Mike Dirnt : biography
Michael Ryan Pritchard (born May 4, 1972) is an American musician, best known as the bassist, backing vocalist and co-founder of the American punkrock band Green Day. He has also played in several other bands, including The Frustrators. During grade school, he would constantly play "air-bass", and while pretending to pluck the strings, he made the noise, "dirnt, dirnt, dirnt". As a result, his schoolmates began to call him "Mike Dirnt".
Personal life
Dirnt has a daughter, Estelle Desiree, who was born in April 1997 (with first wife Anastasia) and has the nickname "Hero." He won full custody of her in the summer of 2008 and took her to live in Oakland. In 2004, he married his then girlfriend Sarah. The two divorced that same year because he was spending too much time in the studio recording American Idiot. On March 14, 2009, Dirnt married Brittney Cade. Their wedding was a private ceremony in Brittney’s hometown of Ojai, California. Dirnt has two children with Cade—a son, Brixton Michael, born on October 11, 2008, and a daughter, Ryan Ruby Mae, born on November 29, 2010.
Dirnt is a Star Wars fan; he stated in an interview "I base most of my religious beliefs on Star Wars."
Dirnt is part owner of Rudy’s Can’t Fail Cafe, a diner in Emeryville, California and Oakland, California.http://www.greendayauthority.com/TheBand/mikedirnt.php The diner gets its name from a song by punk band The Clash entitled "Rudie Can’t Fail," off of their album London Calling. The menu item names are loosely based on punk themes such as "God Save the Chicken," which is a reference to "God Save the Queen" by the Sex Pistols and "Give ‘Em Enough Meatloaf," which is a reference to Give ‘Em Enough Rope by The Clash.
After the album Warning was released, Dirnt needed surgery for Carpal tunnel syndrome.http://www.greendayauthority.com/TheBand/articles/totalbass_pg2.jpg
Dirnt’s biological mother passed away on January 9th, 2013. Dirnt only managed to meet her one month before her passing.http://www.greenday.com/news/rip-carol-alba-rowland-121801
Early life
Dirnt was born on Thursday, May 4, 1972, in Berkeley, California. He was given up for adoption by his biological mother, who struggled with heroin addiction.Spitz, 2006. p. 12 At six weeks of age, Dirnt was placed in foster care with Cheryl Nasser and Patrick Pritchard of El Sobrante, a couple who subsequently adopted him.Spitz, 2006. pp. 12-13
As a child, his father was often away obtaining a degree at UC Berkeley, while his mother stayed at home to care for him and his sister Myla.Spitz, 2006. p. 13 Dirnt excelled in school despite missing classes often as a result of various illnesses believed to be caused by his biological mother’s drug use. After an argument between his parents resulted in a call to the police, the couple divorced. His mother and sister moved to Rodeo, while he stayed in El Sobrante with his father. However, missing his mother, he eventually moved in with her and Myla. Having been previously described as bright and fearless, Dirnt became sullen and withdrawn after the divorce.
In the cafeteria in Carquinez Middle School, ten year old Dirnt met Billie Joe Armstrong, with whom he bonded instantly. Armstrong began to teach Dirnt how to play guitar, and the two spent much time in Armstrong’s bedroom learning to play songs by Ozzy Osbourne and Van Halen.Spitz, 2006. p. 14 They formed a group with fellow students Raj Punjabi on drums and Jason Andrew Relva on bass, with Armstrong playing lead guitar and Dirnt playing rhythm guitar.Spitz, 2006. p. 16
After attending Salesian High School, an all-boys Catholic school for his freshman year, Dirnt transferred to Pinole Valley High School, which Armstrong had also recently transferred to from John Swett High School. Dirnt’s family struggled with financial troubles; in an effort to help out, he worked as a chef at Nantucket, a seafood restaurant in Crockett.Spitz, 2006. p. 20
