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Frank Edwin Wright III (born December 9, 1972), better known by his stage name Tré Cool, is an American musician, best known as the long-time drummer for the rock band
Green Day Green Day is an American Rock music, rock band formed in Rodeo, California, in 1987 by lead vocalist and guitarist Billie Joe Armstrong and bassist and backing vocalist Mike Dirnt, with drummer Tré Cool joining in 1990. In 1994, their majo ...
. He replaced the band's former drummer, John Kiffmeyer, in 1990. Cool has also played in
the Lookouts The Lookouts were an American punk rock band that existed from 1985 to 1990 on Iron Peak, a remote rural mountain community outside Laytonville, California. The members were Larry Livermore on guitar and vocals, Kain Kong (Kain Hanschke) on ...
,
Samiam Samiam (pronounced "sam-I-am") is an American punk rock band from Berkeley, California, active since 1988. History Samiam was formed in late 1988 after the breakup of the 924 Gilman Street, Gilman club mainstay Isocracy (band), Isocracy. Their ...
, Dead Mermaids, Bubu and the Brood and the Green Day side projects the Network and the Foxboro Hot Tubs.


Early life

Frank Edwin Wright III was born on December 9, 1972, in
Frankfurt Frankfurt am Main () is the most populous city in the States of Germany, German state of Hesse. Its 773,068 inhabitants as of 2022 make it the List of cities in Germany by population, fifth-most populous city in Germany. Located in the forela ...
,
West Germany West Germany was the common English name for the Federal Republic of Germany (FRG) from its formation on 23 May 1949 until German reunification, its reunification with East Germany on 3 October 1990. It is sometimes known as the Bonn Republi ...
, to Frank Edwin Wright Jr. and Linda Wright. He lived in Willits, California, with his father and elder sister Lori. He has German heritage, and his father was a helicopter pilot during the
Vietnam War The Vietnam War (1 November 1955 – 30 April 1975) was an armed conflict in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia fought between North Vietnam (Democratic Republic of Vietnam) and South Vietnam (Republic of Vietnam) and their allies. North Vietnam w ...
. In his second year, Cool dropped out of high school and opted to earn a GED. He began taking classes at a local
community college A community college is a type of undergraduate higher education institution, generally leading to an associate degree, certificate, or diploma. The term can have different meanings in different countries: many community colleges have an open enr ...
but would again drop out as Green Day became a more time-consuming priority. During this time, the band considered breaking up because it took a long time to adjust to playing with Cool.


Career

Wright's closest neighbor in his childhood was Larry Livermore, who at the time was the singer of the punk band
the Lookouts The Lookouts were an American punk rock band that existed from 1985 to 1990 on Iron Peak, a remote rural mountain community outside Laytonville, California. The members were Larry Livermore on guitar and vocals, Kain Kong (Kain Hanschke) on ...
. When Wright was 11, Livermore recruited him as the drummer of the Lookouts, and Tre took on the name of "Tré Cool", using both the French word "très" (meaning "very") and the English word "cool" as a way of saying he was "very cool". "Trey", a play on Wright's family's generational titles, since he was the third Frank Wright, had already been Wright's nickname prior to the addition of "Cool." Cool sang "The Mushroom is Exploding" from The Lookouts' 1987 debut album '' One Planet One People''. A twelve year old Cool can be heard singing the demos of which in 1985's ''"Lookout! It's The Lookouts!"'' He then appeared on their second album' '' Spy Rock Road'' with "That Girl's from Outer Space" and "Sonny Boy". When Green Day's drummer, John Kiffmeyer, left the band, the group recruited Cool to be their drummer. Cool's father was supportive and overhauled a
bookmobile A bookmobile, or mobile library, is a vehicle designed for use as a library. They have been known by many names throughout history, including traveling library, library wagon, book wagon, book truck, library-on-wheels, and book auto service. Boo ...
to transport the band. He would later say: "I watched them go from a bunch of kids to a group of musicians with work ethic," also adding: "On their first tour or two, it was more of a party than anything else. I still scratch my head and say, 'How in the hell did they make it?' They used to practice in my living room here – a lot of the songs they did on ''Dookie''. You hear it coming together, and you don't expect people are going to go out and buy it. But when it does, you just say, 'Wow that's so cool.'" With Green Day, he sang and played the guitar on "Dominated Love Slave" from ''Kerplunk'' and the
hidden track In the field of recorded music, a hidden track (sometimes called a ghost track, secret track or unlisted track) is a song or a piece of audio that has been placed on a CD, audio cassette, LP record, or other recorded medium, in such a way as t ...
"All by Myself" from '' Dookie'', both of which he wrote and composed (on "Dominated Love Slave", guitarist and vocalist Billie Joe Armstrong played drums). He wrote and sang the subtrack "Rock and Roll Girlfriend" from the medley "Homecoming" featured on the album '' American Idiot''. He also sang and wrote the track "DUI" ("Driving Under the Influence"), which was recorded for Green Day's fifth studio album ''Nimrod'' and was due to be released on the compilation album ''Shenanigans'' in 2002, but was omitted and can only be found on promotional unmastered copies of the album and online. Several live tracks also exist, usually from around 1993, such as "Food Around the Corner", a song from the 1943
Elmer Fudd Elmer J. Fudd is an animated cartoon character in the Warner Bros. ''Looney Tunes''/''Merrie Melodies'' series and the archenemy of Bugs Bunny. Elmer Fudd's aim is to hunt Bugs, but he usually ends up seriously injuring himself and other antag ...
cartoon '' An Itch in Time''. Another live track, "Billie Joe's Mom", was also recorded. In 1998, after Green Day won a "Moon Man" Trophy at the MTV Music Awards, Cool famously climbed on the Universal Globe at
Universal Studios Universal Studios may refer to: * Universal Studios, Inc., an American media and entertainment conglomerate ** Universal Pictures, an American film studio ** Universal Studios Lot, a film and television studio complex * Various theme parks operat ...
. During a radio interview at Washington D.C.'s alternative station DC 101 (Elliott in the Morning), Cool sang and played acoustic guitar on a short song entitled "Like a Rat Does Cheese", a song about the pleasure of
fellatio Fellatio (also known as fellation, and in slang as blowjob, BJ, giving head, or sucking off) is an oral sex act consisting of the stimulation of a human penis, penis by using the mouth. Oral stimulation of the scrotum may also be termed ''fellat ...
. He has also recorded a version of Tay Zonday's " Chocolate Rain". He also sang on the Network songs "Hungry Hungry Models", "Asphyxia" "Flat Earth", "Respirator", "Squatter", "That's How They Get You", "The Stranger", and "Hey Elon" as the Snoo. Cool was featured in the Nitpick Six: The Six Best Drum Fills and ranked in at number 6 for the intro to "Basket Case". In 2014, ''
LA Weekly ''LA Weekly'' is a free weekly alternative newspaper in Los Angeles, California. The paper covers music, arts, film, theater, culture, and other local news in the Los Angeles area. ''LA Weekly'' was founded in 1978 by Jay Levin (among others), ...
'' named Tré Cool No. 2 of the "Top 5 Punk Drummers of All Time". On April 18, 2015, Cool and his Green Day bandmates were inducted into the
Rock and Roll Hall of Fame The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame (RRHOF), also simply referred to as the Rock Hall, is a museum and hall of fame located in downtown Cleveland, Ohio, United States, on the shore of Lake Erie. The museum documents the history of rock music and the ...
in their first year of eligibility. On May 1st, 2025, Cool and his Green Day bandmates got their star in the
Hollywood Walk of Fame The Hollywood Walk of Fame is a landmark which consists of 2,813 five-pointed terrazzo-and-brass stars embedded in the sidewalks along 15 blocks of Hollywood Boulevard and three blocks of Vine Street in the Hollywood, Los Angeles, Hollywood dist ...
.


Artistry


Musical style

Before joining Green Day, Tré Cool employed a more intricate drumming style. He explained that "When I started, I had too many drums. I was a little reggae-happy and into fancier beats than was needed. It took me a while to get it: play the song, don't play the instrument. I started figuring out how to make the band a stronger unit, to make it jump." After playing with Green Day bassist Mike Dirnt, Tré Cool adopted a more rhythmic style with fewer drum fills to match Dirnt's bass lines.
Greg Kot Greg Kot (born March 3, 1957) is an American music journalist and author. From 1990 until 2020, Kot was the rock music critic at the ''Chicago Tribune'', where he covered popular music and reported on music-related social, political and busines ...
of the ''
Chicago Tribune The ''Chicago Tribune'' is an American daily newspaper based in Chicago, Illinois, United States. Founded in 1847, it was formerly self-styled as the "World's Greatest Newspaper", a slogan from which its once integrated WGN (AM), WGN radio and ...
'' referred to Tré Cool as "Green Day's most potent weapon", adding that "His monstrous kick-drum wallop evokes
John Bonham John Henry Bonham (31 May 1948 – 25 September 1980) was an English musician who was the drummer of the rock band Led Zeppelin. Noted for his speed, power, fast single-footed kick drumming, distinctive sound, and feel for groove, John Bonh ...
, while his manic fills make him punk's answer to
Keith Moon Keith John Moon (23 August 1946 – 7 September 1978) was an English musician who was the drummer for the rock band the Who. Regarded as one of the greatest drummers in the history of rock music, he was noted for his unique style of playing and ...
." His stage persona has also been compared to Moon. Sound engineer Neill King, who worked with Green Day on '' Dookie'', noted that Tré Cool shares Moon's "wild animal approach" to playing drums, and explained that the band encountered difficulties while recording "Basket Case" due to his unpredictable style: "It's not that Tré wasn't a good drummer, but in terms of his performances we wanted the best of the best...So, although we wanted him to do all of his wild fills and crazy drumming, we couldn't just let him go. He'd drift in and out of time, which is terrific live, but which was unacceptable on radio at that time."


Influences

During his speech at Green Day's
Rock and Roll Hall of Fame The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame (RRHOF), also simply referred to as the Rock Hall, is a museum and hall of fame located in downtown Cleveland, Ohio, United States, on the shore of Lake Erie. The museum documents the history of rock music and the ...
induction in 2015, Cool credited
Ringo Starr Sir Richard Starkey (born 7 July 1940), known professionally as Ringo Starr, is an English musician, songwriter and actor who achieved international fame as the drummer for the Beatles. Starr occasionally sang lead vocals with the group, us ...
from
the Beatles The Beatles were an English Rock music, rock band formed in Liverpool in 1960. The core lineup of the band comprised John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr. They are widely regarded as the Cultural impact of the Beatle ...
,
Keith Moon Keith John Moon (23 August 1946 – 7 September 1978) was an English musician who was the drummer for the rock band the Who. Regarded as one of the greatest drummers in the history of rock music, he was noted for his unique style of playing and ...
from
the Who The Who are an English Rock music, rock band formed in London in 1964. Their classic lineup (1964–1978) consisted of lead vocalist Roger Daltrey, guitarist Pete Townshend, bassist John Entwistle and drummer Keith Moon. Considered one of th ...
,
John Bonham John Henry Bonham (31 May 1948 – 25 September 1980) was an English musician who was the drummer of the rock band Led Zeppelin. Noted for his speed, power, fast single-footed kick drumming, distinctive sound, and feel for groove, John Bonh ...
from
Led Zeppelin Led Zeppelin were an English rock music, rock band formed in London in 1968. The band comprised vocalist Robert Plant, guitarist Jimmy Page, bassist-keyboardist John Paul Jones (musician), John Paul Jones and drummer John Bonham. With a he ...
, Mitch Mitchell from
the Jimi Hendrix Experience James Marshall "Jimi" Hendrix (born Johnny Allen Hendrix; November 27, 1942September 18, 1970) was an American singer-songwriter and musician. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest and most influential guitarists of all time. Inducted ...
,
Charlie Watts Charles Robert Watts (2 June 1941 – 24 August 2021) was an English musician who was the drummer of the Rolling Stones from 1963 until his death in 2021. Originally trained as a Graphic designer, graphic artist, Watts developed an interest i ...
from
the Rolling Stones The Rolling Stones are an English Rock music, rock band formed in London in 1962. Active for over six decades, they are one of the most popular, influential, and enduring bands of the Album era, rock era. In the early 1960s, the band pione ...
,
jazz Jazz is a music genre that originated in the African-American communities of New Orleans, Louisiana, in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Its roots are in blues, ragtime, European harmony, African rhythmic rituals, spirituals, h ...
and
big band A big band or jazz orchestra is a type of musical ensemble of jazz music that usually consists of ten or more musicians with four sections: saxophones, trumpets, trombones, and a rhythm section. Big bands originated during the early 1910s and ...
drummer Buddy Rich, John Wright from
NoMeansNo Nomeansno (sometimes stylized as NoMeansNo or spelled No Means No) was a Canadian punk rock band formed in Victoria, British Columbia, and later relocated to Vancouver. They released 11 albums, including a The Sky Is Falling and I Want My Mommy, ...
,
Alex Van Halen Alexander Arthur Van Halen ( , ; born May 8, 1953) is an American musician who was the drummer and a co-founder of the rock band Van Halen, which was formed in 1972 by Van Halen and his younger brother Eddie Van Halen, Eddie under the name "Ma ...
from
Van Halen Van Halen ( ) was an American rock band formed in Pasadena, California, in 1973. Credited with restoring hard rock to the forefront of the music scene, Van Halen was known for their energetic live performances and the virtuosity of their guit ...
, Dave Mello from Operation Ivy, Al Schvitz from MDC, Meg White from
the White Stripes The White Stripes were an American Rock music, rock duo formed in Detroit, Michigan, in 1997. The group consisted of Jack White (guitar, keyboards, piano, vocals) and Meg White (drums, percussion, vocals). They were a leading group of 2000s indi ...
, and Aaron Elliot from
Crimpshrine Crimpshrine was an American punk rock band from Berkeley, California Berkeley ( ) is a city on the eastern shore of San Francisco Bay in northern Alameda County, California, United States. It is named after the 18th-century Anglo-Irish bisho ...
and Pinhead Gunpowder as his favorite drummers. Green Day performed
the Beatles The Beatles were an English Rock music, rock band formed in Liverpool in 1960. The core lineup of the band comprised John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr. They are widely regarded as the Cultural impact of the Beatle ...
hit " Boys" with Starr at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame ceremony that same year, in which Cool drummed alongside his idol.


Personal life

Tré has three children, Ramona Isabel Wright, born in 1995, with Lisea Lyons; Frank Edwin Wright IV, born in 2001 with Claudia Suarez and Mickey Otis Wright, born in 2018 with Sara Rose Lipert. During early 2020, Cool sat in with
Willie Nelson Willie Hugh Nelson (born April 29, 1933) is an American singer, guitarist, songwriter, actor and activist. He was one of the main figures of the outlaw country subgenre that developed in the late 1960s as a reaction to the conservative restr ...
and his band after the death of Nelson's friend and drummer Paul English.


Discography


Green Day

* '' Kerplunk!'' (1991) – drums, lead vocals and guitar on "Dominated Love Slave" * '' Dookie'' (1994) – drums, lead vocals and guitar on "All by Myself" * '' Insomniac'' (1995) – drums * ''
Nimrod Nimrod is a Hebrew Bible, biblical figure mentioned in the Book of Genesis and Books of Chronicles, the Books of Chronicles. The son of Cush (Bible), Cush and therefore the great-grandson of Noah, Nimrod was described as a king in the land of Sh ...
'' (1997) – drums, bongos, tambourine * '' Warning'' (2000) – drums, percussion, accordion * '' American Idiot'' (2004) – drums, percussion, lead vocals on the fourth part of "Homecoming", "Rock and Roll Girlfriend" * '' 21st Century Breakdown'' (2009) – drums, percussion * '' ¡Uno!'' (2012) – drums, backing vocals * '' ¡Dos!'' (2012) – drums, percussion * ''
¡Tré! ''¡Tré!'' (stylized in all caps) is the eleventh studio album by the American Rock music, rock band Green Day, released on December 7, 2012. It is the third and final installment in the ''¡Uno!'' ''¡Dos!'' ''¡Tré!'' trilogy, a series of s ...
'' (2012) – drums, percussion * '' Revolution Radio'' (2016) – drums, percussion * '' Father of All Motherfuckers'' (2020) – drums, percussion * '' Saviors'' (2024) – drums, percussion


DVD

* '' Bullet in a Bible'' (film; 2005) – himself * '' Awesome as Fuck'' (film; 2011) – himself


The Lookouts

* ''Lookout! It's the Lookouts'' (
demo album Demo, usually short for demonstration (disambiguation), demonstration, may refer to: Music and film *Demo (music), a song typically recorded for reference rather than for release *Demo (Behind Crimson Eyes), ''Demo'' (Behind Crimson Eyes), a 2004 ...
, 1985) – drums, vocals, lead vocals * '' One Planet One People'' (1987) – drums, vocals, lead vocals on "The Mushroom Is Exploding" * '' Spy Rock Road'' (1989) – drums, lead vocals on "That Girl's from Outer Space" and "Sonny Boy"


Foxboro Hot Tubs

* ''
Stop Drop and Roll!!! ''Stop Drop and Roll!!!'' is the debut studio album by the American rock band the Foxboro Hot Tubs. The full album was first available for digital download on April 22, 2008, and was released on CD on May 20, 2008. The title track "Stop Drop a ...
'' (2008) – drums


The Network

* '' Money Money 2020'' (2003) – drums, lead vocals on "Hungry Hungry Models" (as the Snoo) *'' Money Money 2020 Part II: We Told Ya So!'' (2020) – drums, lead vocals on "Asphyxia", "Flat Earth", "Respirator", "Squatter", "That's How They Get You", "The Stranger", and "Hey Elon" (as the Snoo)


Other media appearances

* ''
King of the Hill ''King of the Hill'' is an American animated sitcom created by Mike Judge and Greg Daniels that initially aired on Fox Broadcasting Company, Fox from January 12, 1997, to September 13, 2009, with four more episodes airing in First-run syndicati ...
'' (TV series; 1997) – Cane Skretteberg * ''Jackass Backyard BBQ'' (TV special; 2002) – himself * '' Riding in Vans with Boys'' (film; 2003) – himself * '' Live Freaky! Die Freaky!'' (film; 2006) – The Maid * ''
The Simpsons Movie ''The Simpsons Movie'' is a 2007 American Animation, animated comedy film based on the Fox Broadcasting Company, Fox animated sitcom ''The Simpsons'' created by Matt Groening. The film was directed by series veteran David Silverman (animator) ...
'' (film; 2007) – himself * '' Heart Like a Hand Grenade'' (film; 2008) – himself * '' Green Day: Rock Band'' (video game; 2010) – himself (voice, likeness, and archive footage) * ''
¡Cuatro! ''¡Cuatro!'' is a 2013 rockumentary starring the punk rock band Green Day, directed by Tim Wheeler. The film documents the creation of the band's 2012 album trilogy ''¡Uno!'', ''¡Dos!'' and ''¡Tré!'' The documentary, directed by Tim Wheeler ...
'' (film; 2013) as himself * '' Broadway Idiot'' (film; 2013) – himself * ''Fred Armisen: Standup for Drummers'' (Netflix Special; 2018) – himself * ''Let There Be Drums!'' (film; 2022) – himself


References


External links


Tré Cool on Drummerworld.com
*
DRUM! Magazine's interview with Tre Cool


contains discography and equipment list {{DEFAULTSORT:Tre Cool 1972 births 20th-century American drummers 21st-century American drummers American alternative rock drummers American punk rock drummers American male drummers Drummers from Oakland, California Green Day members Living people Musicians from Frankfurt People from Willits, California Samiam members