Joel Madden American punk musician Date of Birth: 11.03.1979 Country: USA

Biography of Joel Madden

Joel Madden, whose full name is Joel Rueben Combs, was born on March 11, 1979, in Waldorf, Maryland. He has a twin brother named Benji, as well as an older brother Josh and a younger sister Sarah. Joel attended high school in La Plata but had to work a lot after his father left the family in 1995 to help support his mother.

In 1995, Joel, along with his twin brother Benji, started playing in the band "Beastie Boys." However, they soon decided to form their own group. In 1996, they formed the band "Good Charlotte," taking the name from a children's book by Carol Beach York. The group started rehearsing at their friend Aaron Escolopio's house, who played the drums, and recorded the song "Can't Go On," with which they won a local talent competition. Afterward, the guys found a manager and participated in a concert with Blink-182 and Bad Religion. They then went on tour with the band "Lit," for whom they were the opening act.

Over time, the popularity of "Good Charlotte" grew, and in 2000, they signed a contract with Epic Records. After bassist Paul Thomas and guitarist Billy Martin joined the group, they recorded the single "Little Things," which propelled "Good Charlotte" to the top of the charts. Joel and Benji Madden are the authors of most of the band's songs. Despite their young age, they knew what young people wanted. The album "Good Charlotte (Self-Titled)" became a celebration of youth expressing themselves through a mix of punk rock, rock and roll, and pop punk.

In 2002, the band released their second and most successful album, "The Young and the Hopeless," which went multi-platinum. Songs from this album, such as "Girls and Boys," "Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous," and "The Anthem," topped various charts. In 2004, they released the album "The Chronicles of Life and Death," which differed in style from their previous work. Drummer Chris Wilson participated in the recording but had to leave the band due to health problems. Madden considered it the worst moment of 2005.

The band released their last album, "Good Morning Revival," in 2007. Today, Joel lives in Hollywood with his girlfriend Nicole Richie and their daughter Harlow Winter Kate Madden. In 2009, they planned to have a second child. Joel Madden is a UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador and, in 2007, he and Nicole created the Richie-Madden Children's Foundation.