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Green Day is one of Rock’s most popular acts. The band has sold millions of albums worldwide and some have debuted at the top of the Billboard 200 chart. Formed in 1986 under various names, it would initially be a duo of Billie Joe Armstrong and Mike Dirnt. A drummer, John Kiffmeyer, was added to the lineup several years later. Kiffmeyer left the band in 1990 and Tre Cool took over as drummer. While some members have come and gone, they have mostly remained that trio at its core.
The band would go on to have their songs turned into a Broadway show called American Idiot. Armstrong helped write the show along with Michael Mayer. In addition to a successful run, the show would also win Tonys in several categories. It later became a touring show that has played across the world. Read on to learn more about the members who make up Green Day’s current lineup.
Billie Joe Armstrong
Armstrong is the lead singer of the band. He met fellow band member Mike Dirnt at age 10 and the two would start their first band several years later. The Oakland, California native is also the band’s main songwriter and can be credited with creating some of Green Day’s most memorable lyrics. Outside of the band, he has collaborated with artists throughout the industry and even established a record company that is no longer in business. Armstrong married Adrienne Nesser in 1994. The couple has two sons who also play in bands.
The lead singer of Green Day publicly dealt with substance abuse issues. After a public meltdown at the iHeartRadio Music Festival in 2012, the band’s reps announced Armstrong would be seeking help.“The next morning, I woke up. I asked [my wife] Adrienne, ‘How bad was it?’ She said, ‘It’s bad.’ I called my manager. He said, ‘You’re getting on a plane, going back to Oakland and going into rehab immediately,” Armstrong would later tell Rolling Stone about that night.
Mike Dirnt
Dirnt is the band’s bassist. The childhood friend of Billie Joe Armstrong helped form the band in 1986. While Armstrong may be credited as the main songwriter for the band, Dirnt has stepped up to provide lyrics on certain songs. The bassist has been married three times and is the father of three children. His third wife, Brittney Cade, was diagnosed with breast cancer. As the couple dealt with her diagnosis and recovery, they have been a part of fundraising events for the cause. “It’s surreal to look back on it because we went right back into our lives, but to the same degree, it’s really nice to pay it forward,” Dirnt said of their involvement with the Tower Cancer Research Foundation.
Tre Cool
Tre Cool has been a part of the band since 1990. The drummer, whose real name is Frank Edwin Wright III, was born in Germany and played with several bands before joining Green Day. This longtime member of the band reflected on their success in an interview with Modern Drummer. we looked up to bands that were having a good time and speaking their minds and being more political, who spoke out against racism and sexism. That sort of camaraderie within the East Bay community and that sort of mindset was very important to us,” he said. Tre Cool married Sara Rose Lipert in 2004 and the couple has one son.