • The California Music Awards awarded him Outstanding Male Vocalist in 2001 and 2004
  • Nickelodeon's Kid's Choice Awards Blimp for Favorite Band/Group - April 2005 and 2006
  • Nickelodeon's Kid's Choice Awards Blimp for Favorite Song for Wake Me Up When September Ends - April 2006
  • Grammy for Best Rock Album for American Idiot - February 2005
  • Grammy for Record of the Year for Boulevard of Broken Dreams - February 2006
  • Won 6 MTV VMA Moonmen for Boulevard of Broken Dreams and 1 for American Idiot - August 2005
  • Won 2 American Music Awards for Favorite Pop/Rock Album (American Idiot) and Favorite Alternative Artist - November 2005
  • Won 2 ASCAP Honor Awards for Creative Voice and Song of the Year (Boulevard of Broken Dreams) - May 2006
  • Won 2 MTV Europe Awards for Best Album and Best Rock Group - November 2005

Discography

Green Day

Pinhead Gunpowder

The Network

Notes

  1. ^ http://www.recordmecca.com/view_item.aspx?id=82
  2. ^ Armstrong, Billie Joe (2005). ""The Sex Pistols"". Rolling Stone. Retrieved October 28. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |accessdate= (help); Unknown parameter |accessyear= ignored (|access-date= suggested) (help)
  3. ^ http://www.greendayauthority.com/TheBand/billiejoe.php
  4. ^ http://metropolis.co.jp/tokyomusicconcerts/concert/359/tokyomusicconcertsinc.htm
  5. ^ http://www.gibson.com/bja/interview2.htm
  6. ^ http://www.gibson.com/bja/interview.htm
  7. ^ "Rock's Rude Boy"
  8. ^ "Coming Clean", The Advocate interview with Billie Joe Armstrong (24th January, 1995)
    "I think I've always been bisexual. I mean, it's something that I've always been interested in. I think everybody kind of fantasizes about the same sex. I think people are born bisexual, and it's just that our parents and society kind of veer us off into this feeling of Oh, I can't. They say it's taboo. It's ingrained in our heads that it's bad, when it's not bad at all. It's a very beautiful thing."
  9. ^ Green Day Authority - Didja Know
    "It's an old tradition of Billie's that at every one of his concerts he kisses a guy."
  10. ^ http://www.thesmokinggun.com/mugshots/billiejoemug1.html
  11. ^ Blender Article By Jonah Weiner
  12. ^ http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0197633/
  13. ^ http://www.eastbayexpress.com/2004-02-25/news/rock-the-hypocrisy/
  14. ^ http://www.vh1.com/artists/interview/1454006/20020516/green_day.jhtml
  15. ^ celebsheights.com site
  16. ^ http://www.greendayauthority.com



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