role:: Bass role:: Vocals role:: Guitar
Biography
Michael Ryan Pritchard (born May 4, 1972), better known by his stage name Mike Dirnt, is an American rock musician who is the co-founder, bassist, backing vocalist, and occasional lead vocalist of Green Day.
Michael Ryan Pritchard was born in Oakland, California, on May 4, 1972. He was adopted. As a child, his father was often away obtaining a degree, while his mother stayed at home to care for him and his sister Myla.
In the cafeteria in Carquinez Middle School, ten-year-old Pritchard met Billie Joe Armstrong, with whom he bonded instantly. Armstrong began to play guitar with Mike, and the two spent time together at Armstrong’s house learning songs by the Ramones, Ozzy Osbourne, Def Leppard, Hüsker Dü, AC/DC, Lynyrd Skynyrd, the Replacements, the Who, and Van Halen.
After attending Salesian High School, an all-boys Catholic school, for his freshman year of high school, Pritchard transferred to Pinole Valley High School. Armstrong had recently transferred to Pinole Valley as well. Pritchard’s family struggled with financial troubles; in an effort to help out, he worked as a chef at Nantucket, a seafood restaurant in Crockett. He eventually saved enough money to purchase a used pickup truck that he and Armstrong often drove to Berkeley; there, they attended shows at 924 Gilman Street, an influential DIY punk club. Despite their small physiques, the pair got jobs as security guards at the club. Dirnt later recalled, “We lived and died for that place. At that time, it meant everything.”
Dirnt’s mother struggled to provide for him and his sister as a single parent and eventually had to leave Rodeo in 1987 to look for work. Armstrong and Dirnt convinced each other’s parents to allow Dirnt to move into Armstrong’s garage.
Dirnt often brought his bass to school, and the plucking noise of the unamplified strings led classmates to jokingly call him by the onomatopoeia “Dirnt”.
Dirnt graduated from high school in 1990.
While at Pinole Valley High School, Dirnt and classmate Armstrong formed a band called Sweet Children in 1986.
After drummer John Kiffmeyer, who was also known as Al Sobrante, joined the group and replaced original drummer Raj Punjabi, Sweet Children began performing at 924 Gilman Street. The band performed several well-received sets, which encouraged Armstrong to drop out of high school to focus his energy on music. Dirnt, however, worried that he needed a backup plan and continued his studies.
Bass player Sean Hughes, who was not as dedicated to the group as the other members, left Sweet Children, leaving Dirnt to play bass. After changing its name to Green Day in 1989, the band recorded its debut album, 39/Smooth, over the 1989 Christmas holiday break. Green Day went on its first van tour in June 1990, leaving the day that Dirnt graduated from high school.