|
|
|
|
Before they got together as Green Day, Billie Joe Armstrong, Mike Dirnt and Tre Cool were merely three extraordinary hopefuls hoping and looking for their big break. The trio has no formal training and got their 'practice' from playing for free at punk clubs on Gilman Street in Berkeley, California. Out on the streets is where the 3 talented individuals got their big break - they turned from punk rock's most unlikely success story to a remarkable band with a series of chart-topping hits. Together, they sold more than 10 million albums and won a Grammy Award in the process. It's been a long journey for the trio who started out singing out in the streets.
Both Billie Joe Armstrong and Mike Dirnt were born in Rodeo, California in 1972 and have been fabulous childhood friends since the age of 10. At the age of 14, they carefully put together their first band, Sweet Children.
They recorded their first EP as Green Day, 1,000 hours, in 2 days flat and in the meantime, Dirnt graduated and Armstrong dropped out of high school. A local indie label "Lookout!" released Green Day's debut album - at this time, Green Day recorded the album with their first drummer, Al Sobrante. Al Sobrante soon quit the band. Dirnt and Armstrong found a friend in Tre Cool (Frank Edwin Wright III) who as been a drummer with "Lookout!" since the age of 12. Together, Armstrong, Dirnt and Cool released the group's second album, Kerplunk.
Green Day didn't burst into the entertainment scene without followers and fans. That's because Green Day, before the release of their albums, EARNED their following by driving their renovated bookmobile from coast to coast, crashing in their friends' places and organizing mini-concerts for their fans. When they reprised their debut, Dookie, Green Day already have a throng of fans and followers. To say the very least, Green Day made immaturity and malcontent cool all over again. Their songs on picking scabs, pyromania?.won the hearts of followers and fans who can tune in to the content and felt the pain and stress in the songs. The re-release of 'Dookie' took the world by storm because they sold more than 10 million copies in the U.S. alone and they won a Grammy in 1994 for "Best Alternative Music Performance".
Green Day proves to critics that they are here to stay and refuse to be a one-hit (or even one-album wonders). With their next album, Insomniac, and in their latest album, Nimrod, they stayed steadfast to the punk philosophy. They maintain that being naughty is sometimes nice - even when you're married and have kids.
What makes the songs from Green Day so wildly popular is the fact it's easy for anyone to identify with the lyrics. They reintroduced anger and exuberance in a very offbeat and un-rhythmic sort of way. They have, what people will call, the finger-in-your-face attitudes. The sort of staying power Green Day has shown through their songs, it's not hard to imagine why we say that Green Day won't be making its way out of the scene any day soon - not today, not Green Day.
Dean Erickson. Journalist, and web site builder Dean Erickson lives in Texas. He is the owner and co-editor of http://www.all-green-day.info on which you will find a longer, more detailed version of this article.
 ABC News | Classical music hits YouTube smudailycampus.com, TX - Dun, best known for his Grammy Award winning scores for "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon" and more recently the official music for the 2008 Beijing Olympics, ... Introducing YouTube's orchestra... paidContent.org - Broadband Content Bits: YouTube Goes Classical ... Getting to Carnegie via YouTube |
Shazam adds 2 million tracks to music library CNET News, CA - Mobile-music discovery provider Shazam announced on Thursday that it has increased its music database from 6 million tracks to 8 million tracks, ... Shazam: eight million songs of the eternal Now Shazam Amplifies Music Database by a Third Adding Another 2 Million Songs, Shazam Grows Database by 30% |
Classical Music/Opera Listings New York Times, United States - The program also takes advantage of Mr. Levine’s passion for playing piano chamber music: it begins with Mr. Levine and Mr. Barenboim playing Schubert’s F ... |
 New York Times | ‘Tis the Music for Being Cautiously Optimistic New York Times, United States - Consciously or not, much of this year’s new holiday music expresses some anxiety about whether the old modes of merriment still matter. ... Tune to sounds of the season Connick, Crow highlight new holiday releases |
 National Post | Folk music, civil rights legend Odetta dies at 77 The Associated Press - First coming to prominence in the 1950s, she influenced Harry Belafonte, Joan Baez, Bob Dylan and other superstars of the folk music boom. ... Odetta Holmes dies at 77; folk singer championed black history ... Inspirational Folk Music Legend Odetta Dies at 77 Odetta left message of hope |
 WELT ONLINE | The LA Times music blog Los Angeles Times, CA - Robert Plant and Alison Krauss didn't just make extraordinary music when they teamed for their "Raising Sand" album. They also gave Grammy voters everything ... Farber: Music sales won this year's Grammy nominations NASHVILLE SKYLINE: Grammy Nominations Acknowledge Country Music ... Grammy nominations a snooze |
 AFP | Plans for Salzburg Sound of Music hotel hit sour note AFP - VIENNA (AFP) — The former home of the Trapp family, made famous by the 1965 film "The Sound of Music," will not re-open as a hotel after all following ... Austria's Salzburg resists "Sound of Music" hotel London's Sound of Music to Close in February 2009 Plan for 'Sound of Music' hotel blocked in Austria |
 E! Online | Music revs up this 'Cadillac' USA Today - By Eric Liebowitz, Sony TriStar Pictures, via AP By Claudia Puig, USA TODAY Though the music in Cadillac Records hums along powerfully, the film could use a ... 'Cadillac Records—: Good music, shaky history In 'Cadillac Records,' the music's electrifying but the details ... 'Cadillac Records:' Watch it for the music -- and then the stars ... |
 BBC News | Musicians tap new revenue model BBC News, UK - By Maggie Shiels With CD sales in decline the music industry is looking for novel ways to recover some of its dwindling revenue. ... iPhone Music Game Tap Tap Revenge Hits the Floor In Sequel Tap Tap ... Games, music dominate Top 10 iPhone applications in 2008 Musicians 'Tap Tap' iPhone |
 New York Daily News | My music life PSU The Clock, NH - A documentary educates the viewer, "Britney: For the Record" is more like a "reality" show to help a struggling music artist make a comeback. ... Exclusive: ET's Extended Preview of Britney Spears' Music Video ... The Shuffle: Baby, one more time? A generation says goodbye |
| Top of Page home Bookmark Us Now ctrl+d 1st 4 Music, shopping via 1st4music cost no more than going direct and can often save you money with special offers. with questions or comments about this website |