Legendary

Chapter One- Dookie Days

February 17, 1972. 

That date may not mean anything to you. However, it was on that day that the world changed forever. It was on that day that the biggest pop-punk god you've ever heard of crawled out of the womb. His name? Billie Joe Armstrong.

Billie Joe was born in Rodeo, California, to Ollie Jackson and Andrew Armstrong.  Rodeo was a small town with not much to do nearby other than punk center 924 Gilman - we'll get back to that later. 

A rockstar at birth, Billie released the record "Look for Love" at 5 years old that included an interview on the backside. Billie would later say that back then, he never thought of pursuing a career in music because it was just something he had done as a kid. It is still possible to find the record online. 

Every major hero story needs a young-age tragedy. Billie Joe's came when he was 10 with the death of his father. This event set Armstrong onto a path that he would never come out of. It's rumored that during his father's funeral, Billie Joe locked himself into his room, allegedly saying "Wake me up when September ends", which would go on to inspire the melodic American Idiot song. That rumor, however, has been confirmed fake.  

Not all of it was bad, however. His father left Billie one thing- a guitar. This guitar would go on to be his iconic, sticker-covered strat that he's known for with the red BJ initials on it.It was with this guitar and his best friend and bassist, Mike Dirnt, that Armstrong would start the band "Sweet Children", along with John Kiffmeyer, who was their drummer. They would later change the name to the iconic "Green Day", which was a nod to smoking pot.

It was this lineup that would release the band's first album, 39/Smooth. The album was very rough but charming and saw moderate success in the Bay Punk Scene, often centered around 924 Gilman. 

924 Gilman was where Green Day set its roots. It is now one of the most iconic punk landmarks in the U.S. It was the center where they often played starting out, and also started off other bands such as The Offspring. Green Day would be banned from the Gilman after signing with Reprise, due to allegations of selling out.

Shortly after the release of 39/Smooth, Kiffmeyer would leave the band to focus on college. In his absence stepped Tre Cool, whose high-energy drumming took the band to the next level. Shortly thereafter, the band would release the album Kerplunk!, which would end up getting them signed to Reprise Warner. 

Kerplunk! was also a rough album, but it had developed the Green Day sound we've all come to love. Among its songs was the earliest version of "Welcome to Paradise", which would later be remastered onto Dookie. 

After signing to Reprise (and consequentially being banned from the Gilman), the band would go on to release the album that brought pop-punk out of the basements and into the mainstream- Dookie. Dookie was a great combo of fast, hard songs and slower moments that made it music gold. Among its top hits were Longview, Welcome to Paradise, When I Come Around, and the ever-praised Basket Case. The album also explored more personal topics, such as Billie Joe's bisexuality.

Along with Dookie came massive success. It won a Grammy for "Best Alternative Album" and is one of the most iconic albums ever, up there with the likes of "Nevermind" and "Appetite for Destruction". It's also on the front of the iconic T-Shirt that you'll likely see at one point or another.