After organizing his band's tours to see more of Adrienne Nesser in her hometown, Billie Joe Armstrong asked her to move in with him in California. The pair had started as friends, but their connection grew deeper, leading Adrienne to drop everything to be with her love.
Adrienne Nesser spent her early 20s in Mankato, Minnesota, a place she truly adored. She had been a university transfer student with a lover living in the city and thought it was the perfect place to complete her degree.
Despite a funky fashion sense and hairstyle that sometimes made people shy away, Adrienne was quite the social butterfly who balanced her beloved studies and flourishing social life. She was a self-proclaimed "partier," and on one night out, she met the man who would be her life partner when his band was yet to reach stardom.
Billie Joe Armstrong and Adrienne Armstrong are pictured during AngloMania Costume Institute Gala at The Metropolitan Museum of Art on September 4, 2006, at Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City. | Source: Getty Images
During her years in Mankato, Adrienne created many fond memories and made many friends, some with whom she remained in contact. She grew up alongside two siblings, a brother and a sister, who pursued their own successful careers.
Adrienne attained a tertiary qualification and later became a business owner alongside her good friend, Jamie Kidson. However, she initially focused much of her efforts on raising her family, especially after she married her long-time husband, Billie Joe Armstrong.
Adrienne Nesser Is a Businesswoman
Adrienne and her siblings, Steve Nesser and Natalie Nesser, are of Lebanese origin. Steve ventured into professional skateboarding, while Natalie became a professional photographer. Their sister transferred to Minnesota State University to complete her degree in Sociology.
However, Adrienne only spent a few semesters at MSU before transferring again to Minneapolis Community College. During a 2009 interview with Mankato Free Press, she expressed how much she loved studying and that balancing her studies with partying was easy.
Billie Joe Armstrong and Adrienne Nesser are pictured at Nickelodeon's 19th Annual Kids' Choice Awards on an unspecified date | Source: Getty Images
Adrienne graduated with her Sociology degree in 1993, but after submitting a paper after one of her classes ended, she only received her certificate three years later. When asked why she favored Sociology, she explained:
"I have always loved the dynamics of social groups, clicks and society classes. It’s what triggered my interest in social justice and being an activist."
Still, she didn't have a particular career in mind. She thought about becoming a teacher, but it was "always a fleeting idea," as she remarked. Adrienne took a bunch of jobs while she stayed in Mankato, including one at the bowling alley, The Jungle, one at Pagliai's, and one as a manager at Pier 1.
Today, she is the co-owner of Atomic Garden, an eco-friendly lifestyle store that offers a wide range of products, including clothes, and vintage furniture, based in Oakland, California. She and her partner were previously clothing designers who met during one of their children's soccer games.
Adrienne and Billie Met at a House Party
It was 1990, and Green Day was doing its first tour. They were still up-and-coming and known for playing just about anywhere, including garages, farms, and basements. On July 4 of that year, they played at a house party in Dinkytown that Adrienne and her boyfriend attended.
Green Day played again at The Varsity the following day, and that's when a friend of Adrienne's introduced her to the band members. She and Billie started corresponding and became penpals. Their friendship grew over long-distance calls while Adrienne was still in an on-and-off relationship.
She ended it after graduating from college and remained single for a year, during which she and Billie saw each other occasionally. He would sometimes visit Mankato on his own and organize mini-tours with Green Day in the city to see Adrienne.
Eventually, Billie asked Adrienne to move to California with him and give their romance a try. Adrienne was scared, but she was determined to be with Billie. So, she had a large garage sale where she sold many of her belongings.
Adrienne then hired a mini U-Haul to take the rest of her stuff to California and drove with Steve and her friend, Holly. Two weeks into her stay, Billie asked for her hand in marriage, and they wed in July 1994. Soon after, Green Day shot to fame, and they started expanding their family.
They Renewed Their Vows 20 Years Later
The lovebirds renewed their vows in a beautiful ceremony at the Las Vegas Neon Museum in 2014. They donned stunning matching black attire and were joined by other musical legends, including Green Day bandmate Tre Cool, Duff McKagan, and Tim Armstrong.
Both of Their Kids Followed in their Father's Footsteps
Adrienne and Billie welcomed two sons, Joey and Jakob Danger Armstrong. Like Amanda Sudano and Presley Tanita Tucker, Joey and Jakob Danger followed in their dad's footsteps and even started their own bands.
Joey joined the music industry with his friend, Cole Becker, in 2008 when they released a set of songs on MySpace. They started small, adding new members as the years passed and undergoing name changes.
They started releasing music under the name The Raining Souls, later changing it to The Clocks. They changed it again a few times until they settled on SWMRS (Swimmers) in 2015. Some of their projects include the EPs "Broadcast This" and "Regan McNeil."
Jakob gained recognition after posting some of his music on Sound Cloud and YouTube in 2015. He signed his band, Jakob Danger, with Burger Records and had the full support of his parents. He even collaborated with Joey on a few songs in his band's self-titled EP, released that year.
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