Facts about billy joe. 'Green Day' frontman

Billie Joe Armstrong(English) Billie Joe Armstrong; born February 17) - American musician, singer, guitarist, songwriter and producer for the punk rock band Green Day. He is also the vocalist and guitarist in the bands Pinhead Gunpowder, The Network, Foxboro Hot Tubs, Blatz, Rancid (played 1 gig and co-wrote "Radio"), The Lookouts, Goodbye Harry, Corrupted Morals.

Biography

Billie Joe Armstrong was born on February 17, 1972 in the small town of Rodeo, California. He has five older siblings: David, Alan, Marcy, Holly, and Anna. He is the youngest in the family. His father worked as a truck driver and also worked in clubs playing jazz. Billy Joe's mother was a waitress in one of the city's restaurants. In September 1982, when future star was only 10 years old, his father, Andy, died of esophageal cancer. Two years later, his mother remarried. Billy took this event hard, he began to hate this man. At 14, Billy Joe wrote his first song ("Why Do You Want Him?"), which was about his mother and stepfather. Billy started singing quite early, at the age of 5. He often visited hospitals and sang there to their patients. Somewhat later he had own song"Look For Love", recorded by local Fiat Records. At the age of 11, his mother gave him his first electric guitar, it was the famous "Blue", which Billy plays to this day (in black and white photo).

At the age of 10, Billy Joe met Mike Dirnt in a school cafe. Staying at each other's for the night, they listened to and performed songs from such giants of rock as Ozzy Osbourne, Def Leppard and Van Halen. Their music was equally influenced by the work of the Bay Area alternative band during the eighties. In 1998, Billy Joe and Mike recruited drummer John Kiffmeier under the pseudonym Al Sobrant to Sweet Children and started their own creative career. Their first, but by no means their last, performance was at the Rods Hickory Pit in Vallejo. The day before his eighteenth birthday, having almost finished school, Billy dropped out and decided to devote all his time to Sweet Children. Music became his vocation.

Tools

Armstrong in 2009 playing his popular "Blue".

Armstrong's first guitar was acoustic guitar"Cherry Red Hohner", which his father bought him. Then, when he was eleven, he got his first electric guitar, a copy of a Fender Stratocaster, which he named "Blue". His mom got "Blue" from George Cole, who taught Billy how to play electric guitar for 10 years. Armstrong said in a 1995 MTV interview, "Basically it wasn't guitar lessons because I never learned to read music, he just taught me how to place my hands." Cole bought the guitar brand new from David Margen of Santana. Cole gave Billy a "Bill Lawrence Humbucking" pickup and suggested installing it in the bridge. After the pickup failed at Woodstock '94, Armstrong supplied the Duncan JB.

“Armstrong fetishized his teacher's guitar, in part because it had the sound quality and Van Halen smoothness that he couldn't get from his little red Hohener. He appreciated it more, however, due to his relationship with Cole, another father figured after Andy's death. He has toured with this guitar since the band's early days and continues to use it to this day.

"Blue" is also featured in some of their videos starting with "Longview", "Basket Case", "Brain Stew/Jaded", "Hitchin" a Ride", and finally in "Minority".

Today, Armstrong primarily uses Gibson and Fender guitars. Twenty of his Gibson guitars Les Paul are junior models from the mid to late 1950s. His Fender Collection includes: Stratocaster, Jazzmaster, Telecaster, Hollowbody Gretsch and its "Blue" copies. He states that his favorite guitar is a 1956 Gibson Les Paul Junior, which he calls "Floyd". He bought this guitar in 2000 shortly before recording their Warning album. Armstrong also has his own line Gibson Les Paul Junior, modeled after Billy Joe's original 1956 Les Paul Junior, Floyd.

He plays several other instruments quite well. He recorded harmonica and mandolin parts in the future, piano on 21st Century Breakdown, and played drums during concerts from time to time.

Personal life

In 1990, Armstrong met Adrienne Nesser at a Green Day show in Mankato and married her on July 2, 1994. The couple has two children - Joseph Marciano Armstrong (b. February 28, 1995) and Jacob Danger Armstrong (b. September 12, 1998). Adrienne co-owns Adeline Records with Armstrong. Today, Billy Joe Armstrong's family lives in Oakland, California. In late 2011, the Armstrong family recorded a Christmas album Boo. Billy Joe himself played bass, Jacob on guitar, Joey on drums, and Adrienne sang.

Additional facts

Discography

green day

• 1.039/Smoothed Out Slappy Hours(1991) - Vocals, guitar
• Kerplunk!(1992) - Vocals, guitar, drums on "Dominated Love Slave"
• Dookie(1994) - Vocals, guitar
• Insomniac(1995) - Vocals, guitar
• Nimrod.(1997) - Vocals, guitar, harmonica
• Warning:(1999) - Vocals, mandolin, guitar, harmonica
• International Superhits!(2001) - Vocals, guitar, harmonica
• Shenanigans(2002) - Vocals, guitar, harmonica
• american idiot(2004) - Vocals, guitar, harmonica
• 21st Century Breakdown(2009) - Vocals, guitar, piano
• Awesome as fuck (2011)
• ¡Uno!(2012) - Vocals, guitar
• ¡Dos!(2012) - Vocals, guitar
• ¡Tre!(2012) - Vocals, guitar

It is difficult to call the American punk rock guitarist Billie Joe Armstrong a philosopher, but some of his statements are deep and accurate. How do you like that? Making mistakes is better than doing nothing. And on this, many will agree with him.

Billy - sixth, most youngest child in family. His date of birth is Oakland, (USA), February 17, 1972. The creative zest was originally laid in the violent temperament of a child born under the sign of Aquarius. Billy loved his father. The latter worked as a truck driver, but fell ill with cancer early. Frequent chemotherapy tied his father to the hospital, where little Billy ran almost every day. To cheer up the patient, the baby sang. The first song he wrote was called Look for Love (“Look for love”), and the first guitar (a blue Fender Stratocaster) was presented to him by his mother for his 11th birthday.

When Billy turned 10, his father passed away, and two years later a stepfather appeared in the family, whom the boy did not accept, going into all serious trouble: he sold cigarettes with marijuana, skipped classes, was not going to study and work. Protesting against the choice of his mother, at the age of 14 he recorded the song “Why did you need him? (Why Do You Want Him?), but it was impossible to change the situation.

Start

In 1986, Billy Armstrong, together with a childhood friend, bassist Mike Dernt, formed a band that was renamed Green Day two years later. Billy played great not only on the guitar, he owned the harmonica, mandolin, virtuoso improvised on the piano, beat intricate rhythms on the drums. The group performed their songs, adhering to the flow of punk rock. Despite the fact that in the repertoire there are lyrical themes, the main emphasis is on action music: energetic, incendiary, sharp and defiant.

Personal

In 1990, Billy met his future wife Andrienne, whom they married 4 years later. They have two sons who are professional musicians. Billy is bisexual. He claims that if not public opinion, That sex life people looked very different. In his youth, he adhered to vegetarianism, but it was more a tribute to fashion than health care.

For most of his life, the elder Armstrong lived on the edge, abusing alcohol and sleeping pills. In 2012, having experienced an emotional crisis, he chose rehabilitation, as he could no longer control his condition.

American musician and actor; vocalist, guitarist, songwriter and producer of punk rock Green bands day. He is also the vocalist and guitarist for Pinhead Gunpowder, The Network, Foxboro Hot Tubs, Blatz, Rancid (played one show), The Lookouts, Goodbye Harry, Corrupted Morals.

Billie Joe Armstrong was born on February 17, 1972 in the small town of Rodeo, California. He was the youngest of six children in the family. His father worked as a truck driver and also worked in clubs playing jazz. Mother was a waitress in one of the restaurants in the city. In September 1982, when the future star was only 10 years old, his father, Andy, died of stomach cancer. Two years later, his mother remarried. Billy took this event hard, he began to hate this man.

Billie Joe Armstrong" >

Billy started singing quite early, at the age of 5. He often visited hospitals and sang there to their patients. Somewhat later, he had his own song "Look For Love", recorded by the local company Fiat Records. At the age of 11, his mother gave him his first electric guitar, it was the famous "Blue", which Billy plays to this day.

At the age of 10, he met Mike Dirnt in a school cafe. Staying with each other for the night, they listened to and performed songs of such giants of rock as Ozzy Osbourne (Ozzy Osbourne), Def Lepard ( Def Leppard) and Van Halen. Their music was equally influenced by the work of the Bay Area alternative band during the eighties. At the age of 14, he composed his first song ("Why Do You Want Him?"), which was about his mother and stepfather. In 1987, Mike and drummer John Kriftmeyer (Al Sobrante) were invited to the Sweet Children group under the pseudonym Al Sobrante and began their creative career. Their first, but by no means their last, performance was at the Rods Hickory Pit in Vallejo. The day before his eighteenth birthday, having almost finished school, Billy dropped out and decided to devote all his time to Sweet Children. Music became his vocation.

In 1990, their drummer Al Sobrant left the group, and Billy and Mike were faced with the question of a new candidate. The best option was the drummer for Gilman Street Tre Cool. Then the group changed its name to the one that is now known to the whole world - Green Day. But then everything was just beginning. The guys made their first tour of the country with their father Tre, who drove them on his old motor home.

In Miniapolis, Billy met a girl, Adrienne Nesser, who later became his wife on July 2, 1994. The day before the wedding ceremony, it turned out that Adriana was pregnant. In March 1995, a son was born, who was named Joseph Marciano (Joseph Marcicano), in September 1998, his wife gave him a second boy - Jacob Danger (Jacob Danger). Today, the Armstrong family lives in Berkeley, California.

In addition to Green Day, he performed in such bands as Pinhead Gunpowder (where he still plays), Blatz, Rancid (played 1 concert and co-wrote the song "Radio"), The Lookouts, Goodbye Harry, Corrupted Morals.

His main role in the group is playing the guitar and, of course, vocals. Billy also owns a harmonica, mandolin, piano, and can play the drum kit.

1972

In September 1982

IN 1987

IN 1988

Billie Joe Armstrong was born on February 17 1972 year in Rodeo, California, USA. His father worked as a truck driver, and also worked part-time in clubs, playing jazz, and his mother was a waitress in one of the cafes in the city.

In addition to Billy Joe, five more children were born in the family, David, Alan, Marcy, Holly and Anna. Billy Joe is the youngest of them.

In September 1982 Billy Joe's father died. Many years later, Billy Joe wrote the song "Wake Me Up When September Ends", which he dedicated to his father.

Billy Joe started singing at the age of five. He often came to hospitals and sang to patients there. Then the teacher elementary school helped him record the song "Look For Love", which was released locally record company Fiat Records.

At the age of eleven, his mother gave Billy Joe an electric guitar, which he named "Blue". Then Billy fell in love with the music that Ozzy played , Def Leppard and Van Halen. Billy Joe often came to visit school friend Mike Dernt and they played some rock star songs.

IN 1987 Billy Joe and Mike formed the Sweet Children group. In the same year, they invited drummer John Kiffmeier and bass player Sean Hudges to their band and began to play in local clubs.

IN 1988 Hudges left the band when Mike Dernt took over on bass.

In April 1989 year, the musicians decided to come up with a new name for the group. Because of the guys' addiction to marijuana, the group got the name "Green Day".

Also in April 1989 The group released their debut mini-album titled "1,000 Hours".

In February 1990 Billy Joe decided to quit high school the city of Pinola, in which he had only six months to study, for the sake of his musical career.

In the same 1990 year, the group "Green Day" released their debut studio album, which was called "39/Smooth".

also in 1990 Billy Joe became the guitarist for another punk rock band, Pinhead Gunpowder.

IN 1992 Green Day released their second album, Kerplunk! In the song "Dominated Love Slave" from the album, Billy Joe, in addition to the guitar, also played the drums.

IN 1994 Billy Joe with the band "Pinhead Gunpowder" released debut album, and with the group "Green Day" the third studio album.

IN 1997 Billie Joe Armstrong co-founded the record label Adeline Records with professional skateboarder Jim Thiebaud.

IN 2003 Billy Joe helped release his debut album, Money Money 2020 » group «The Network».

also in 2003 Billy Joe lost his driver's license for a year for drunk driving.

IN 2004 Billy Joe and Green Day released their first rock opera, American Idiot. In total, 15,000,000 copies of the American Idiot album have been sold worldwide.

IN 2009 The band released another rock opera called 21st Century Breakdown.

In the same 2009 In 1999, their rock opera American Idiot was staged on Broadway. The musical won two Tony Awards. Billy Joe himself also took part in productions.

In July 2012 year it became known that Billy Joe will take part in the 3rd season of the show "The Voice", where he will become an assistant.

In September 2012 2009, it was reported that Billie Joe Armstrong was sent to a rehabilitation clinic for treatment for bouts of uncontrollable anger and various forms dependencies.

December 2012 Billy Joe completed a course of treatment and began a tour with the Green Day band, which was canceled in the fall due to his problems.

Billy became interested in singing at a very early age. early age when he was only 5 years old. He often visited hospitals (his father was seriously ill) and sang for patients. As a child, Armstrong composed his first song Look for Love. For eleven years, his mother gave him famous guitar"Blue" (blue Fender Stratocaster) - an all-time favorite.