Billie Joe Armstrong: Jesus of Suburbia “We are the kids of war and peace from Anaheim to the Middle East. We are the stories and disciples of the Jesus of suburbia.” Billie Joe Armstrong went from being a kid in “slow suburbia in broken families and failing to fit in with their peers” to being honored in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. His music, lyrics, and songs have been listened to by millions of people in the past 20 years. With his “obnoxious” sound and antics is no wonder he’s loved by the world of punk rock. Billie Joe Armstrong was born February 17, 1972 in Oakland, California. He is the youngest of six children, Hollie, David, Marcy, Anna, and Alan. His parents are Ollie Jackson and Andrew Armstrong. Ollie worked for a restaurant in El Cerrito, Rod’s Hickory Pit. Andrew was a truck driver for Safeway Inc. and a part time jazz musician. Armstrong grew up in Rodeo, California. Armstrong’s interest in music was planted at an early age. He would go to hospitals to sing for the patients to make them feel better. At Hillcrest Elementary School, a teacher encouraged him to record “Look For Love” at Fiat Records when he was 5. His dad gave him his first guitar “Blue”, a Fernandes Stratocaster Acoustic Guitar. When he was ten, his father died of esophageal cancer, which Armstrong later wrote about in “Wake Me Up When…show more content… Green Day will also be inducted in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame this year. In his life, Armstrong has written numerous songs and albums. He has teamed up with Norah Jones with the album Forverly. Nimrod, a 1992 album provided personal insight into his struggles. Hitchin a Ride is a song about substance abuse, and Good Riddance explores the feeling of a relationship ending.
Billie Joe Armstrong has been through a lot in his 43 years, struggles that he has converted to relatable songs that have been listened to for decades., and his timeless, punk music will be listened to for many