Billie Joe Armstrong Takes Lead in 'American Idiot'

Green Day's Billie Joe Armstrong will make his Broadway debut tomorrow, playing the role of St. Jimmy in the American Idiot musical. Armstrong is taking over for actor Tony Vincent, who is on a two-week break. Tickets for all eight of Armstrong's performances are on sale now at Telecharge. Vincent will return to the production on October 12th.

Green Day's American Idiot Musical: Meet the Show's Rocker Cast

The cast of American Idiot have joined Green Day onstage on several occasions, but this will be the first time Armstrong has acted with them. He will sing lead on a number of Idiot tracks including "Know Your Enemy," "Homecoming" and "St. Jimmy." Armstrong will rejoin Green Day on October 8th, as the band embarks on a tour of South America. Understudies Andrew Call and Joshua Kobak will then take over as St. Jimmy until Vincent returns.

Video: Green Day on American Idiot

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Song Stories

“1999”

Prince | 1982

“I don’t consider myself a great poet,” Prince told Rolling Stone. “I just know I’m here to say what’s on my mind.” In the case of the apocalyptic party anthem “1999,” he was worried about then-president Ronald Reagan’s foreign policies. The song’s melody is based on a riff borrowed from the Mamas and Papas’ “Monday, Monday,” and Prince originally envisioned the first verse with three-part harmony but later split the vocals between himself and members of the Revolution. Because Warner Bros., with whom Prince was locked in a contractual battle, owned the original’s masters, Prince rerecorded the song and appropriately released that version in 1999.

More Song Stories entries »

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