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Billie Joe Armstrong

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Billie Joe Armstrong

Billie Joe Armstrong (born February 17, 1972, in Oakland, California) is the main songwriter, lead vocalist, and guitarist for the punk rock band Green Day.

Early life

Armstrong grew up in Rodeo, California, the youngest of six children. The official name on his birth certificate is "Billie Joe". He said in an interview in year 1995 that his name is Billie Joe and not William Joseph. His father, Andy Armstrong, 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 throat cancer on September 15, 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 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. He attended high school at John Swett High School, later attended Pinole Valley High School, and dropped 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.[2]

Musical career

In 1987, Armstrong formed a band called Sweet Children with childhood friend Mike Dirnt. In 1989 they joined up with drummer Al Sobrante and become known as Green Day, allegedly choosing the name for their fondness of marijuana.[3]. That same year they recorded the EP 1,000 Hours, on Lookout! Records. Sobrante eventually left Green Day in order to go to college, and was eventually replaced by Tré Cool, who 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" and recorded lead guitar with Green Day for two tracks, 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, also Money Money 2020 was released on Adeline Records, the record label Armstrong co-owns with his wife Adrienne Armstrong.

Personal life

In Minneapolis in 1990 Billie first laid eyes on his future wife, Adrienne Nesser. They dated awhile and were married on July 2, 1994 in a 5 minute ceremony. The day after their wedding, Adrienne found out she was pregnant. Their son, Joseph Marcicano Armstrong, was born in March of 1995. Three years later on September 12, 1998, another boy, Jakob Danger, was born. Today, Billie, Adrienne, Joseph, and Jakob reside in Berkeley, California.

Trivia

Awards

  • Esquire's awarded him an "Esky" for Best Frontman in the Esky Music Awards in the April 2006 issue.
  • Kerrang! magazine awarded him the Best 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 awarded him the best band trophy and best song trophy for Wake Me Up When September Ends in 2005.

Discography

Green Day

Pinhead Gunpowder

The Network

Notes

  1. ^ http://www.recordmecca.com/view_item.aspx?id=82
  2. ^ http://www.greendayauthority.com/TheBand/billiejoe.php
  3. ^ http://metropolis.co.jp/tokyomusicconcerts/concert/359/tokyomusicconcertsinc.htm
  4. ^ http://www.thesmokinggun.com/mugshots/billiejoemug1.html
  5. ^ http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0197633/
  6. ^ http://www.theadvocates.org/celebrities/billie-joe-armstrong.html
  7. ^ http://www.geekstinkbreath.net/greenday/videography/basketcase/
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