Billie Joe Armstrong - Biography, Date of Birth, Place of Birth, Filmography (Read)

Billie Joe Armstrong - biography, date of birth, place of birth, filmography, clips, Actor, Composer.

Born February 17, 1972, California, USA - American musician and actor.

Billy began to sing quite early, at the age of 5. He often visited hospitals and sang there for their patients. Later he had his own song "Look For Love", recorded by the local company Fiat Records. At the age of 11, his mother gave him his first electric guitar, it was the famous "Blue", which Billy plays to this day (in black and white photo).

At the age of 10, Billy Joe met Mike Durnt in a school cafe. Staying with each other for the night, they listened and performed songs of such rock giants as Ozzy Osbourne, Def Leppard and Van Halen. An equally influential influence on their music was the work of the alternative band Bay Area throughout the eighties. In 1988, Billy Joe and Mike recruited drummer John Kiffmeier under the pseudonym Al Sobrant to Sweet Children and began their creative careers. Their first, but far from last, gig took place at the Rods Hickory Pit in Vallejo. The day before his eighteenth birthday, having almost finished school, Billy dropped out and decided to devote all his time to Sweet Children. Music became his calling.

Armstrong's first guitar was a Cherry Red Hohner acoustic guitar that his father bought him. Then, when he was eleven, he got his first electric guitar, a copy of the Fender Stratocaster, which he called "Blue." His mom got "Blue" from George Cole, who taught Billy the electric guitar for 10 years. Armstrong said in a 1995 MTV interview: "Basically, it was not guitar lessons, because I never learned to read music, he just taught me how to place my hands." Cole bought a new guitar from David Margen of Santana. Cole gave Billy a Bill Lawrence Humbucking pickup and suggested they fit into the bridge. After the pickup was disabled at Woodstock '94, Armstrong supplied Duncan JB.

“Armstrong fetishized his teacher's guitar, in part because it had the sound quality and Van Halen smoothness that he couldn't get from his little red Hohner. He appreciated it more, however, due to his relationship with Cole, another father figured after Andy's death. He toured with this guitar from the early days of the band and continues to use it to this day.

Today Armstrong primarily uses Gibson and Fender guitars. Twenty of his Gibson Les Pauls are junior models from the mid to late 1950s. His Fender Collection includes: Stratocaster, Jazzmaster, Telecaster, Hollowbody Gretsch and its copies "Blue". He states that his favorite guitar is the 1956 Gibson Les Paul Junior, which he calls "Floyd". He bought this guitar in 2000 shortly before the recording of their album "Warning". Armstrong also has his own line of Gibson Les Paul Junior guitars, modeled on Floyd's, Billy Joe's original 1956 Les Paul Junior.

He plays several other instruments well. He recorded harmonica and mandolin parts, piano at 21st Century Breakdown, and played drums during concerts from time to time.

All Information About: Billie Joe Armstrong - Biography, Date of Birth, Place of Birth, Filmography.
Author: Jane Watson