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Billie Joe Armstrong (born February 17, 1972) is an American musician and actor. He is best known for being the lead vocalist, guitarist, and primary songwriter of the rock band
Green Day Green Day is an American Rock music, rock band formed in Rodeo, California, in 1987 by lead vocalist and guitarist Billie Joe Armstrong and bassist and backing vocalist Mike Dirnt, with drummer Tré Cool joining in 1990. In 1994, their majo ...
, which he co-founded with
Mike Dirnt Michael Ryan Pritchard (born May 4, 1972), better known by his stage name Mike Dirnt, is an American rock musician who is the co-founder, bassist, backing vocalist, and occasional lead vocalist of Green Day. He has also played in several other ...
in 1987. He is also a guitarist and vocalist for the
punk rock Punk rock (also known as simply punk) is a rock music genre that emerged in the mid-1970s. Rooted in 1950s rock and roll and 1960s garage rock, punk bands rejected the corporate nature of mainstream 1970s rock music. They typically produced sh ...
band
Pinhead Gunpowder Pinhead Gunpowder is an American punk rock band that formed in East Bay, California, in 1991. The band currently consists of Aaron Cometbus (drums, lyrics), Bill Schneider (bass), Billie Joe Armstrong (guitar, vocals) and Jason White (guitar, ...
, and provides lead vocals for Green Day's side projects
Foxboro Hot Tubs Foxboro Hot Tubs is the garage rock side project of Green Day, formed in 2007.Green Day side ...
,
the Network The Network is an American six-piece new wave band. they released their debut album '' Money Money 2020'' on Adeline Records on September 30, 2003. After a 15-year hiatus, the band became active again in 2020, releasing a follow-up album tit ...
,
the Longshot ''The Longshot'' is a 1986 American comedy film directed by Paul Bartel and starring Tim Conway. Plot Four friends enjoy betting on horses at the race track. Someone tells them that he has something he can give his horse to make it run faster, ...
and
the Coverups The Coverups is an American cover band that serves as a side project for Green Day members Billie Joe Armstrong and Mike Dirnt. Founded in January 2018 as an outlet for performing cover songs, the band consists of guitarists Armstrong and Dirnt a ...
. Armstrong has been considered by critics as one of the greatest punk rock guitarists of all time. Armstrong developed an interest in music at a young age, and recorded his first song at the age of five. He met Dirnt while attending elementary school, and the two instantly bonded over their mutual interest in music, forming the band Sweet Children when the two were 14 years old. The band later changed its name to Green Day. Armstrong has also pursued musical projects including numerous collaborations with other musicians. Armstrong has acted in several films and TV series, including ''
Like Sunday, Like Rain ''Like Sunday, Like Rain'' is a 2014 American drama film written and directed by Frank Whaley, and distributed by Monterey Media. The film stars Leighton Meester, Debra Messing, Billie Joe Armstrong, and Julian Shatkin in his film debut. The film ...
'', '' Ordinary World'', ''
King of the Hill ''King of the Hill'' is an American animated sitcom created by Mike Judge and Greg Daniels that initially aired on Fox Broadcasting Company, Fox from January 12, 1997, to September 13, 2009, with four more episodes airing in First-run syndicati ...
'', ''
Haunted Haunted or The Haunted may refer to: Books * ''Haunted'' (Armstrong novel), by Kelley Armstrong, 2005 * ''Haunted'' (Cabot novel), by Meg Cabot, 2004 * ''Haunted'' (Palahniuk novel), by Chuck Palahniuk, 2005 * ''Haunted'' (Angel novel), a 200 ...
'', and ''
Drunk History ''Drunk History'' is an American educational comedy television series produced by Comedy Central, based on the Funny or Die web series created by Derek Waters and Jeremy Konner in 2007. Will Ferrell and Adam McKay are the show's executive p ...
''. In addition to co-writing the book and lyrics for ''
American Idiot ''American Idiot'' is the seventh studio album by the American rock band Green Day, released on September 21, 2004, by Reprise Records. The album was produced by Rob Cavallo in collaboration with the group. Recording sessions for ''American ...
'', a
jukebox musical A jukebox musical is a stage musical or musical film in which a majority of the songs are well-known, pre-existing popular music songs, rather than original music composed for the musical. Some jukebox musicals use a wide variety of songs, while ...
featuring several of Green Day's songs, Armstrong portrayed the role of St. Jimmy in the show for several weeks during its run on
Broadway Broadway may refer to: Theatre * Broadway Theatre (disambiguation) * Broadway theatre, theatrical productions in professional theatres near Broadway, Manhattan, New York City, U.S. ** Broadway (Manhattan), the street ** Broadway Theatre (53rd Stre ...
. Armstrong's business ventures include founding
Adeline Records Adeline Records was an American record label that was formed in Oakland, California in late 1997 and closed in August 2017. History In 1997, Adeline Records was founded by Billie Joe Armstrong, lead singer of Green Day, Screw 32's Doug Sangal ...
to help support other bands in 1997, coinciding with the release of ''
Nimrod Nimrod is a Hebrew Bible, biblical figure mentioned in the Book of Genesis and Books of Chronicles, the Books of Chronicles. The son of Cush (Bible), Cush and therefore the great-grandson of Noah, Nimrod was described as a king in the land of Sh ...
''. Adeline signed acts such as
the Frustrators The Frustrators are an American punk rock band with Jason Chandler (lead vocals), Terry Linehan (guitar, vocals), Art Tedeschi (drums), and Mike Dirnt (bass, vocals). All are members of other bands, Terry Linehan from Waterdog, Jason Chandler a ...
,
AFI AFI may refer to: * Actual flip-angle imaging, a type of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) * ''Address-family identifier'', a 16 bit field of the Routing Information Protocol * AFI (band), an American rock band ** ''AFI'' (2017 album), the tenth ...
, and
Dillinger Four Dillinger Four (sometimes abbreviated as D4) is an American punk rock band formed in 1994 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. They have released four full-length studio albums. Since 1996, the band's lineup has been Patrick Costello on bass guitar and v ...
. The record company shut down two decades later in August 2017. Armstrong also co-founded Punk Bunny Coffee (formerly Oakland Coffee Works) in 2015.


Early life

Armstrong was born in
Oakland, California Oakland is a city in the East Bay region of the San Francisco Bay Area in the U.S. state of California. It is the county seat and most populous city in Alameda County, California, Alameda County, with a population of 440,646 in 2020. A major We ...
, on February 17, 1972, the youngest of six children of Ollie Jackson (born 1932) and Andrew Marsicano Armstrong (1928–1982).
Colapinto, John John Colapinto (born in 1958) is a Canadian journalist, author and novelist and a staff writer at ''The New Yorker''. In 2000, he wrote the ''New York Times'' bestseller '' As Nature Made Him: The Boy Who Was Raised as a Girl'', which exposed t ...
(November 17, 2005),
Working Class Heroes
". ''
Rolling Stone ''Rolling Stone'' is an American monthly magazine that focuses on music, politics, and popular culture. It was founded in San Francisco, California, in 1967 by Jann Wenner and the music critic Ralph J. Gleason. The magazine was first known fo ...
''. (987):50–56
He was raised in
Rodeo, California Rodeo (; Spanish for " Cattle roundup") is a census-designated place (CDP) located in Contra Costa County, California, in the East Bay sub-region of the San Francisco Bay Area, on the eastern shore of San Pablo Bay, 25 miles northeast of San Franc ...
. His father, a jazz musician and truck driver for
Safeway Safeway, Inc. is an American supermarket chain. The chain provides grocery items, food and general merchandise and a variety of specialty departments, such as bakery, delicatessen, floral and pharmacy, as well as Starbucks coffee shops, and veh ...
, died of
esophageal cancer Esophageal cancer (American English) or oesophageal cancer (British English) is cancer arising from the esophagus—the food pipe that runs between the throat and the stomach. Symptoms often include dysphagia, difficulty in swallowing and weigh ...
on September 10, 1982, when Armstrong was 10 years old. The song "
Wake Me Up When September Ends "Wake Me Up When September Ends" is a song by the American Rock music, rock band Green Day and the fourth single from their seventh studio album, ''American Idiot'' (2004). Written by the band's front man Billie Joe Armstrong, the song is about ...
" is a memorial to his father. Armstrong has five siblings, including three older sisters, Marci, Hollie, and Anna, and two older brothers, David and Alan. His mother worked as a waitress at Rod's Hickory Pit in
El Cerrito, California El Cerrito (Spanish language, Spanish for "The Little Hill") is a city in Contra Costa County, California, United States, and forms part of the San Francisco Bay Area. It has a population of 25,962 according to the 2020 United States census, 2 ...
, where he and
Mike Dirnt Michael Ryan Pritchard (born May 4, 1972), better known by his stage name Mike Dirnt, is an American rock musician who is the co-founder, bassist, backing vocalist, and occasional lead vocalist of Green Day. He has also played in several other ...
later played their first gig in 1987. His great-great-grandparents Pietro Marsicano and Teresa Nigro were Italian immigrants from
Viggiano Viggiano is a ''comune'' in the province of Potenza, in the Southern Italian region of Basilicata. It is bounded by the comuni of Calvello, Corleto Perticara, Grumento Nova, Laurenzana, Marsicovetere, and Montemurro. Viggiano is known for m ...
, who settled in
Boston Boston is the capital and most populous city in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Massachusetts in the United States. The city serves as the cultural and Financial centre, financial center of New England, a region of the Northeas ...
prior to relocating to
Berkeley, California Berkeley ( ) is a city on the eastern shore of San Francisco Bay in northern Alameda County, California, United States. It is named after the 18th-century Anglo-Irish bishop and philosopher George Berkeley. It borders the cities of Oakland, Cali ...
, in 1869. Armstrong attended Hillcrest Elementary School in Rodeo, where a teacher encouraged him to record a song titled "Look for Love" at the age of five on the
Bay Area The San Francisco Bay Area, commonly known as the Bay Area, is a region of California surrounding and including San Francisco Bay, and anchored by the cities of Oakland, San Francisco, and San Jose. The Association of Bay Area Governments ...
label Fiat Records. After his father died, his mother married a man whom her children disliked, which resulted in Armstrong's further retreat into music. At the age of 10, he met future bandmate
Mike Dirnt Michael Ryan Pritchard (born May 4, 1972), better known by his stage name Mike Dirnt, is an American rock musician who is the co-founder, bassist, backing vocalist, and occasional lead vocalist of Green Day. He has also played in several other ...
in the school cafeteria, and they immediately bonded over their love of music. He became interested in
punk rock Punk rock (also known as simply punk) is a rock music genre that emerged in the mid-1970s. Rooted in 1950s rock and roll and 1960s garage rock, punk bands rejected the corporate nature of mainstream 1970s rock music. They typically produced sh ...
after being introduced to the genre by his brothers. He has cited
Van Halen Van Halen ( ) was an American rock band formed in Pasadena, California, in 1973. Credited with restoring hard rock to the forefront of the music scene, Van Halen was known for their energetic live performances and the virtuosity of their guit ...
,
Ramones The Ramones were an American punk rock band formed in the New York City neighborhood Forest Hills, Queens in 1974. Known for helping establish the punk movement in the United States and elsewhere, the Ramones are often recognized as one of th ...
, the Replacements, and
Hüsker Dü Hüsker Dü () was an American punk rock band formed in Saint Paul, Minnesota in 1979. The band's continuous members were guitarist/vocalist Bob Mould, bassist Greg Norton, and drummer/vocalist Grant Hart. They first gained notability as a hardc ...
as musical influences. The first concert he ever attended was Van Halen in 1984. After Hillcrest Elementary, Armstrong attended Carquinez Middle School and
John Swett High School John Swett High School is located in Crockett, California, United States. It serves the communities of Crockett, Port Costa, Rodeo, and the Foxboro area of Hercules. It is named after John Swett, former California Superintendent of Public ...
, both in
Crockett, California Crockett (formerly Crockettville) is a census-designated place (CDP) in Contra Costa County, California, Contra Costa County, in the East Bay (San Francisco Bay Area), East Bay sub-region of the San Francisco Bay Area, California. The population w ...
, and later transferred to
Pinole Valley High School Pinole Valley High School is a high school in Pinole, California, United States, in Contra Costa County. First opened in 1967, the school is part of the West Contra Costa Unified School District. Pinole Valley High serves grades 9–12, and has ap ...
in
Pinole, California Pinole (Spanish language, Spanish for "Pinole, cornmeal") is a city in Contra Costa County, California, United States. Its population was 19,022 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census. History The Ohlone, Huchiun tribe lived in the ...
. On his 18th birthday, he dropped out to pursue a musical career.


Career

In 1987, aged 15, Armstrong formed a band called Sweet Children with his childhood friend
Mike Dirnt Michael Ryan Pritchard (born May 4, 1972), better known by his stage name Mike Dirnt, is an American rock musician who is the co-founder, bassist, backing vocalist, and occasional lead vocalist of Green Day. He has also played in several other ...
. In the beginning, Armstrong and Dirnt both played guitar, with Raj Punjabi on drums and Sean Hughes on bass. Punjabi was later replaced on drums by
John Kiffmeyer John Kiffmeyer (born July 11, 1969), also known professionally as Al Sobrante, is an American cinematographer and retired musician and songwriter. He is the former drummer for the punk rock band Green Day, leaving in 1990 and replaced by Tré Cool. ...
, also known as Al Sobrante. After a few performances, Hughes left the band in 1988; Dirnt then began playing bass and they became a three-piece band. They changed their name to Green Day in April 1989, choosing the name because of their fondness for
marijuana Cannabis (), commonly known as marijuana (), weed, pot, and ganja, List of slang names for cannabis, among other names, is a non-chemically uniform psychoactive drug from the ''Cannabis'' plant. Native to Central or South Asia, cannabis has ...
. In 1989, Green Day released their debut EP ''
1,000 Hours ''1,000 Hours'' is the debut EP by American rock band Green Day, released in April 1989 through Lookout Records. Through a shared interest in music, school friends Billie Joe Armstrong and Mike Dirnt formed the band Sweet Children. With the add ...
'' through
Lookout! Records Lookout Records (stylized as Lookout! Records) was an independent record label, initially based in Laytonville, California, and later in Berkeley, focusing on punk rock. Established in 1987, the label is best known for having released Operatio ...
. They recorded their debut studio album ''
39/Smooth ''39/Smooth'' is the debut studio album by the American Rock music, rock band Green Day, released on April 13, 1990, by Lookout Records. After finalizing their line-up, the band played frequent shows at the 924 Gilman Street venue, where they st ...
'' and the extended play '' Slappy'' in 1990, which were later combined with ''1,000 Hours'' into the compilation ''
1,039/Smoothed Out Slappy Hours ''1,039/Smoothed Out Slappy Hours'' is a compilation album comprising early recordings by American rock band Green Day, released October 1, 1991, on Lookout Records. Often erroneously referred to as the band's debut album, the compilation combines ...
'' in 1991. In 1990, Armstrong provided lead guitar and backing vocals on three songs for
the Lookouts The Lookouts were an American punk rock band that existed from 1985 to 1990 on Iron Peak, a remote rural mountain community outside Laytonville, California. The members were Larry Livermore on guitar and vocals, Kain Kong (Kain Hanschke) on ...
' final EP '' IV'', which featured
Tré Cool Frank Edwin Wright III (born December 9, 1972), better known by his stage name Tré Cool, is an American musician, best known as the long-time drummer for the rock band Green Day. He replaced the band's former drummer, John Kiffmeyer, in 1990. ...
on drums. Tré became Green Day's drummer in late 1990 after Sobrante left to go to college. Cool made his debut on Green Day's second album, ''
Kerplunk KerPlunk is a children's game invented by Eddy Goldfarb with Rene Soriano and first marketed by the Ideal Toy Company in 1967. The game equipment consists of a transparent plastic tube, plastic rods called ''straws'' (normally 26 to 30 in total ...
'' (1991). In 1991, Armstrong joined the band
Pinhead Gunpowder Pinhead Gunpowder is an American punk rock band that formed in East Bay, California, in 1991. The band currently consists of Aaron Cometbus (drums, lyrics), Bill Schneider (bass), Billie Joe Armstrong (guitar, vocals) and Jason White (guitar, ...
, consisting of bassist Bill Schneider, drummer
Aaron Cometbus Aaron Elliott (born May 20, 1968), better known as Aaron Cometbus, is an American musician, author, songwriter, roadie, and magazine editor, best known as the creator of the punk zine ''Cometbus''. Career Born in Berkeley, California, Cometbus ...
, and fellow vocalist/guitarist Sarah Kirsch. Kirsch left the group in 1992, and was replaced by Jason White. The group has released several extended plays and albums from 1991 to the present, and performs live shows on an intermittent basis. In 1993, Armstrong played live several times with California punk band Rancid. Rancid's lead singer,
Tim Armstrong Timothy Ross Armstrong (born November 25, 1965) is an American musician, songwriter and record producer. Known for his distinctive voice, he is the singer/guitarist for the punk rock band Rancid (band), Rancid and hip hop/punk rock supergroup T ...
, asked Billie Joe Armstrong to join his band, but he refused due to his progress with Green Day. However, Billie Joe Armstrong was credited as a co-writer on Rancid's 1993 song, ''
Radio Radio is the technology of communicating using radio waves. Radio waves are electromagnetic waves of frequency between 3  hertz (Hz) and 300  gigahertz (GHz). They are generated by an electronic device called a transmitter connec ...
''. With their third LP, ''
Dookie ''Dookie'' is the third studio album by the American rock band Green Day, released on February 1, 1994, by Reprise Records. The band's first collaboration with producer Rob Cavallo, it was recorded in 1993 at Fantasy Studios in Berkeley, Calif ...
'' (1994), Green Day broke through into the mainstream, and have remained one of the most popular rock bands of the 1990s and 2000s with over 60 million records sold worldwide. The album was followed by ''
Insomniac Insomniac or The Insomniac may refer to: * A person who has insomnia Music * Insomniac (Green Day album), ''Insomniac'' (Green Day album), 1995 * Insomniac (Enrique Iglesias album), ''Insomniac'' (Enrique Iglesias album), 2007 * Insomniac (song ...
'' (1995), ''
Nimrod Nimrod is a Hebrew Bible, biblical figure mentioned in the Book of Genesis and Books of Chronicles, the Books of Chronicles. The son of Cush (Bible), Cush and therefore the great-grandson of Noah, Nimrod was described as a king in the land of Sh ...
'' (1997), and '' Warning'' (2000). Armstrong collaborated with many artists. He co-wrote
the Go-Go's The Go-Go's are an American all-female Rock music, rock band formed in Los Angeles in 1978. Except for short periods when other musicians joined briefly, the band has had a relatively stable lineup consisting of Charlotte Caffey on lead guitar ...
2001 song "
Unforgiven ''Unforgiven'' is a 1992 American revisionist Western film produced and directed by Clint Eastwood from a screenplay by David Webb Peoples. It stars Eastwood as William Munny, an aging outlaw and killer who takes on one more job years after ...
". He has also co-written songs with
Penelope Houston Penelope Houston (born December 17, 1958) is an American singer-songwriter best known as the singer for the San Francisco-based punk rock band the Avengers. She was raised in Seattle. In the mid-1970s she attended Fairhaven College in Belling ...
("The Angel and The Jerk" and "New Day"), and sung backing vocals with
Melissa Auf der Maur Melissa Gaboriau Auf der Maur (; born March 17, 1972) is a Canadian musician. Auf der Maur began performing in 1993 after forming the indie rock band Tinker (band), Tinker while she was a student at Concordia University. She was recruited ...
on
Ryan Adams David Ryan Adams (born November 5, 1974) is an American Rock music, rock and Country music, country singer-songwriter. He has released 30 studio albums and three as a former member of Whiskeytown. In 2000, Adams left Whiskeytown and released ...
' "Do Miss America" (where they acted as the backing band for
Iggy Pop James Newell Osterberg Jr. (born April 21, 1947), known professionally as Iggy Pop, is an American singer, musician, songwriter, actor and radio broadcaster. He was the vocalist and lyricist of proto-punk band the Stooges, who were formed in 1 ...
on his album ''
Skull Ring ''Skull Ring'' is the fourteenth studio album by American rock singer Iggy Pop, released in November 2003. Every track on the album features guest performers, such as The Stooges, The Trolls, Green Day, Sum 41, and Peaches. Background The perf ...
'' ("Private Hell" and "Supermarket"). Armstrong produced an album for
the Riverdales The Riverdales were an American punk rock band from Chicago, Illinois, United States, made up of Screeching Weasel members. Bassist Dan Vapid (Dan Schafer) and guitarist Ben Weasel (Ben Foster) are heavily influenced by the Ramones' sound and b ...
. He was part of the Green Day side project
the Network The Network is an American six-piece new wave band. they released their debut album '' Money Money 2020'' on Adeline Records on September 30, 2003. After a 15-year hiatus, the band became active again in 2020, releasing a follow-up album tit ...
from 2003 to 2005, which became active again in 2020. The Network released two albums: 2003's ''
Money Money 2020 ''Money Money 2020'' is the debut studio album by new wave band The Network, a side project of the band Green Day. It was released on September 30, 2003, through Adeline Records. Members of Green Day have denied being involved in the Network, ho ...
'' and 2020's '' Money Money 2020 Part II: We Told Ya So!''. Hoping to clear his head and develop new ideas for songs, Armstrong traveled to New York City alone for a few weeks in 2003, renting a small apartment in the East Village of
Manhattan Manhattan ( ) is the most densely populated and geographically smallest of the Boroughs of New York City, five boroughs of New York City. Coextensive with New York County, Manhattan is the County statistics of the United States#Smallest, larg ...
.Spitz, 2006. pg. 150 He spent much of this time taking long walks and participating in jam sessions in the basement of Hi-Fi, a bar in Manhattan.Spitz, 2006. pg. 151 However, the friends he made during this time drank too much for his liking, which was the catalyst for Armstrong's return to the
Bay Area The San Francisco Bay Area, commonly known as the Bay Area, is a region of California surrounding and including San Francisco Bay, and anchored by the cities of Oakland, San Francisco, and San Jose. The Association of Bay Area Governments ...
. After returning home, Armstrong was arrested for driving under the influence on January 5, 2003, and released on $1,200 bail. In 2004, Green Day debuted ''
American Idiot ''American Idiot'' is the seventh studio album by the American rock band Green Day, released on September 21, 2004, by Reprise Records. The album was produced by Rob Cavallo in collaboration with the group. Recording sessions for ''American ...
'', their first
rock opera A rock opera is a collection of rock music songs with lyrics that relate to a common story. Rock operas are typically released as concept albums and are not scripted for acting, which distinguishes them from operas, although several have been ad ...
. The album has sold more than 15,000,000 copies worldwide, fueled by the hit singles "
American Idiot ''American Idiot'' is the seventh studio album by the American rock band Green Day, released on September 21, 2004, by Reprise Records. The album was produced by Rob Cavallo in collaboration with the group. Recording sessions for ''American ...
", " Boulevard of Broken Dreams" and "
Wake Me Up When September Ends "Wake Me Up When September Ends" is a song by the American Rock music, rock band Green Day and the fourth single from their seventh studio album, ''American Idiot'' (2004). Written by the band's front man Billie Joe Armstrong, the song is about ...
". In 2009, Green Day released ''
21st Century Breakdown ''21st Century Breakdown'' is the eighth studio album by the American rock band Green Day, released on May 15, 2009, through Reprise Records. Green Day commenced work on the record in January 2006 and forty-five songs were written by vocalist ...
'', the band's second rock opera, which was another commercial success. Between these two projects, Armstrong was the lead vocalist of the Green Day side project
Foxboro Hot Tubs Foxboro Hot Tubs is the garage rock side project of Green Day, formed in 2007.Green Day side ...
, who formed in 2007 and have performed intermittent live shows ever since. Foxboro Hot Tubs released one album, ''
Stop Drop and Roll!!! ''Stop Drop and Roll!!!'' is the debut studio album by the American rock band the Foxboro Hot Tubs. The full album was first available for digital download on April 22, 2008, and was released on CD on May 20, 2008. The title track "Stop Drop a ...
'', in 2008. In 2009, Armstrong formed a band called Rodeo Queens, along with members of
Green Day Green Day is an American Rock music, rock band formed in Rodeo, California, in 1987 by lead vocalist and guitarist Billie Joe Armstrong and bassist and backing vocalist Mike Dirnt, with drummer Tré Cool joining in 1990. In 1994, their majo ...
and NYC punk rocker
Jesse Malin Jesse Malin (born January 26, 1967) is an American rock musician, guitarist, and songwriter. He began his performing career in the New York hardcore band Heart Attack, and rose to prominence as vocalist of D Generation. , he is a solo recordin ...
. They released one song, along with a video, called "Depression Times". In 2009, ''American Idiot'' was adapted into a
Broadway musical Broadway theatre,Although ''theater'' is generally the spelling for this common noun in the United States (see American and British English spelling differences), many of the extant or closed Broadway venues use or used the spelling ''Theatr ...
, also called ''
American Idiot ''American Idiot'' is the seventh studio album by the American rock band Green Day, released on September 21, 2004, by Reprise Records. The album was produced by Rob Cavallo in collaboration with the group. Recording sessions for ''American ...
''. The musical won two
Tony Awards The Antoinette Perry Award for Excellence in Broadway Theatre, more commonly known as a Tony Award, recognizes excellence in live Broadway theatre. The awards are presented by the American Theatre Wing and The Broadway League at an annual cere ...
. Armstrong appeared in ''American Idiot'' in the role of St. Jimmy for two stints in late 2010 and early 2011. In 2012, Green Day released a trio of albums: ''
¡Uno! ''¡Uno!'' (stylized in all caps) is the ninth studio album by the American rock band Green Day, released first in Australia on September 21, 2012, and released in the US on September 25, 2012, by Reprise Records. It is the first of three album ...
'', ''
¡Dos! ''¡Dos!'' (stylized in all caps) is the tenth studio album by the American rock band Green Day. The album was released on November 9, 2012, in Australia, November 12 in the United Kingdom and on November 13 in the United States through Repri ...
'', and ''
¡Tré! ''¡Tré!'' (stylized in all caps) is the eleventh studio album by the American Rock music, rock band Green Day, released on December 7, 2012. It is the third and final installment in the ''¡Uno!'' ''¡Dos!'' ''¡Tré!'' trilogy, a series of s ...
''. In 2013, Armstrong appeared on Season 3 of NBC's '' The Voice'' as an assistant mentor for
Christina Aguilera Christina María Aguilera ( , ; born December 18, 1980) is an American singer-songwriter, actress and television personality. Recognized as Cultural impact of Christina Aguilera, an influential figure in music and having received Public imag ...
's team. In 2013, Armstrong and singer-songwriter
Norah Jones Norah Jones ( ; born Geethali Shankar; March 30, 1979) is an American singer-songwriter and musician. She has won several awards for her music and, , has sold more than 53 million records worldwide. '' Billboard'' named her the top jazz artist of ...
released the album ''
Foreverly ''Foreverly'' (stylized as ''foreverly'') is a collaborative album by Green Day singer/guitarist Billie Joe Armstrong and jazz/pop singer-songwriter Norah Jones. It was released on November 25, 2013, through Reprise Records. ''Foreverly'' is a co ...
'', consisting of covers of songs from
the Everly Brothers The Everly Brothers were an American rock duo, known for steel-string acoustic guitar playing and close-harmony singing. Consisting of Isaac Donald "Don" Everly and Phillip "Phil" Everly, the duo combined elements of rock and roll, country, ...
' album '' Songs Our Daddy Taught Us''. The first single from the album, "Long Time Gone", was released on October 23.


2012 substance abuse

On September 21, 2012, during a Green Day performance at Las Vegas'
iHeartRadio Music Festival The iHeartRadio Music Festival is a two-day music concert festival held every year on the third or fourth weekend of September since 2011 by iHeartRadio along the Las Vegas Strip in Las Vegas, Nevada, United States. From 2011 to 2015, the f ...
, Armstrong became agitated onstage and stopped the band's set midway through their performance of the 1994 hit song " Basket Case". In an expletive-filled rant, Armstrong criticized the event's promoters for allegedly cutting short the band's performance, before smashing his guitar and storming off stage. The band later issued a statement apologizing for the incident and clarifying that their set had not actually been cut short. The incident occurred just four days prior to the release of Green Day's ninth studio album, ''
¡Uno! ''¡Uno!'' (stylized in all caps) is the ninth studio album by the American rock band Green Day, released first in Australia on September 21, 2012, and released in the US on September 25, 2012, by Reprise Records. It is the first of three album ...
'' Two days after the incident at the
iHeartRadio Music Festival The iHeartRadio Music Festival is a two-day music concert festival held every year on the third or fourth weekend of September since 2011 by iHeartRadio along the Las Vegas Strip in Las Vegas, Nevada, United States. From 2011 to 2015, the f ...
, Green Day announced that Armstrong was seeking treatment for an unspecified substance abuse problem. As a result, scheduled appearances on ''
Jimmy Kimmel Live ''Jimmy Kimmel Live!'', sometimes shortened to ''JKL'', is an American late-night talk show, created and hosted by Jimmy Kimmel, and broadcast on ABC. The nightly hour-long show tapes and is based out of the Hollywood Masonic Temple in Hollywoo ...
'' and ''
The Ellen DeGeneres Show ''The Ellen DeGeneres Show'' is an American first-run syndicated talk show that was hosted by Ellen DeGeneres. The show ran for nineteen seasons from September 8, 2003, to May 26, 2022, in which it broadcast 3,339 episodes. It was produced by ...
'' were canceled. According to Claudia Suarez Wright, Tre Cool's ex-wife and the mother of Armstrong's godson, Armstrong had been drinking heavily in Las Vegas prior to the
iHeartRadio Music Festival The iHeartRadio Music Festival is a two-day music concert festival held every year on the third or fourth weekend of September since 2011 by iHeartRadio along the Las Vegas Strip in Las Vegas, Nevada, United States. From 2011 to 2015, the f ...
, following approximately one year of sobriety. Armstrong gave an interview to ''
Rolling Stone ''Rolling Stone'' is an American monthly magazine that focuses on music, politics, and popular culture. It was founded in San Francisco, California, in 1967 by Jann Wenner and the music critic Ralph J. Gleason. The magazine was first known fo ...
'' in March 2013 in which he said that he had "been trying to get sober since 1997, right around ''Nimrod''". He discussed how, during the 21st Century Breakdown tour of 2009–2010, "There were meltdowns on that tour that were huge". Armstrong detailed his addiction, in particular how it had escalated in the months prior to the release of the ''¡Uno!'', ''¡Dos!'', and ''¡Tre!'' albums and the performance at iHeartRadio, stating that during the band's 2011 summer tour of Europe, "I was at my pill-taking height at that time, medicating the shit out of myself".RollingStoneMagazine-issue-1178-March14-2013-Pg39 Armstrong gave details of a gig at Irving Plaza in New York just over a week before the iHeartRadio incident, in which he "Threw back four or five beers before we went on and probably had four or five when we played. Then I drank my body weight in alcohol after that. I ended up hungover on the West Side Highway, laying in a little park." Green Day canceled all remaining concert dates for 2012 and early 2013 as Armstrong continued dealing with his personal problems. In late December 2012, the band announced they would return to touring at the end of March 2013. Armstrong later said that the substances he had been abusing were alcohol and prescription pills for anxiety and insomnia.


2013 onward

Armstrong also collaborated with the comedy hip hop group
Lonely Island The Lonely Island is an American comedy trio, formed by Andy Samberg, Jorma Taccone, and Akiva Schaffer in Berkeley, California, in 2001. They have written for and starred in the American TV program ''Saturday Night Live'' (''SNL''). The thre ...
in their song "I Run NY" from ''
The Wack Album ''The Wack Album'' is the third studio album by American comedy hip hop group The Lonely Island. Recorded in Los Angeles and New York City with producers including TODAY, DJ Nu-Mark and Asa Taccone, it was released on June 7, 2013 by Republic Rec ...
'' released on June 7, 2013. He starred alongside
Leighton Meester Leighton Marissa Meester ( ; born April 9, 1986) is an American actress, singer, and model. She is known for her starring role as Blair Waldorf on the CW television series ''Gossip Girl'', which ran from 2007 to 2012. She has also appeared in fi ...
in the 2014 film ''
Like Sunday, Like Rain ''Like Sunday, Like Rain'' is a 2014 American drama film written and directed by Frank Whaley, and distributed by Monterey Media. The film stars Leighton Meester, Debra Messing, Billie Joe Armstrong, and Julian Shatkin in his film debut. The film ...
''. For his work in the film, Billie Joe won the Breakout Performance Award at the 2014 Williamsburg Independent Film Festival. Armstrong wrote songs for ''These Paper Bullets'', a rock musical adaptation of ''
Much Ado About Nothing ''Much Ado About Nothing'' is a Shakespearean comedy, comedy by William Shakespeare thought to have been written in 1598 and 1599.See textual notes to ''Much Ado About Nothing'' in ''The Norton Shakespeare'' (W. W. Norton & Company, 1997 ) p. ...
'', which premiered at
Yale Repertory Theater Yale Repertory Theatre at Yale University in New Haven, Connecticut was founded by Robert Brustein, dean of Yale School of Drama, in 1966, with the goal of facilitating a meaningful collaboration between theatre professionals and talented stud ...
in March 2014. In 2014, Armstrong joined the Replacements for a number of shows beginning on April 19 at
Coachella Coachella (officially called the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival and sometimes known as Coachella Festival) is an annual music festival, music and arts festival held at the Empire Polo Club in Indio, California, in the Coachella Valle ...
. Frontman
Paul Westerberg Paul Harold Westerberg (born December 31, 1959) is an American musician, best known as the lead singer, guitarist, and songwriter for the Replacements. Following the breakup of the Replacements, Westerberg launched a solo career that saw him r ...
had been suffering with back problems and spent the majority of the gig lying on a sofa while Armstrong helped play his parts. Westerberg referred to Billie Joe as an "expansion of the band". Armstrong joined the Replacements on stage again at the
Shaky Knees Music Festival Shaky Knees Music Festival is an annual music festival that takes place in Atlanta, Georgia. The festival was founded in 2013 by Tim Sweetwood in order to bring a proper indie music festival to the city of Atlanta, which already hosts festivals s ...
in Atlanta in May. In November 2014, Armstrong moved with his son Joseph to New York and began working on another acting role, in the film '' Ordinary World''. It was Armstrong's first lead acting role. The film centers on the mid-life crisis of a husband and father who attempts to revisit his punk past, and was released in 2016. It included new songs written and performed by Armstrong. The film got mixed reviews, although Armstrong's own performance was generally praised, with ''
The Village Voice ''The Village Voice'' is an American news and culture publication based in Greenwich Village, New York City, known for being the country's first Alternative newspaper, alternative newsweekly. Founded in 1955 by Dan Wolf (publisher), Dan Wolf, ...
'' writing that he had "a low-key charm suggesting that, if he desired it, he could get more onscreen gigs in between albums." In October 2016, Green Day released their album ''
Revolution Radio ''Revolution Radio'' is the twelfth studio album by the American rock band Green Day, released on October 7, 2016 through Reprise Records. A self-produced effort, it marked their first release since 2009's '' 21st Century Breakdown'' not to be pr ...
''. In July 2017, Armstrong formed a supergroup with
Tim Armstrong Timothy Ross Armstrong (born November 25, 1965) is an American musician, songwriter and record producer. Known for his distinctive voice, he is the singer/guitarist for the punk rock band Rancid (band), Rancid and hip hop/punk rock supergroup T ...
of Rancid, named the Armstrongs. In April 2018, Armstrong formed the rock band
the Longshot ''The Longshot'' is a 1986 American comedy film directed by Paul Bartel and starring Tim Conway. Plot Four friends enjoy betting on horses at the race track. Someone tells them that he has something he can give his horse to make it run faster, ...
, and on April 20, the band released their debut studio album '' Love Is for Losers''. Shortly after, Armstrong announced that he and the Longshot would embark on a summer tour. Aside from Armstrong, the band's lineup consists of Kevin Preston and David S. Field of the band
Prima Donna In opera or ''commedia dell'arte'', a prima donna (; Italian for 'first lady'; : ''prime donne'') is the leading female singer in the company, the person to whom the ''prime'' roles would be given. ''Prime donne'' often had grand off-stage pe ...
on lead guitar and drums, respectively, and longtime Green Day live member Jeff Matika on bass. In 2019, Armstrong co-wrote and performed the track "Strangers & Thieves" on the album '' Sunset Kids'' by
Jesse Malin Jesse Malin (born January 26, 1967) is an American rock musician, guitarist, and songwriter. He began his performing career in the New York hardcore band Heart Attack, and rose to prominence as vocalist of D Generation. , he is a solo recordin ...
. In February 2020, Green Day released their thirteenth album, ''
Father of All Motherfuckers ''Father of All Motherfuckers'' (also known by the censored title ''Father of All...'' or ''Father of All M***********s'') is the thirteenth studio album by the American rock band Green Day, released on February 7, 2020, through Reprise Records. ...
''. Green Day's fourteenth album, ''Saviors'', was released on January 19, 2024.


Artistry

Armstrong is known for his frequent use of palm-muted, power chord-driven guitar riffs, and melodic guitar solos. His strumming style makes use of techniques such as stubbing and fret hand muting, which allows him to strum power chords harder while attacking all six strings on the guitar.


Instruments

Armstrong's first guitar was a Cherry Red Hohner acoustic, which his father bought for him. He received his first electric guitar, a Fernandes The Revival RST-50 Stratocaster that he named "Blue", when he was ten years old in 1982, the same year his father died. His mother got "Blue" from George Cole, who taught Armstrong to play guitar for 10 years. Armstrong says in a 1995
MTV MTV (an initialism of Music Television) is an American cable television television channel, channel and the flagship property of the MTV Entertainment Group sub-division of the Paramount Media Networks division of Paramount Global. Launched on ...
interview, "Basically, it wasn't like guitar lessons because I never really learned how to read music. So he just taught me how to put my hands on the thing." Cole bought the guitar new from David Margen of the band
Santana Santana may refer to: Transportation * Volkswagen Santana, an automobile * Santana Cycles, manufacturer of tandem bicycles * Santana Motors, a former Spanish automobile manufacturer * Sailboat designs by W. D. Schock Corp ** Santana 20 ** Santan ...
. Cole installed the Bill Lawrence L500XL Humbucker pickup in the bridge position at an angle, similar to
Eddie Van Halen Edward Lodewijk Van Halen ( , ; January 26, 1955 â€“ October 6, 2020) was an American musician. He was the guitarist, keyboardist, backing vocalist and primary songwriter of the rock band Van Halen, which he founded with his brother Alex V ...
's guitar
Frankenstrat The Frankenstrat, also known as "Frankie" or officially "Frankenstein", is a guitar created by Eddie Van Halen. Its name is a portmanteau of Frankenstein, the fictional doctor who created a monster by combining body parts of the recently decea ...
, which caused Armstrong to be very influenced by Van Halen. The L500XL is the same pickup that was used by
Dimebag Darrell Darrell Lance Abbott (August 20, 1966 – December 8, 2004), known professionally as Dimebag Darrell, was an American musician. He was the guitarist of the heavy metal music, heavy metal bands Pantera and Damageplan, both of which he co-founde ...
of
Pantera Pantera () is an American Heavy metal music, heavy metal band formed in Arlington, Texas in 1981 by the Abbott brothers (guitarist Dimebag Darrell and drummer Vinnie Paul), and currently composed of vocalist Phil Anselmo, bassist Rex Brown, an ...
, Armstrong replaced the L500XL with a white Yamaha Pacifica humbucker at
Woodstock '94 Woodstock '94 was an American music festival held in 1994 to commemorate the 25th anniversary of the original Woodstock festival of 1969. It was promoted as "2 More Days of Peace and Music". The poster used to promote the first concert was r ...
. Armstrong later reinstalled the Bill Lawrence L500XL pickup before recording
Insomniac Insomniac or The Insomniac may refer to: * A person who has insomnia Music * Insomniac (Green Day album), ''Insomniac'' (Green Day album), 1995 * Insomniac (Enrique Iglesias album), ''Insomniac'' (Enrique Iglesias album), 2007 * Insomniac (song ...
, although he switched to a black
Seymour Duncan Seymour Duncan is an American company best known for manufacturing guitar and Bass (guitar), bass Pickup (music technology), pickups. They also manufacture effects pedals which are designed and assembled in United States. Guitarist and luthier ...
SH-4 JB in 1995. He toured with this guitar from the band's early days and still uses it to this day.
Marc Spitz Marc Spitz (October 2, 1969 – February 4, 2017) was an American music journalist, writer and playwright. Spitz's writings on rock and roll and popular culture appeared in ''Spin (magazine), Spin'' (where he was a Senior Writer) as well as ''Th ...
writes that, "Armstrong fetishized his teacher's guitar, partly because the blue instrument had a sound quality and Van Halen-worthy fluidity he couldn't get from his little red Hohner. He prized it mostly, however, because of his relationship with Cole, another father figure after the death of Andy." Both middle and neck pickups are disconnected and the pickup selector is locked in the bridge position. This also applies to his backup guitar and "Blue" copies, mainly Fender Stratocasters. "Blue" appears in a number of Green Day music videos such as " Longview", " Welcome to Paradise", " Basket Case", " Geek Stink Breath", "
Stuck with Me "Stuck with Me" is a song by American rock band Green Day. It was released as the second single and third track from their fourth album, ''Insomniac''. The song is about being too weak and too much of a push-over to stand up for yourself. The so ...
", " Brain Stew/Jaded", " Hitchin' a Ride", and "
Minority Minority may refer to: Politics * Minority government, formed when a political party does not have a majority of overall seats in parliament * Minority leader, in American politics, the floor leader of the second largest caucus in a legislative b ...
". "Blue" also appears on the album cover of ''
Insomniac Insomniac or The Insomniac may refer to: * A person who has insomnia Music * Insomniac (Green Day album), ''Insomniac'' (Green Day album), 1995 * Insomniac (Enrique Iglesias album), ''Insomniac'' (Enrique Iglesias album), 2007 * Insomniac (song ...
''. The "BJ" on Blue stands for Billie Joe, inspired by
Stevie Ray Vaughan Stephen Ray Vaughan (also known as SRV; October 3, 1954 – August 27, 1990) was an American musician, best known as the guitarist and frontman of the blues rock trio Stevie Ray Vaughan and Double Trouble (band), Double Trouble. Although his ma ...
, whose Stratocaster has his own initials ("SRV") on the pickguard. Today, Armstrong mainly uses Gibson and Fender guitars. Twenty of his Gibson guitars are
Les Paul Junior The Gibson Les Paul Junior is a solid-body electric guitar introduced in 1954 as an affordable, entry-level Gibson Les Paul, Les Paul. It was first released with a single-cutaway body style; models with a double-cutaway body style were introduced ...
models from the mid- to late-1950s. His Fender collection includes Stratocasters, Jazzmasters, Telecasters, a
Gretsch Gretsch is an American company that manufactures and markets musical instruments. The company was founded in 1883 in Brooklyn, New York by Friedrich Gretsch, a 27-year-old German immigrant, shortly after his arrival to the United States. Fri ...
hollowbody, Rickenbacker 360 and his copies of "Blue" from
Fender Custom Shop The Fender Custom Shop is a division of Fender Musical Instruments Corporation, housed within its headquarters complex in Corona, California, Corona, Riverside County, California, Riverside County, California. The Fender Custom Shop produces spe ...
. Recently he has begun giving away guitars to audience members invited to play on stage with Green Day, usually during the songs "Knowledge" or "Longview". He states that his favorite guitar is a 1956 Gibson Les Paul Junior he calls "Floyd", which he bought in 2000 just before recording the album '' Warning''. Armstrong also has three of his own
Les Paul Junior The Gibson Les Paul Junior is a solid-body electric guitar introduced in 1954 as an affordable, entry-level Gibson Les Paul, Les Paul. It was first released with a single-cutaway body style; models with a double-cutaway body style were introduced ...
signature models from Gibson. The first has been in production since 2006 and is modeled closely after "Floyd". The second began production in 2012 and is a TV Yellow double-cutaway Junior. Both models include a Gibson "H-90" pickup, exclusive to Armstrong's models. Gibson has also released an extremely limited run of acoustic signature guitars.
Epiphone Epiphone () is an American musical instrument brand that traces its roots to a musical instrument manufacturing business founded in 1873 by Anastasios Stathopoulos in İzmir, Ottoman Empire, and moved to New York City in 1908. After taking over ...
has release lower-priced version of his signature Gibson Les Paul Junior in 2022. Armstrong's amplifiers consist of a pair of
Marshall Marshall may refer to: Places Australia *Marshall, Victoria, a suburb of Geelong, Victoria ** Marshall railway station Canada * Marshall, Saskatchewan * The Marshall, a mountain in British Columbia Liberia * Marshall, Liberia Marshall Is ...
100-watt 1959 Super Lead reissues he acquired sometime before Green Day's Woodstock '94 performance and had modified for increased
distortion In signal processing, distortion is the alteration of the original shape (or other characteristic) of a signal. In communications and electronics it means the alteration of the waveform of an information-bearing signal, such as an audio signal ...
. Nicknamed "Meat" and "Pete", the two amps are run in conjunction for a fuller sound, with a Boss BD-2 Blues Driver used for solos. For clean tones, Armstrong uses a rackmount Custom Audio Electronics 3+ SE tube preamp, and all three amplifiers are run through a pair of Marshall 1960B cabinets with Celestion Vintage 30 speakers. In 2019, MXR released Armstrong's signature
overdrive pedal Distortion pedals are a type of effects unit designed to add distortion to an audio signal to create a ''warm'', ''gritty'', or ''fuzzy'' character. Depending on the style of signal clipping, the broader category of distortion pedals is typically ...
, the Dookie Drive, which aimed to reproduce his dual-Marshall setup and was decorated with the cover art from the ''Dookie'' album. MXR later rebranded the pedal as the FOD Drive. Armstrong plays several other instruments as well as guitar. He recorded harmonica and
mandolin A mandolin (, ; literally "small mandola") is a Chordophone, stringed musical instrument in the lute family and is generally Plucked string instrument, plucked with a plectrum, pick. It most commonly has four Course (music), courses of doubled St ...
parts on ''
Nimrod Nimrod is a Hebrew Bible, biblical figure mentioned in the Book of Genesis and Books of Chronicles, the Books of Chronicles. The son of Cush (Bible), Cush and therefore the great-grandson of Noah, Nimrod was described as a king in the land of Sh ...
'' and '' Warning'', piano parts on ''
21st Century Breakdown ''21st Century Breakdown'' is the eighth studio album by the American rock band Green Day, released on May 15, 2009, through Reprise Records. Green Day commenced work on the record in January 2006 and forty-five songs were written by vocalist ...
'', '' American Idiot: The Original Broadway Cast Recording'' (2010), ''
¡Tré! ''¡Tré!'' (stylized in all caps) is the eleventh studio album by the American Rock music, rock band Green Day, released on December 7, 2012. It is the third and final installment in the ''¡Uno!'' ''¡Dos!'' ''¡Tré!'' trilogy, a series of s ...
'', and
Revolution Radio ''Revolution Radio'' is the twelfth studio album by the American rock band Green Day, released on October 7, 2016 through Reprise Records. A self-produced effort, it marked their first release since 2009's '' 21st Century Breakdown'' not to be pr ...
, and plays drums and bass occasionally.


Personal life

In June 2018, Armstrong was given honorary citizenship of
Viggiano Viggiano is a ''comune'' in the province of Potenza, in the Southern Italian region of Basilicata. It is bounded by the comuni of Calvello, Corleto Perticara, Grumento Nova, Laurenzana, Marsicovetere, and Montemurro. Viggiano is known for m ...
, the Italian commune from where his paternal great-great-grandparents hailed, by Viggiano's mayor Amedeo Cicala. Armstrong is a member of the board of directors of Project Chimps, a sanctuary for former research chimpanzees funded in large part by the
Humane Society of the United States Humane World for Animals, formerly the Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) and Humane Society International (HSI), is a global nonprofit organization that focuses on animal welfare and opposes animal-related cruelties of national scop ...
. In 2024, Green Day saw several
Las Vegas Las Vegas, colloquially referred to as Vegas, is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Nevada and the county seat of Clark County. The Las Vegas Valley metropolitan area is the largest within the greater Mojave Desert, and second-l ...
radio stations pull their songs after Armstrong described the city as a "shithole" following the relocation of the
Oakland Athletics The Oakland Athletics (frequently referred to as the Oakland A's) were an American Major League Baseball (MLB) team based in Oakland, California from 1968 to 2024. The Athletics were a member club of the American League (AL) American League We ...
to the city. Armstrong is a fan of soccer and is one of the co-owners of
Oakland Roots SC Oakland Roots Sports Club is an American professional Association football, soccer club based in Oakland, California. The club competes in the USL Championship (USLC) as a member of the Western Conference (USL Championship), Western Conference. F ...
.


Business ventures

In 1997, Armstrong co-founded
Adeline Records Adeline Records was an American record label that was formed in Oakland, California in late 1997 and closed in August 2017. History In 1997, Adeline Records was founded by Billie Joe Armstrong, lead singer of Green Day, Screw 32's Doug Sangal ...
, a rock and punk rock record label which had, in recent years, been managed by Pat Magnarella, Green Day's manager. Adeline Records closed in August 2017 following Magnarella's split from Green Day. In April 2015, Armstrong opened ''Broken Guitars'' (now Oakland Guitars), a guitar shop in Oakland, California with fellow
Pinhead Gunpowder Pinhead Gunpowder is an American punk rock band that formed in East Bay, California, in 1991. The band currently consists of Aaron Cometbus (drums, lyrics), Bill Schneider (bass), Billie Joe Armstrong (guitar, vocals) and Jason White (guitar, ...
member and longtime
Green Day Green Day is an American Rock music, rock band formed in Rodeo, California, in 1987 by lead vocalist and guitarist Billie Joe Armstrong and bassist and backing vocalist Mike Dirnt, with drummer Tré Cool joining in 1990. In 1994, their majo ...
associate, Bill Schneider. In December 2015, Armstrong and
Mike Dirnt Michael Ryan Pritchard (born May 4, 1972), better known by his stage name Mike Dirnt, is an American rock musician who is the co-founder, bassist, backing vocalist, and occasional lead vocalist of Green Day. He has also played in several other ...
launched a coffee company, Oakland Coffee Works. The company sells organic coffee beans and is said to be the first company to use mass-produced compostable bags and pods.


Fashion

Armstrong has been noted for his
punk fashion Punk fashion is the clothing, hairstyles, cosmetics, jewellery, and body modifications of the punk counterculture. Punk fashion varies widely, ranging from Vivienne Westwood designs to styles modeled on bands like The Exploited to the dressed-dow ...
style, which influenced his followers of previous and current generations to the point of being known as a "style icon". He also launched an eye liner with
Kat Von D Katherine von Drachenberg (born March 8, 1982), known professionally as Kat Von D, is a Mexican-born American tattoo artist, television personality, entrepreneur and recording artist. She is best known for her work as a tattoo artist on the TLC ...
named "Basket Case", which is a cosmetic that he implemented as part of his singing character since his beginnings.


Political views

Armstrong supported
Barack Obama Barack Hussein Obama II (born August 4, 1961) is an American politician who was the 44th president of the United States from 2009 to 2017. A member of the Democratic Party, he was the first African American president in American history. O ...
during the
2008 2008 was designated as: *International Year of Languages *International Year of Planet Earth *International Year of the Potato *International Year of Sanitation The Great Recession, a worldwide recession which began in 2007, continued throu ...
and 2012 presidential elections, and
Bernie Sanders Bernard Sanders (born September8, 1941) is an American politician and activist who is the Seniority in the United States Senate, senior United States Senate, United States senator from the state of Vermont. He is the longest-serving independ ...
in the
2016 presidential election This national electoral calendar for 2016 lists the national/ federal elections held in 2016 in all sovereign states and their dependent territories. By-elections are excluded, though national referendums are included. January *7 January: Kiri ...
. Following Sanders' defeat in the Democratic primaries, Armstrong declared his support for
Hillary Clinton Hillary Diane Rodham Clinton ( Rodham; born October 26, 1947) is an American politician, lawyer and diplomat. She was the 67th United States secretary of state in the administration of Barack Obama from 2009 to 2013, a U.S. senator represent ...
. He was critical of
Donald Trump Donald John Trump (born June 14, 1946) is an American politician, media personality, and businessman who is the 47th president of the United States. A member of the Republican Party (United States), Republican Party, he served as the 45 ...
during the election and throughout Trump's presidency, calling him a "
fascist Fascism ( ) is a far-right, authoritarian, and ultranationalist political ideology and movement. It is characterized by a dictatorial leader, centralized autocracy, militarism, forcible suppression of opposition, belief in a natural soci ...
" and a "puppet of the
Illuminati The Illuminati (; plural of Latin ''illuminatus'', 'enlightened') is a name given to several groups, both real and fictitious. Historically, the name usually refers to the Bavarian Illuminati, an Enlightenment-era secret society founded on 1 ...
", comparing him to
Adolf Hitler Adolf Hitler (20 April 1889 – 30 April 1945) was an Austrian-born German politician who was the dictator of Nazi Germany from 1933 until Death of Adolf Hitler, his suicide in 1945. Adolf Hitler's rise to power, He rose to power as the lea ...
, and blaming "uneducated white working-class people" for his rise to power. In a 2017 ''Rolling Stone'' interview, he stated that he does not align himself with any political party and described himself as an
independent Independent or Independents may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Artist groups * Independents (artist group), a group of modernist painters based in Pennsylvania, United States * Independentes (English: Independents), a Portuguese artist ...
. He again supported Sanders during the 2020 presidential election, later endorsing
Joe Biden Joseph Robinette Biden Jr. (born November 20, 1942) is an American politician who was the 46th president of the United States from 2021 to 2025. A member of the Democratic Party (United States), Democratic Party, he served as the 47th vice p ...
after Sanders lost the primary. Following the
U.S. Supreme Court The Supreme Court of the United States (SCOTUS) is the highest court in the federal judiciary of the United States. It has ultimate appellate jurisdiction over all U.S. federal court cases, and over state court cases that turn on question ...
decision ''
Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization ''Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization'', 597 U.S. 215 (2022), is a List of landmark court decisions in the United States, landmark decision of the Supreme Court of the United States, United States Supreme Court in which the court held ...
'', Armstrong announced his plans to renounce his United States
citizenship Citizenship is a membership and allegiance to a sovereign state. Though citizenship is often conflated with nationality in today's English-speaking world, international law does not usually use the term ''citizenship'' to refer to nationalit ...
. Armstrong endorsed
Kamala Harris Kamala Devi Harris ( ; born October 20, 1964) is an American politician and attorney who served as the 49th vice president of the United States from 2021 to 2025 under President Joe Biden. She is the first female, first African American, and ...
on the day of the 2024 election. Armstrong has spoken out in support of
transgender A transgender (often shortened to trans) person has a gender identity different from that typically associated with the sex they were sex assignment, assigned at birth. The opposite of ''transgender'' is ''cisgender'', which describes perso ...
people. In a 2024 interview with ''
the Times ''The Times'' is a British Newspaper#Daily, daily Newspaper#National, national newspaper based in London. It began in 1785 under the title ''The Daily Universal Register'', adopting its modern name on 1 January 1788. ''The Times'' and its si ...
'', Armstrong spoke to the ways that he is still weaving his sexuality into his songwriting. The newspaper asked him about Green Day's opinions on the moral panic surrounding transgender youth, to which the singer responded, "I just think they're fucking close-minded." "It's like people are afraid of their children," he told the newspaper. "Why would you be afraid? Why don't you let your kid just be the kid that they are?" Throughout 2025, Armstrong has spoken out in support of
Palestine Palestine, officially the State of Palestine, is a country in West Asia. Recognized by International recognition of Palestine, 147 of the UN's 193 member states, it encompasses the Israeli-occupied West Bank, including East Jerusalem, and th ...
during apprearances with Green Day. In February 2025 at the
Malaysia National Hockey Stadium Malaysia National Hockey Stadium () is a multi-use stadium in National Sports Complex, Bukit Jalil, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. It is currently used mostly for the Malaysia national field hockey team and the Malaysia women's national field hocke ...
in Kuala Lumpur,
Malaysia Malaysia is a country in Southeast Asia. Featuring the Tanjung Piai, southernmost point of continental Eurasia, it is a federation, federal constitutional monarchy consisting of States and federal territories of Malaysia, 13 states and thre ...
, Armstrong displayed support for Palestine by draping a
Palestinian flag The flag of the State of Palestine () is a tricolour of three equal horizontal stripes—black, white, and green from top to bottom—overlaid by a red triangle issuing from the hoist. It displays the pan-Arab colours, which were first comb ...
from a fan over his shoulder during the song "Peacemaker". During Green Day's April 2025 set at Coachella, Armstrong modified the lyrics to Jesus of Suburbia in reference to the
Gaza war The Gaza war is an armed conflict in the Gaza Strip and southern Israel fought since 7 October 2023. A part of the unresolved Israeli–Palestinian conflict, Israeli–Palestinian and Gaza–Israel conflict, Gaza–Israel conflicts dating ...
, changing the line "Runnin' away from pain when you've been victimized" to "Runnin' away from pain, like the kids from Palestine."


Relationships and sexuality

Armstrong has identified himself as
bisexual Bisexuality is romantic attraction, sexual attraction, or sexual behavior toward both males and females. It may also be defined as the attraction to more than one gender, to people of both the same and different gender, or the attraction t ...
, saying in a 1995 interview with ''
The Advocate An advocate is a professional in the field of law. The Advocate, The Advocates or Advocate may also refer to: Magazines * The Advocate (magazine), ''The Advocate'' (magazine), an LGBT magazine based in the United States * ''The Harvard Advocate' ...
'', "I think I've always been bisexual. I mean, it's something that I've always been interested in. I think people are born bisexual, and it's just that our parents and society kind of veer us off into this feeling of, 'Oh, I can't.' They say it's taboo. It's ingrained in our heads that it's bad, when it's not bad at all. It's a very beautiful thing." In February 2014, he again discussed his bisexuality in a ''Rolling Stone'' article about the Green Day album ''Dookie'', which he described as "touch ngon bisexuality a lot". Armstrong met his first serious girlfriend, Arica Pelino, at
924 Gilman Street The Alternative Music Foundation located at 924 Gilman Street, almost exclusively referred to as "Gilman", is a non-profit, all-ages, collectively organized music club. It is located in the West Berkeley, Berkeley, California, West Berkeley ar ...
on his 16th birthday. She became known as the "first official Green Day fan", listening to the first four-track recordings by Armstrong and Sean Hughes, encouraging the band, touring with them and acting as an occasional photographer for them. She inspired many of Green Day's songs, including "Christie Road", which was written about the local railroad tracks where she and Armstrong would sneak out to meet. When Armstrong began living in punk houses and warehouses at the age of seventeen, including the warehouse above a West Oakland brothel which ultimately inspired the song "Welcome to Paradise",Spitz, M. 2006, Nobody Likes You, p48 she would often stay with him, later saying, "I would stay with him sometimes in these warehouses full of
crusty punk Crust punk (also known as stenchcore or simply crust) is a fusion genre of anarcho-punk and extreme metal that originated in the early to mid-1980s in England. Originally, the genre was primarily mid-tempo, making use of metal riffs in a strip ...
s." The couple split in late 1991. Shortly after his split with Pelino, Armstrong began dating a woman he has identified only as "Amanda". She produced and distributed her own fan zine and was an "iron-willed"
feminist Feminism is a range of socio-political movements and ideology, ideologies that aim to define and establish the political, economic, personal, and social gender equality, equality of the sexes. Feminism holds the position that modern soci ...
, which enthralled Armstrong. Amanda, however, was unimpressed with Armstrong; though the couple dated for some time, she ultimately left him in 1994 and joined the
Peace Corps The Peace Corps is an Independent agency of the U.S. government, independent agency and program of the United States government that trains and deploys volunteers to communities in partner countries around the world. It was established in Marc ...
, leaving him feeling suicidal. Armstrong stated in an interview with ''Spin'' about the inspiration behind the Green Day song "Armatage Shanks" in 1995: "It was right before ''Dookie'' came out and I was really at odds with myself. I was like, 'Man, do I really want to do this?' A lot of time I was thinking about suicide, how it's so easy to kill yourself, but it's so hard to stay alive. I was in a break-up with my then-girlfriend, a total, raving punk rocker who didn't approve of me being on a major label. She moved down to
Ecuador Ecuador, officially the Republic of Ecuador, is a country in northwestern South America, bordered by Colombia on the north, Peru on the east and south, and the Pacific Ocean on the west. It also includes the Galápagos Province which contain ...
saying she couldn't live in a world with
McDonald's McDonald's Corporation, doing business as McDonald's, is an American Multinational corporation, multinational fast food chain store, chain. As of 2024, it is the second largest by number of locations in the world, behind only the Chinese ch ...
and such. It was fucking me up pretty bad." Armstrong has written many songs about Amanda, both during their relationship and afterwards, including "She", "Good Riddance", "Stuart and the Ave", "Sassafras Roots", "Amanda", "She's a Rebel", "Extraordinary Girl", and "Whatsername". The character of Whatsername on the album ''American Idiot'', and in the ''American Idiot'' musical, is based on Amanda. In 1990, Armstrong met Adrienne Nesser (the sister of professional skateboarder Steve Nesser) at one of Green Day's early performances in
Minneapolis Minneapolis is a city in Hennepin County, Minnesota, United States, and its county seat. With a population of 429,954 as of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, it is the state's List of cities in Minnesota, most populous city. Locat ...
. They married on July 2, 1994, with Nesser discovering that she was pregnant the day after their wedding. Their first son, Joseph Marciano "Joey" Armstrong, was born on February 28, 1995. Joey went on to play drums in the
Oakland Oakland is a city in the East Bay region of the San Francisco Bay Area in the U.S. state of California. It is the county seat and most populous city in Alameda County, with a population of 440,646 in 2020. A major West Coast port, Oakland is ...
-based band
SWMRS SWMRS (formerly Emily's Army), pronounced 'swimmers', is an American punk rock band formed in Piedmont, California in 2004 by Cole Becker and Joey Armstrong, with Becker's brother Max Becker joining only a few weeks afterwards. They drew on a m ...
. Their second son, Jakob Danger Armstrong, was born on September 12, 1998. Jakob is a guitarist and singer-songwriter who released his first material online in 2015 and currently plays with the band Ultra Q (formerly Mt. Eddy). In a February 2014 interview with ''Rolling Stone'', Armstrong described his sudden marriage and fatherhood: "I was very impulsive at that time. I think that impulsive behavior was meant to counteract the chaos in my life."


Awards


Discography


Solo releases

;Albums * ''
Foreverly ''Foreverly'' (stylized as ''foreverly'') is a collaborative album by Green Day singer/guitarist Billie Joe Armstrong and jazz/pop singer-songwriter Norah Jones. It was released on November 25, 2013, through Reprise Records. ''Foreverly'' is a co ...
'' (2013, with
Norah Jones Norah Jones ( ; born Geethali Shankar; March 30, 1979) is an American singer-songwriter and musician. She has won several awards for her music and, , has sold more than 53 million records worldwide. '' Billboard'' named her the top jazz artist of ...
) * '' No Fun Mondays'' (2020) ;Singles * "Look for Love" (1977) * "Long Time Gone" (2013) * "
I Think We're Alone Now "I Think We're Alone Now" is a song written and composed by Ritchie Cordell that was first recorded by Tommy James and the Shondells. It was a major hit for the group, reaching number 4 on the US Hot 100 in April 1967. It finished at No. 12 on ' ...
" (2020) * "
Manic Monday "Manic Monday" is a song recorded by the American pop rock band the Bangles, which was the first single released from their second studio album, '' Different Light'' (1986). The song was written by American musician Prince, under the pseudonym ...
" (2020) * "
That Thing You Do! ''That Thing You Do!'' is a 1996 American musical comedy-drama film written and directed by Tom Hanks, in his feature writing and directorial debut. Set in 1960s rock and roll culture, it chronicles the rise and fall of a fictional one-hit won ...
" (2020) * "
Kids in America "Kids in America" is a song recorded by English pop singer Kim Wilde. It was released in the United Kingdom as her debut single in January 1981, and in the United States in spring 1982, later appearing on her Kim Wilde (album), self-titled de ...
" (2020) * "
You Can't Put Your Arms Around a Memory "You Can't Put Your Arms Around a Memory" is a song released in 1978 by Johnny Thunders, appearing on his debut solo album '' So Alone'' and as a single taken from the album. Both the song and album include the guitar work of Peter Perrett of t ...
" (2020) * "Corpus Christi" (2020) * "War Stories" (2020) * "Amico" (2020) * "Not That Way Anymore" (2020) * "
That's Rock 'n' Roll "That's Rock 'n' Roll" is a song written and originally recorded by Eric Carmen in 1976. It became a popular '' Billboard'' top 10 hit in 1977 for teen idol Shaun Cassidy. Eric Carmen version Background American pop rock artist Eric Carmen r ...
" (2020) * "
Gimme Some Truth "Gimme Some Truth" (originally spelled "Give Me Some Truth") is a protest song written and performed by John Lennon. It was first released on his 1971 album '' Imagine''. "Gimme Some Truth" contains various political references emerging from t ...
" (2020) * "
A New England "A New England" is a song written and recorded by Billy Bragg, included on his album '' Life's a Riot with Spy Vs Spy'', released in 1983. It remains a signature song from the early years of Bragg's recording career. In 1985, a cover version by ...
" (2020)


Green Day

* ''
39/Smooth ''39/Smooth'' is the debut studio album by the American Rock music, rock band Green Day, released on April 13, 1990, by Lookout Records. After finalizing their line-up, the band played frequent shows at the 924 Gilman Street venue, where they st ...
'' (1990) – lead vocals, guitar * '' Kerplunk!'' (1991) – lead vocals, guitar, drums and backing vocals on "Dominated Love Slave" * ''
Dookie ''Dookie'' is the third studio album by the American rock band Green Day, released on February 1, 1994, by Reprise Records. The band's first collaboration with producer Rob Cavallo, it was recorded in 1993 at Fantasy Studios in Berkeley, Calif ...
'' (1994) – lead vocals, guitar * ''
Insomniac Insomniac or The Insomniac may refer to: * A person who has insomnia Music * Insomniac (Green Day album), ''Insomniac'' (Green Day album), 1995 * Insomniac (Enrique Iglesias album), ''Insomniac'' (Enrique Iglesias album), 2007 * Insomniac (song ...
'' (1995) – lead vocals, guitar * ''
Nimrod Nimrod is a Hebrew Bible, biblical figure mentioned in the Book of Genesis and Books of Chronicles, the Books of Chronicles. The son of Cush (Bible), Cush and therefore the great-grandson of Noah, Nimrod was described as a king in the land of Sh ...
'' (1997) – lead vocals, guitar, harmonica on "Walking Alone" * '' Warning'' (2000) – vocals, guitar, mandolin, harmonica * ''
American Idiot ''American Idiot'' is the seventh studio album by the American rock band Green Day, released on September 21, 2004, by Reprise Records. The album was produced by Rob Cavallo in collaboration with the group. Recording sessions for ''American ...
'' (2004) – lead and backing vocals, guitar Retrieved September 17, 2023 * ''
21st Century Breakdown ''21st Century Breakdown'' is the eighth studio album by the American rock band Green Day, released on May 15, 2009, through Reprise Records. Green Day commenced work on the record in January 2006 and forty-five songs were written by vocalist ...
'' (2009) – lead and backing vocals, guitar, piano * '' American Idiot: The Original Broadway Cast Recording'' (2010) – vocals, guitar, piano * ''
¡Uno! ''¡Uno!'' (stylized in all caps) is the ninth studio album by the American rock band Green Day, released first in Australia on September 21, 2012, and released in the US on September 25, 2012, by Reprise Records. It is the first of three album ...
'' (2012) – vocals, guitar * ''
¡Dos! ''¡Dos!'' (stylized in all caps) is the tenth studio album by the American rock band Green Day. The album was released on November 9, 2012, in Australia, November 12 in the United Kingdom and on November 13 in the United States through Repri ...
'' (2012) – vocals, guitar * ''
¡Tré! ''¡Tré!'' (stylized in all caps) is the eleventh studio album by the American Rock music, rock band Green Day, released on December 7, 2012. It is the third and final installment in the ''¡Uno!'' ''¡Dos!'' ''¡Tré!'' trilogy, a series of s ...
'' (2012) – vocals, guitar, piano * ''
Revolution Radio ''Revolution Radio'' is the twelfth studio album by the American rock band Green Day, released on October 7, 2016 through Reprise Records. A self-produced effort, it marked their first release since 2009's '' 21st Century Breakdown'' not to be pr ...
'' (2016) – lead vocals, guitar, piano * ''
Father of All Motherfuckers ''Father of All Motherfuckers'' (also known by the censored title ''Father of All...'' or ''Father of All M***********s'') is the thirteenth studio album by the American rock band Green Day, released on February 7, 2020, through Reprise Records. ...
'' (2020) - lead vocals, guitar * '' Saviors'' (2024) - lead vocals, guitar


Pinhead Gunpowder

''Vocals and guitar on all'' * '' Jump Salty'' (1994) * '' Carry the Banner'' (1994) * '' Goodbye Ellston Avenue'' (1997) * ''
Shoot the Moon ''Shoot the Moon'' is a 1982 American drama film directed by Alan Parker, and written by Bo Goldman. It stars Albert Finney, Diane Keaton, Karen Allen, Peter Weller, and Dana Hill. Set in Marin County, California, the film follows George ...
'' ( EP) (1999) – also production * '' Compulsive Disclosure'' (2003) * ''
West Side Highway The Joe DiMaggio Highway, commonly called the West Side Highway and formerly the Miller Highway, is a mostly surface section of New York State Route 9A (NY 9A), running from 72nd Street (Manhattan), West 72nd Street along the Hudso ...
'' (EP) (2008) * ''
Unt UNT or University of North Texas is a state university in Denton, Texas. UNT or Unt may refer to: * Unt (surname), an Estonian-language surname * Unt (album), ''Unt'' (album), a 2024 album by Pinhead Gunpowder * ("A New Era"), a political party in ...
'' (2024)


The Network

* ''
Money Money 2020 ''Money Money 2020'' is the debut studio album by new wave band The Network, a side project of the band Green Day. It was released on September 30, 2003, through Adeline Records. Members of Green Day have denied being involved in the Network, ho ...
'' (2003) – guitar, vocals * '' Trans Am'' (2020) * '' Money Money 2020 Part II: We Told Ya So!'' (2020) - lead vocals, lead guitar, backing vocals, drums


Foxboro Hot Tubs

* ''
Stop Drop and Roll!!! ''Stop Drop and Roll!!!'' is the debut studio album by the American rock band the Foxboro Hot Tubs. The full album was first available for digital download on April 22, 2008, and was released on CD on May 20, 2008. The title track "Stop Drop a ...
'' (2008) – lead vocals


The Boo

* ''The Boo'' (EP) (2011) – bass


The Shrives

* ''Turn Me On'' (EP) (2015) – bass


The Longshot

* ''The Longshot'' (EP) (2018) – vocals, guitar, bass, drums * '' Love Is for Losers'' (2018) – vocals, guitar, bass, drums * ''Devil's Kind'' (Single) (2018) – vocals, guitar, bass, drums * ''Bullets'' (Single) (2018) – vocals, guitar, bass, drums * ''Razor Baby'' (EP) (2018) – vocals, guitar, bass, drums * ''Return to Sender'' (EP) (2018) – vocals, guitar, bass, drums


Filmography


Film


Television


Video games


Stage


References


External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Armstrong, Billie Joe 1972 births 20th-century American LGBTQ people 20th-century American male actors 20th-century American male singers 20th-century American singer-songwriters 21st-century American LGBTQ people 21st-century American male actors 21st-century American male singers 21st-century American singer-songwriters 21st-century American multi-instrumentalists American alternative rock guitarists American alternative rock musicians American alternative rock singers American bisexual male actors American bisexual musicians American bisexual writers American lead guitarists American LGBTQ singer-songwriters American male guitarists American male musical theatre actors American male singer-songwriters American mandolinists American punk rock guitarists American punk rock singers American rock songwriters American tenors American writers of Italian descent Bisexual male singers Bisexual singer-songwriters Grammy Award winners Green Day members Guitarists from California LGBTQ people from the San Francisco Bay Area LGBTQ record producers Living people Male actors from Oakland, California Musicians from Oakland, California Musicians from the San Francisco Bay Area New York (state) independents People from Rodeo, California People from the East Village, Manhattan Pop punk singers Record producers from California Rock musicians from California Singer-songwriters from California