Green Day frontman defines as an icon of the genre a singer who served as one of his greatest musical influences
THE Green Day was one of the names responsible for giving new life to punk rock in the 1990s, including in the mainstream. Among the main influences, especially of the vocalist and guitarist Billie Joe Armstrongthere is a musician from the 1970s cited as perhaps the best representation of the genre. Obviously, he is one of the Ramones.
Armstrong’s admiration for New Yorkers was never a secret. His greatest connection was with the lead singerJoey Ramone.
In a list drawn up for the Entertainment Weekly (via Far Out Magazine), the Green Day frontman claimed that the Ramones singer was a sort of “punk Jesus.” In a playful but pertinent comment, Billie Joe said:
Joey is the Jesus of punk. He has this captivating quality where his voice matches his looks. He’s incredibly handsome, kind of like a praying mantis. He’s gangly, with long legs, and his voice sounds like this (imitating Joey’s voice) – it’s like a really insecure kid who became empowered through rock and roll.”
The two artists met at the ceremony MTV Video Music Awards (VMA) in 1994. When sharing a photo of the moment on social media, Armstrong confessed that he thought he would cry on that occasion, where he even exchanged phone numbers with his idol, who died in 2001, at the age of 49, victim of lymphoma.
Ramones and the origins of Green Day
Billie Joe Armstrong has stated the influence of the Ramones on his career on several occasions. In a fan Q&A session in the magazine Teamwhen asked about his inspirations, stated:
A lot of bands from Minneapolis, like Hüsker Dü and The Replacements. After that, the Ramones, and then the local punk rock scene where we came from, in Berkeley, California. There was a great compilation called Turn It Around! That was a big record for me.”
It’s worth remembering that Green Day played when the Ramones were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2002. In 2018, when he performed at Joey’s annual birthday celebration, Billie Joe told the Forbes (via Alternative Press) on how he saw the band:
They looked like a family, with the name and a gang or something, or something like that. Del-Lords or some kind of group of New York barbarians who would go around carrying a baseball bat.”
In the same interview, he revealed the first time he was “caught” by the sound of the Ramones:
When I was a kid, I watched a late-night show they did in Ann Arbor on TV, if you look it up on YouTube. They sounded so good and the energy of the audience, they were completely into it.”
To this day, it is not uncommon to see Green Day covering the Ramones at their shows. The classic “Blitzkrieg Bop” is certainly the most remembered, but “Teenage Lobotomy” It was also played, including at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame ceremony.
Collaborated: André Luiz Fernandes.
Source: Rollingstone
Earl Johnson is a music writer at Gossipify, known for his in-depth analysis and unique perspective on the industry. A graduate of USC with a degree in Music, he brings years of experience and passion to his writing. He covers the latest releases and trends, always on the lookout for the next big thing in music.
