Joel Madden Biography

When Joel and his twin brother Benji decided to start a band at the age of sixteen, neither had any musical experience. Friends and family considered it a teenage whim. A decade later, with his unique ability to speak to teens about their frustrations and challenges through his lyrics, Joel Madden is the lead singer for one of nation's leading punk rock bands.Joel Reuben Madden was born on March 11, 1979, in Waldorg, Maryland. Growing up, his life was far from easy. After his father abandoned the family on Christmas Eve when Joel was fifteen, he and his twin brother Benji took on odd jobs to help his mother financially. He was also the victim of teasing at school, and the pain from both these situations found its way into much of the group's music. After Joel and his brother attended a Beastie Boys concert, they decided to form a band, which they named the Benji, Joel and Brian Band. The group was short-lived, however, and they recruited several high school friends to form another group, which they named Good Charlotte.In 1999, the group started to gain attention and a fan-base by showcasing their unique talent in small clubs and venues. They toured with bands Lit and Blink 182 before being signed by Epic records in 1999. Their debut self-titled album was released in 2000, but received only moderate attention. In 2002, their second album, The Young and the Hopeless, was released and received amazing popularity, officially bringing the boys into the mainstream music scene. Certified triple platinum, the release of the album was followed by television appearances on Saturday Night Live and The Today Show. Their faces were also featured on the cover of Rolling Stone, a lifetime dream for all aspiring musicians.Since then, they have released the platinum The Chronicles of Life and Death, which despite its strong sales, received mixed reactions from both critics and fans. Good Morning Revival!, the group's fourth album, is set for release in March of 2007.Although Joel and Benji have always been with Good Charlotte, the group has changed band members frequently throughout the years. The current members of Good Charlotte, aside from Joel and Benji, are Billy Martin, Paul Thomas, and Dean Butterworth.Aside from being the lead singer of the group, Joel has been featured on Punk d, hosted by Ashton Kutcher, several times. He and his brother own two clothing lines: MADE Clothing and DCMA Collective, and the twins also own a record label called DC Flag Records. He has appeared in several films such as Fat Albert, Fast Future Generation, Material Girls, and Not Another Teen Movie.Joel's best-known relationship was his two and a half year love affair with squeaky-clean pop princess Hilary Duff. They split in November of 2006, supposedly because of their eight year age difference. Apparently Joel isn t too heartbroken over the split though; in December, only a month after the breakup, rumors began swirling that Joel is now dating reality star and socialite Nicole Richie.