What is the real name of Green Day's original drummer before Tre Cool?

The real name of Green Day’s original drummer before Tré Cool was John Kiffmeyer. He was also known by the stage name Al Sobrante and played an important role in the band’s early development.

Kiffmeyer joined Billie Joe Armstrong and Mike Dirnt in 1987, when the group was still called Sweet Children. The band later changed its name to Green Day. His contacts in the East Bay punk scene helped the young group connect with Larry Livermore and Lookout! Records.

He played on Green Day’s first full-length album, 39/Smooth, released in 1990. The record includes “I Was There,” a song written by Kiffmeyer about the band’s early years. While attending California State Polytechnic University, Humboldt, he left Green Day and was replaced by Tré Cool.

The most likely confusion is with Tré Cool’s birth name, Frank Edwin Wright III. That is the drummer who replaced Kiffmeyer; John Kiffmeyer is the former drummer’s actual name, while Al Sobrante was his musical alias.