Formed during the 1990s by Billie Joe Armstrong, Mike Dirnt, and Tre Cool, Green Day not only released hit songs like “Boulevard of Broken Dreams” but also brought new life to punk music. Throughout the following years, the group released numerous albums with their last, Saviors, hitting shelves just last year. Having spent over three decades in the music industry, Green Day recently gained a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. But while a major milestone for the band, Armstrong admitted it felt like attending his own funeral.
Videos by American Songwriter
Throughout the celebration, Green Day received high praise from stars like Flavor Flav, Matt Pinfield, and even Ryan Reynolds. Although thrilled about the celebration of the band’s career, Armstrong said, “This is crazy. [It’s] kind of like being at your own funeral.” Trying to process the moment, the singer dedicated the star to his mother, who he admitted, “This is like my mom’s Super Bowl right now.”
[RELATED: How Billie Joe Armstrong Accidentally Wrote Green Day’s Hit Song “Brain Stew”]
Billie Joe Armstrong Remembers Early Years Of Green Day
Outside of the ceremony, Armstrong also sat down with Variety to discuss receiving the star and Green Day’s legacy. “Now we’re in a time where us kids are getting our day. As people walk and have those dreams and look down at the stars, we can look down and say, ‘Hey, I’m stepping on my face right now!’ Pretty cool.” Remembering the early years, he added, “It was a really scary time because it was definitely do or die. But we practiced every single day, we just wanted to make the best record we possibly could, which ended up being Dookie.”
Offering aspiring artists the keys to success, Armstrong simply said, “Write good songs.” Pointing to the massive success of the album Dookie, the singer continued, “I think we’ve accomplished that. When someone picks up a record like Dookie, it’s a record that sounds like a bunch of guys made it together at a studio last week. For some people, they would never know that record was made 30 years ago. So we’ve been able to accomplish that…”
While gaining a spot on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, Green Day’s true milestone happened back in 2015 when the band was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. And it happened in the group’s first year of eligibility. Although happy for the accolades and praise, Green Day had no plans of retiring just yet as the band continues to release music and perform all over the world.
(Photo by Monica Schipper/Getty Images)
Leave a Reply
Only members can comment. Become a member. Already a member? Log in.