Green Day frontman Billie Joe Armstrong lets it be known that “this is definitely the only interview I’m gonna do” about his battles with substance abuse in a new Rolling Stone cover story, and he certainly made it count.

“I’m sure that crossed her mind, that if I didn’t get sober I could potentially lose all of that stuff,” he said. “I could have lost the band too. I didn’t realize how destructive I was. I thought everybody was in on the joke. But I was the joke.”

And with Green Day poised to return to the road, Armstrong said he’s still nervous about how he’ll handle his newfound sobriety — “I’m not sure I’m ready,” he said. “There is still the obsession with alcohol” — but he’s determined to push on, and excited to begin the next phase of his career … on his terms. Read more