Green Day

Green Day Group Photo

I think that the members of Green Day are three of my heroes because they write rock songs about things that matter in our lives. The band has three members, Billy Joe Armstrong, Mike Dirnt and, Tre Cool, and I think they are all my heroes. Billy Joe plays lead guitar and sings, Mike Dirnt plays lead bass and sings backup and, Tre Cool plays drums and percussion. Another cool thing that makes them my heroes is that they made and are making money and became famous by singing about things that they believe such as political views and rights.

Green Day is a huge symbol of rock music, it all started when Armstrong and Dirnt (actually named Michael Pritchard) formed the beginnings of Green Day with a band called Sweet Children in Northern California, later assuming the name Green Day in the late 80’s. The band then was joined by a drummer (Al Sobrante) in 1989, when he left the band for college they found a new drummer named Tre Cool who changed his name from Frank Edwin Wright III. Their CDs came out in this order: 1,039 Smoothed Out Slappy Hours, Kerplunk, Dookie, Insomniac, Nimrod, Warning, International Superhits, Shenanigans, American Idiot

Billy Joe and his wife

Billy Joe Armstrong was born on February 17, 1972 in Rodeo California, he was the youngest of three children in a large household. His father was a jazz musician and truck driver but died of lung cancer when Billy Joe was 11. As soon as he could talk he was singing songs in hospitals to comfort patients. When he was 10 he started the band Sweet Children with Mike Dirnt. Eventually he changed the band name and became a hugely known rock star. He is now happily married and is still touring with the band.

Mike Dirnt rocking out.

When Mike Dirnt was born on May 4, 1972 in California his given name was Michael Ryan Pritchard. He was adopted but those two parents split up like his real parents. He obviously did not have a very good family life but, he made it through. After joining Green Day Mike married and had a daughter, but being in Green Day was to hard for the couple so they split up. Mike and his ex-wife are good friends and he visits his daughter as much as possible.

Tre Cool

Frank Edwin Wright III was the name Tre Cool's parents gave him (I don't blame him for changing it). He was born on December 9, 1972 in Willits California. His father was a Vietnam War veteran and a house builder. Ever since Tre was old enough he has been playing drums in many different bands. Oddly enough Tre's neighbor, Lawrence Livermoore was the founder of Lookout! Records, Green Day's original record label. At the age of 12 Tre joined Livermoore's band the lookouts and recorded his first album with them. He married his girlfriend Lisea Simons in 1995, they split up but like Mike and his wife they are in good terms. He re-married in 2000 and now has a daughter.