Dummy Billie, but I like reading your articles. Your great =)
December 20th, 2012 at 11:21pm
I think it was a huge surprise for me because he hid it so well. I knew he used marijuana, but other than that I thought he was clean. He was pretty private in his family life and never really showed (in his older years) any outwards signs of substance abuse. With the exception of apparently being drunk during one of his Foxboro Hottubs shows, I'm not sure how regularly he was drunk while on stage.
It's impossible to express my true feelings for him, but I care very deeply for Billie Joe Armstrong. It was hard to me to hear that he was going to rehab, just because I think a lot of people do see it as another characteristic of a "rock 'n roll lifestyle." But any fan of Green Day knows that Billie has probably struggled his whole life with the loss of his dad, and I know from experience that the hurt and the confusion doesn't just disappear as you get older. I would bet that a lot of his problems stem from un-resolved pshycological issues he's held his whole life. I would bet that for a lot of other musicians who were heavily reliant on substances. But I also know a big part is that it's easier to obtain substances when you're so famous, and as much as it would break my heart, I would say that part of it was also his ability to get the alcohol or the drugs (not sure which he's being treated for).
He is a family man, and I am confident that he will come out of this and be a good example for his kids. I firmly believe he's a good person, and that he's just hit a tough spot in his life. But I applaud him for being strong enough to realize he needs to fix it, that says a lot about a person, famous or not. Realizing you have a problem is hard to do, and I'm glad he's doing this for himself.
As far as this article goes, I'm very impressed. Not only as a Green Day fan, but as a journalist, I'm very happy with this article. The fact that you put quotes in it was great, and is something I never see in Mibba articles. I applaud you for going that extra mile, and this is very well done.