Billie Joe Armstrong paid tribute to the late Adam Schlesinger by covering the Wonders’ “That Thing You Do!” as part of his “No Fun Mondays” quarantine series.
Schlesinger, who died earlier this month at the age of 52 due to COVID-19 complications, wrote the title track to That Thing You Do! featuring a fictional Sixties band called the Wonders. Armstrong adds pop-punk luster to the track, giving it a 21st century update — similar to his recent cover of the Bangles’ “Manic Monday.”
The Wonders themselves reunited last week for the first time since the film was released in 1996, watching the movie through a YouTube livestream as a way to honor Schlesinger. All donations were given directly to MusicCares’ COVID-19 Relief Fund.
Armstrong’s cover comes days after the musician performed Green Day’s “Wake Me Up When September Ends” for Global Citizens’ One World: Together at Home TV special, curated by Lady Gaga. He performed a stripped-down version of the American Idiot track, which he wrote about his father dying from cancer when he was 10 years old.
Green Day released their 13th album, Father of All… in February. They postponed their tour in Asia due to the pandemic, but are still scheduled to kick off their joint “Hella Mega” summer tour with Weezer and Fall Out Boy in Paris on June 13th.