Billie Joe Armstrong

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

Armstrong was the youngest of six children born in Oakland, Ca

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

Armstrong was the youngest of six children born in Oakland, California, and was later raised in Rodeo, California. His father, Andy, was a jazz musician and truck driver who died of cancer of the esophagus which spread throughout his body 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.