Date of Birth
Nickname
BJ
Billie
Height
5' 7" (1.70 m)
Armstrong adalah anak paling muda dari enam bersaudara, lahir di Oakland, California, dan diasuh di Rodeo, California. Ayahnya, Andy Armstrong, adalah pemain musik yang beraliran jazz dan supir truk, telah meninggal karena kanker ketika Armstrong berumur 10 tahun. Ibunya, Ollie Jackson, adalah pelayan di sebuah restoran bernama Rod's Hickory Pit, tempat dimana Billie dan temannya Mike Dirnt bekerja di masa remaja mereka. Rod's Hickory Pit adalah tempat dimana Armstrong dan band nya Sweet Children tampil pertama kali. Ibunya, Ollie salah menulis nama ketika Billie lahir. Dia memberikan nama Billie yang seharusnya di tulis Billy. Armstrong adalah satu-satunya anggota di band Green Day yang menggunakan nama aslinya. Kedua temannya, Michael Ryan Pritchard (Mike Dirnt) dan Frank Edwin Wright III (Tré Cool), telah mengganti nama mereka.
Kehidupan pribadi
Pada tahun 2007, Armstrong berumur 35 tahun dan telah menjadi anggota band Green Day selama 18 tahun. Armstrong menikah dengan Adrienne Nesser pada tanggal 2 Juli 1994. Pesta pernikahannya hanya berlangsung selama 5 menit. Satu hari setelah mereka menikah, Adrienne hamil dan pada bulan Maret 1995, ia melahirkan anak pertama mereka, Joseph Marciano Armstrong (lahir 15, Maret, 1995). Tiga tahun kemudian, mereka mempunyai anak kedua, Jakob Danger Armstrong (lahir 12, September 1998).
Adrienne lahir pada bulan 6 Oktober, 1969 di Minneapolis, Minnesota. Saudara lelakinya, Steve Nesser, adalah seorang pemain skateboard professional. Adrienne pun mengambil jurusan Sosiologi di Universitas Minnesota. Ketika menonton konser Green Day di Minnesota, Adrienne mendatangi Armstrong dan bertanya padanya dimana dia bisa membeli album mereka. Armstrong terpesona dengan rambut hitam dan panjang milik Adrienne. Sejak hari itu, mereka berdua terus melanjutkan kontak mereka dengan berbicara di telfon. Ciuman pertama mereka menjadi inspirasi Armstrong untuk menulis lagu 2,000 Light Years Away. Lagu 80 juga bercerita tentang Adrienne. Armstrong sudah berkunjung ke Minnesota dua kali untuk mengunjungi Adrienne, tetapi, setelah pacaran satu setengah tahun, mereka tidak bisa bersama lagi karena tempat tinggal mereka terlalu jauh.
Setelah Armstrong dan Adrienne bertunangan, mereka merencanakan pernikahan mereka hanya dalam kurun waktu 2 minggu. Pernikahan mereka dilaksanakan di belakang rumah Armstrong selama 5 menit. Mereka berbulan madu di Hotel Claremont, yang hanya berjarak 10 menit dari rumah mereka.
Sekarang ini, Adrienne sering terlihat di belakang panggung ketika Green Day tampil. Dia juga bekerja bersama Billie Joe untuk sebuah record label bernama Adeline Record dan sebuah clothing line bernama Adeline Street
Masa-masa di Green Day
Pada tahun 1988, Armstrong membuat band bernama Sweet Children dengan temannya, Mike Dirnt, dan seorang drummer bernama Al Sobrante {John Kiffmeyer}. Pada tahun 1989, mereka mengganti namanya menjadi Green Day, dan membuat rekaman 1,000 Hours, di Lookout! Records. Beberapa bulan kemudian, mereka mengeluarkan sebuah album berjudul "1,039 Smoothed Slappy Hours". Pada tahun 1990, Sobrante keluar dari Green Day karena ingin meneruskan sekolahnya dan digantikan dengan Tré Cool (Frank Edwin Wright III), yang melanjutkan album kedua Green Day, Kerplunk!, memainkan semua lagu kecuali 3 buah lagu.
Mini Biography
Billie Joe Armstrong was born in Oakland, California on February 17th, 1972. He was the youngest of six children in a family of wide musical talent. His mother worked as a waitress in a local diner, Rod's Hickory Pitt, and his father worked as a jazz musician and Safeway truck driver.
Billie Joe always shone above his siblings with his clear musical ability. From a young age, he was cheering people up at local hospitals with his beautiful singing. He attended singing lessons and was always destined for greatness. The first clear sign of this was when at the age of only five; he recorded his very first song at a recording studio in Berkeley. The song was called "Look For Love" and found him an interview with a local radio station, a clip of which can be found as the introduction of one of Green Day's songs: "Maria."
At the age of 11, Billie Joe's father, Ollie, gave him his very first electric guitar, which he named Blue because of its pale blue color. Billie Joe treasured this guitar, a Fender Stratocaster; although little did he know, it was the beginning of a lifetime career in music. He continues to use the guitar today, and has had many replicas made.
Billie Joe formed a very strong relationship with his father, who died of cancer of the esophagus in 1982. His mother soon found herself a new husband whom none of the six children liked and caused Billie Joe to write his first song "Why Do You Want Him" which appears on Green Day's debut album, "1039/Smoothed Out Slappy Hours". He released a lot of his anger out on his guitar playing the hardcore punk rock songs he still sings today; unfortunately, he also released a lot of his anger with physical violence, both at school and at home, with his stepfather.
Billie Joe was 10 when he met Mike Dirnt in the school cafeteria in 1982. During sleepovers at each other's houses, they played songs by old heavy metal warhorses such as Ozzy Osbourne, Def Leppard, and Van Halen. At the young age of 15, Mike moved out of his own home due to disagreements with his adoptive parents and moved into a separated apartment in Billie Joe's house. This allowed the two to bond further, Billie Joe persuaded Mike to buy an electric guitar as well so that the two could practice together in the garage of his home. They were often laughed at at school for their dress sense and taste in music, but the two stayed true to their music and punk life-style and did not lose hope at any stage of their journey to get their message out there. The two young musicians where born to be rebellious and at no point did they even consider changing this.
By 1987, Billie Joe and Mike realized that two guitarists wasn't going to work. Mike switched to bass and they recruited a drummer. They found John Kiffmeyer also known as "Al Sobrante" (named after his hometown El Sobrante). They tried to play as many clubs and venues as possible, however big or small, they even frequently played at Rod's Hickory Pitt where the two also worked alongside Billie Joe's mum to earn their keep. After a while, they attempted to get a record deal with local studio Lookout Records. Eventually, they got their debut album record in 1990 (1039/Smoothed Out Slappy Hours.) However, John left the band that same year to return to college leaving the two without a drummer.
Another local band "The Lookouts" insisted that they had their drummer, as they had recently split up. The new drummer, Tre Cool, (born Frank Edwin Wright III) fit into the band very comfortably, being closer to the age of the other two, they formed a very strong relationship, which is still strong today.
In 1991, Billie Joe met Adrienne Nesser, a fellow punk rock enthusiast, who had seen many of Green Day's local performances through out the years. The two fell in love and married in 1994 in a 5 minute service, only to find the very next day that Adrienne was pregnant with their first child, Joseph Marciano (named after Joey Ramone), who was born in 1995, followed 3 years later by another son, Jakob Danger.
Green Day went on to produce many more records, especially impressive being "American Idiot", selling hundreds of millions of copies worldwide. After 22 years (2009) of entertaining the world with their rebellious and often humorous songs, the band are still going strong and still writing more and more songs to entertain and amuse us after already more than 10 albums worth of hardcore punk rock.
IMDb Mini Biography By: Charlotte Sendall
Spouse
| Adrienne Armstrong | (2 July 1994 - present) 2 children |
Trade Mark
Black shirt and a red necktie
Trivia
Guitar and vocals for punk band Green Day, as well as 'Pinhead Gunpowder'.
2 children: Joseph Marciano, born February 28, 1995, and Jakob Danger, born September 12, 1998.
Has a recording studio built in his basement
His guitar is nicknamed "Blue" and he's had it since he was eleven years old.
Youngest of six children.
Wrote his first song, "Why Do You Want Him", when he was only 14 (the song appears on 1,039 Smoothed Out Slappy Hours, Green Day's debut album).
Dropped out of high school.
He wrote the song "Brain Stew" while trying to get Joseph (his child) to go to sleep.
He enjoys getting people up on stage to play instruments for the band when Green Day play live.
Has also played in bands such as: Blatz, Rancid, the Lookouts, Goodbye Harry, Corrupted Morals, and still plays with 'Pinhead Gunpowder'.
He also plays harmonica, mandolin, drums and piano and most recently the saxophone.
He wrote the song 'Church on Sunday' about his wife Adrienne, convincing her to stay and not separate. the song appears on Green Day's album Warning, released in 2000
Wrote the song 'Wake Me Up When September Ends' about his father's death when he was a young child and how he dealt with it then and deals with it now. The song appears on the album 'American Idiot' released in 2004
His natural hair color is reddish-brown.
Lives in Oakland and Newport Beach, California and also has a home near his wife's family in Minneapolis, Minnesota.
He and the rest of Green Day allowed indie label "Lookout Records" to keep the titles of their releases prior to "Dookie". They did this to foster a following for the record label, if kids got into them and wanted to hear earlier stuff by the band, the money would help keep Lookout Records going.
Five older siblings: David, Allen, Marcy, Holly and Anna.
His mother is from Oklahoma.
His mother gave birth to him when she was 40.
His oldest sibling is 22 years older than him.
His father was half English and half Italian. From his mother's side, he is of Irish, Dutch, Scottish and Cherokee (Native American) descent.
Close friends with Jason Mewes.
Dropped out of high school one day before his 18th birthday.
He is listed as a "ginger traitor" in the book "The Ginger Survival Guide" for dying his naturally ginger hair.
Contrary to popular belief, his birth name is actually "Billie Joe" and not "William Joseph".
Father, Andrew (deceased) and mother, Ollie.
Personal Quotes
School is practice for the future, and practice makes perfect. But nobody's perfect, so why practice?
You think your life is tough? Try being a parent!
My mom was from Oklahoma, hence the name Billie Joe . . . It's not William Joseph, it's "just" Billie Joe.
A guy walks up to me and asks, "What's Punk?". So I kick over a garbage can and say. "That's punk!". So he kicks over the garbage can and says, "That's Punk?", and I say, "No that's trendy!"
I sound like an Englishman impersonating an American impersonating an Englishman.
[on if he believes in heaven] I consider myself an agnostic, so I'm not really sure. I kind of believe that there's something possibly out there. I'm not stubborn enough to cancel that out. I believe there's a higher power somewhere. I just don't know what it is. I really like a lot of Catholic symbolism. Me and Adrienne collect a lot of crucifixes and rosary beads and stuff like that. In our house, we have a lot of candles and stuff like that.
[on what he would like to do instead of music] I've done some producing, that I can do. But acting for me, I'm pretty sure I don't know how to do that. I really don't want to go through a process of trying to figure out how to do it. I think as soon as you start acting that realness of you that people love is gone because you're pretending to be something else on screen.
[on the media] You know, I've made it a point not to read a thing. From what people have been telling me, everything has been really positive. Hey, it's the kids who are going to buy our records and they're not going to read things written in Entertainment Weekly anyway. Critics never really want to like my band. I think they have this thing up their asses that we are a lesser band now. They feel we weren't the originators of punk rock or we are not cool or whatever. So everything that comes from these people sounds somehow backhanded, like with the Spin piece. For a while, we were a best kept secret and for a long time none of these bigger magazines knew about Look Out Records or for that matter the Berkeley scene in general. At the time, I think that irritated them a bit. To them, if they don't know about it, it obviously wasn't cool enough to begin with.
Punk is always something that's going to be with us and to try and explain that would be stupid at this point.
Minority is about being an individual. It's like you have to sift through the darkness to find your place and be that individual you want to be your entire life.
There's nothing wrong with being a loser, it just depends on how good you are at it.
One thing I want to teach my son is sensitivity to other people. I want to teach him not to be this macho freak.
A lot of people, when they talk to me, I can't wait for them to shut up. Like, shut up. you're a moron. They have nothing to say, you know?
Adrienne is the only woman I will ever love.
I never thought that being obnoxious would get me where I am now.
I'm not as depressed as I used to be. The Prozac's working!
[on his female fans] They have got bad taste. I am not a good-looking guy.
Where Are They Now
(May 2004) In the recording studio creating a new album with Green Day, their first new album since 2002. (Shenanigans)
(August 2004) Head-lining the main stage at 'The Reading Festival' in the UK.
(September 2004) Green Day released American Idiot on the 21st of September, the first punk rock opera.
(June 2005) Currently touring around Europe. Will soon be touring back in the US, and then will be returning to Paris in November.
(September 2005) Touring in the U.S.
(July 2005) Headlining on Roskilde Festival, Denmark (as Green Day)
(January 2006) Recording New material for the follow-up album to American Idiot (2004)
(January 2006) Announced that there will be an "American Idiot" movie.
(April 2007) In New Orleans building houses with Habitat For Humanity.
(October 2008) His band, Green Day, is in the studio with Butch Vig, recording the follow-up to their 2004 classic "American Idiot".
(March 2010) The broadway production of their album 'American Idiot' (which includes five songs from '21st Century Breakdown' & two American Idiot b-sides) is currently running at the St. James Theatre
(January 2010) Won Best Rock Album for '21st Century Breakdown' at the 52nd Grammy Awards. They also performed with the cast of the broadway production of their album 'American Idiot' (a Grammy winner for Best Rock Album)
(September 2010) On September 28, 2010 Billie Joe began a week stint as St Jimmy in Green Day's American Idiot on Broadway
(October 2010) Week stint as St Jimmy ended on October 3, 2010. Green Day went back on tour to promote 21st Century Breakdown.
(January 2011) Back in American Idiot as St Jimmy for 50 performances. Stint began on January 1, 2011
(February 2011) The 50 performance run as St Jimmy in American Idiot ended February 27, 2011.
(April 2011) Third stint in American Idiot as St. Jimmy for the show's final weeks from April 5th through April 24th. American Idiot closes April 24, 2011.
GREENDAY Music is My Life ... !
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