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

Biography

Armstrong was the youngest of six children born in Rodeo, CA and later raised in Oakland, California. His father, Andy, was a jazz musician and truck driver who died of cancer when Armstrong was ten. His mother was a waitress at Rod's Hickory Pit, which Billie and fellow bandmate Mike Dirnt and friend Brandon O'Lech ended up working at in their teen years. He insists that his name is spelled with an 'ie' because, according to the liner notes in 1,039/Smoothed Out Slappy Hours, "Billie's mom spelled his name wrong on his birth certificate 'cuz she was on drugs from labor". He is the only member of Green Day who uses his given name.

Armstrong received his first guitar from his father shortly before his father's death from cancer — a Fender Stratocaster copy by Fernandes, nicknamed "Blue." Armstrong still uses replicas of the guitar, with its duct tape and sticker covered appearance. "Blue" was used in some of their most popular music videos including "Basket Case" and "Brain Stew/Jaded". Other instruments that Armstrong can play include the piano, drums, harmonica, mandolin, and the saxophone.

The first song he wrote was called "Why Do You Want Him". It was written in 1986, when he was fourteen years-old (his mom was dating someone he did not like at the time). The song appears on Green Day's debut album on Lookout Records, 39/Smooth.

During his stay in school he was nicknamed "Two Dollar Bill", because he was supplying the school with joints for two dollars. In 1988, Armstrong formed a band called Sweet Children with childhood friend, Mike Dirnt, and Al Sobrante (b. John Kiffmeyer). They changed their name to "Green Day" in March 1989, just before the release of their first EP, 1,000 Hours, on Lookout Records. The name was their slang expression for a day of pot smoking - they watched TV while being stoned and Ernie used the term "Green Day", so it became kind of an insider joke. In 1990 Sobrante left Green Day for college and was replaced by Tré Cool (born Frank Edwin Wright III), who appears on Green Day's second album, Kerplunk.

Armstrong and his wife Adrienne are co-founders and part owners of the independent label Adeline Records, and he has a side band called Pinhead Gunpowder which is on Lookout Records. He has two sons, Joseph Marcicano (b. March 1995), and Jakob Danger (b. September 1998).

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