Green Day is a California–based Pop Punk/Punk Rock band, consisting of Billie Joe Armstrong (lead vocals, guitar), Mike Dirnt (born Michael Pritchard; bass, backing vocals), and Tré Cool (born Frank Edwin Wright III; drums, backing vocals). Since their sixth album, the band has included close friend and associate, back–up guitarist Jason White.

The band got their start on Lookout! Records and recorded their first release, 39/Smooth in 1989. Before leaving on tour. they recorded another four–song EP called Slappy. This release was followed by another four–song EP, Sweet Children, including some of their old songs for the local label Skene Records. In 1991, 1,039/Smoothed Out Slappy Hours was released, which re–issued 39/Smooth with all the tracks from Slappy and 1,000 Hours.

Their album Dookie has been certified diamond (10 million copies shipped) in the United States since its release in 1994. Their second best–selling album American Idiot, released in 2004 (a decade after Dookie), has been certified quadruple platinum in the U.S., has sold over eleven million copies worldwide, and won the 2005 Grammy Award for "Best Rock Album".

In 2005 Green Day swept the MTV Video Music Awards, winning seven out of eight nominations: "Video of the Year," "Best Rock Video," "Best Group Video," "Best Direction," "Best Editing," "Best Cinematography" (all of which were for "Boulevard of Broken Dreams"), and the "Viewer's Choice Award" for "American Idiot".

In addition to their American Music Award for "Favorite Album" for American Idiot, Green Day won the 2006 Grammy Award for Record of the Year for "Boulevard of Broken Dreams." Green Day will also soon be honored by the San Francisco chapter of the Recording Academy on March 19 with the San Francisco Chapter's 2006 Recording Academy Honor.