Billie Joe Armstrong

Verified Timeline

Lore & Background

Armstrong developed an interest in music at a young age, recording his first song at age five. He met Mike Dirnt in elementary school, and they bonded over their love of music, forming the band Sweet Children at age 14, later renamed Green Day. In 1990, he provided lead guitar and backing vocals on three songs for the Lookouts' final EP, which featured Tré Cool on drums; Cool became Green Day's drummer later that year. Armstrong joined Pinhead Gunpowder in 1991. In 1993, he played live several times with Rancid and was credited as a co-writer on their song 'Radio.' He co-wrote the Go-Go's 2001 song 'Unforgiven' and co-wrote songs with Penelope Houston. In 2003, he traveled alone to New York City to clear his head, renting an apartment in the East Village and participating in jam sessions at a bar. He was arrested for driving under the influence on January 5, 2003. In 2009, he formed the band Rodeo Queens, releasing one song, 'Depression Times.' In 2013, he appeared on Season 3 of NBC's The Voice as an assistant mentor for Christina Aguilera's team, and released the album 'Foreverly' with Norah Jones.

In Their Own Story

On September 21, 2012, during a Green Day performance at Las Vegas' iHeartRadio Music Festival, Armstrong became agitated onstage and stopped the band's set midway through 'Basket Case.' In an expletive-filled rant, he criticized the event's promoters for allegedly cutting short the performance, before smashing his guitar and storming off stage. The band later issued a statement apologizing and clarifying that their set had not actually been cut short. Two days later, Green Day announced that Armstrong was seeking treatment for an unspecified substance abuse problem. According to Claudia Suarez Wright, Tre Cool's ex-wife, Armstrong had been drinking heavily in Las Vegas prior to the festival, following approximately one year of sobriety. In a March 2013 Rolling Stone interview, Armstrong said he had 'been trying to get sober since 1997, right around Nimrod' and detailed how his addiction escalated during the 2011 summer tour of Europe, stating, 'I was at my pill-taking height at that time, medicating the shit out of myself.'

Reader's Guide

Armstrong serves as the lead vocalist, guitarist, and primary songwriter for Green Day, a role he has held since co-founding the band in 1987. He also plays guitar and sings for Pinhead Gunpowder, and provides lead vocals for side projects Foxboro Hot Tubs, the Network, the Longshot, and the Coverups. His business ventures include founding Adeline Records in 1997 to support other bands, signing acts such as the Frustrators, AFI, and Dillinger Four. He co-founded Punk Bunny Coffee (formerly Oakland Coffee Works) in 2015. Armstrong has acted in several films and TV series, including 'Like Sunday, Like Rain,' 'Ordinary World,' 'King of the Hill,' 'Haunted,' and 'Drunk History.' He co-wrote the book and lyrics for the jukebox musical 'American Idiot' and portrayed the role of St. Jimmy in the show during its Broadway run.

Did You Know?

• Armstrong recorded his first song at age five, titled 'Look for Love,' on the Bay Area label Fiat Records.
• He met Mike Dirnt in the school cafeteria at age 10, and they bonded over their love of music.
• Armstrong's father, a jazz musician and truck driver, died of esophageal cancer on September 10, 1982, when Armstrong was 10 years old; the song 'Wake Me Up When September Ends' is a memorial to him.
• He co-wrote the Go-Go's 2001 song 'Unforgiven' and co-wrote songs with Penelope Houston.
• Armstrong was arrested for driving under the influence on January 5, 2003, and released on $1,200 bail.