Billie Joe Armstrong

Billie Joe Armstrong

Billie Joe Armstrong (born February 17, 1972 in Oakland, California) is the main songwriter, lead vocalist, and guitarist for the multiplatinum-selling rock band Green Day. He is known for his distinctive voice and has proved very influential to other punk-oriented singers.

Early life

Armstrong grew up in Rodeo, California, the youngest of six children. The official name on his birth certificate is "Billie Joe" rather than the more traditional "William Joseph". His father, Andy Armstrong, was a retired Minor League Baseball catcher, who worked as a jazz musician and truck driver to support the family. He died of lung cancer when Billie Joe was ten. His mother worked as a waitress at Rod's Hickory Pit, where Billie Joe and Mike Dirnt worked during their teen years. As a kid 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, and Pinole Valley High School. He was nicknamed "Two Dollar Bill", because he was supplying the school with joints for two dollars, and also played on the football team. He dropped out on February 16, 1990, the day before he turned 18, to pursue his musical career.

Musical Career

In 1986, 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. 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 ever with over 85 million records sold worldwide.

Apart from working with Green Day, 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"), written a song for 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"). He also is 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. And, "Money Money 2020" was released on Billie's own Adeline Records.

In addition to playing music, Armstrong co-owns the record label Adeline Records with his wife Adrienne.

Personal life

In 1990 while playing a show in Minnesota, Armstrong met local resident Adrienne Nesser when she went up to him after the show, asking where she could buy a copy of the band's album. Armstrong has remarked that he had spotted Nesser as he peered into the crowd from the stage during the gig and he was immediately taken by her. The two kept in touch over the phone, and Armstrong arranged two tours around Minnesota, simply for the purpose of seeing her. In 1994 she moved to California, and the two became engaged. They were married two weeks later on July 2, 1994. The ceremony was five minutes long, a combination of Protestant, Catholic, and Jewish ceremonies, and was held at Billie Joe's mother's home. Because of financial issues, the couple spent a week in the Claremont Hotel for their honeymoon, a 10-minute walk away from their house. The day after the wedding, Adrienne found out she was pregnant with their first son. Billie Joe has written numerous Green Day songs about Adrienne, including 2000 Light Years Away, 80, Westbound Sign and Church On Sunday.

He also has two children; Joseph Marciano (born February, 1995) and Jakob Danger (born September 12, 1998).

In 2002, rumors had been circling that Armstrong had died in a car accident, until a statement on Green Day.net cleared things up. The next year he was pulled over for drunk driving.

Armstrong has stated that he is bisexual , although he has only been in relationships with women. He has, however, kissed men in concert, on television, has exhibited other sexual behavior toward men, and also admitted to having had sex with Tre.

Equipment

Billie Joe received his first guitar, a Fernandes Stratocaster copy named "Blue", when he was eleven from his mother. At the age of 12, 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 (contrary to popular belief, JB stands for Jazz Blues, not for Jeff Beck, as Jeff Beck has never used a JB humbucker, see Seymour Duncan). 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 (e.g.: "Basket Case", "Stuck With Me", "Longview", "Geek Stink Breath", "Hitchin' a Ride" and "Minority)". Billie has made several replicas of this guitar and uses them at concerts. Since the Warning recording and tour, Billie Joe has switched to using mainly vintage Les Paul Juniors for their distinctive midrange-focused tone. A sunburst 1950s Les Paul Junior named "Floyd" was his current guitar of choice, however he uses a white model as well. Gibson has released a line of Billie Joe signature guitars based on "Floyd", offering a hum-canceling pickup and a thinner neck profile.
Acoustic guitars: owns a Japanese Alvarz Yairi
Strings: standard .010 set
Picks: Medium Dunlop Tortex

He currently uses a modified Marshall 1959SLX Plexi as his amp, but has also used Hiwatt amplifiers in the past. His amps have been severely modified by Bob Bradshaw. Billie Joe seldom uses effects pedals, but has used a Boss TR-2 Tremolo for rotary speaker sounds, most notably on "Boulevard of Broken Dreams" and "Redundant"

Trivia

• He stands at about 5 foot 7 inches.
• He suffers from panic attacks which is portrayed in the music video Basket Case, and sung about in Armatage Shanks.
• He's known Mike Dirnt since they were both 10 years old, they've been best friends since.
• Provided the voice for Charlie Manson in the movie Live Freaky! Die Freaky! and sang Mechanical Man for the film.
• Is of English, Italian, Scottish, Dutch, Irish and Cherokee ancestry.
• Has dyed his hair many different colors including black, blonde, blue, pink, and green.
• Voted for Ralph Nader in the 2000 U.S. Presidential Election.
• Actively promoted the candidacy of John Kerry in the 2004 U.S. Presidential Election
• Close friends with Jason Mewes[1]

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

External links

• Green Day.com
• Billie Joe Biography, as well as information on his stint in Common Rider
• Billie Joe Armstrong at IMDb
• Green Day Online
• Green Day Australia
• Billie Joe Armstrong - Friend of Liberty
• Billie Joe Armstrong Signature Les Paul Junior
• Billie Joe's Mugshot and arrest details after his arrest in 2003 for drunk driving.