Linda Perry Slams Green Day's Billie Joe Armstrong Over 'Pussy Move' Production Snub
Linda Perry, the iconic singer-songwriter and producer, recently criticized Green Day for allegedly dropping her from producing their 'American Idiot' follow-up, '21st Century Breakdown'. She called out Billie Joe Armstrong's behavior as a 'pussy mov...
In a recent interview with NME, Linda Perry didn't hold back when discussing Green Day's decision to drop her from producing their album '21st Century Breakdown', the follow-up to the massively successful 'American Idiot'.
Perry, known for fronting the band 4 Non Blondes and penning hits for artists like Christina Aguilera ('Beautiful'), Gwen Stefani ('What You Waiting For?'), and P!nk ('Get the Party Started'), claims she cleared her schedule for the project.
According to Perry, Courtney Love was the one who initially revealed that Perry was slated to produce Green Day's next record. "I had a full calendar and cancelled six months of work to do it," she recalled. "I met with Billie Joe [Armstrong], and we talked for three hours... Like every artist, I think he had got to a point where you feel like I have nothing to say and need help – there’s a therapy aspect to producing too."
Perry alleges that after Love's announcement, Green Day faced backlash from fans who were unhappy with the choice of a producer known for working with pop artists. "And then those guys just stopped calling me," Perry continued. "I would reach out to figure out what was going on. Nobody called. I lost six months of scheduled work. That was fucked-up – all because Billie-Joe’s a little pussy and got all this backlash from his fans and didn’t like it."
At the time, Green Day's management denied Perry was ever meant to produce, stating they were sticking with Rob Cavallo, though they ultimately worked with Butch Vig.
"Whatever! I’m good with it, but it was harsh and rude to do that," Perry stated. "Just call me and say, ‘Hey, we’re going to go a different way. I’m not digging this backlash we’re getting.’ Just balls-up, man. Not returning my calls was such a pussy move, and I lost a lot of respect for Billie Joe."
She added, "It happened because I was a woman and I’d written pop songs. I was disappointed in those guys, and then I was mad at Courtney because if she would have just shut up, we would have made the record and it would have come out and it would have spoken for itself. I had a vision and knew I was going to kill that record."
Perry also revealed that Green Day recorded their albums separately, a process she found unusual. She suggested they try a '60s-inspired approach, even creating a playlist for them. Interestingly, Green Day later released a '60s-inspired record as Foxboro Hot Tubs with 'Stop Drop and Roll!!!'.
Having reunited with 4 Non Blondes and announcing their first UK live show in 30 years, Perry spoke with NME at the Ivor Novello Awards, where she received the Special International Award, joining previous winners like The Killers’ Brandon Flowers, Bon Jovi, and Shakira.
On the red carpet, Perry expressed her gratitude for the award and shared that after three decades in the music industry, she believes authenticity is key to creating a hit song. She also hinted at releasing an album of unreleased songs from her catalogue.
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