Benji Madden Biography

Birth name : Benjamin Levi Combs

Born : March 11, 1979 (age 32)[1]

Origin : Waldorf, Maryland, U.S.

Genres : Pop rock, alternative rock

Occupation : Musician

Benji was born in March of 1979 in Maryland. His father left the family when he was 16 and never saw his father after that, so he changed his last name from "Combs" to his mother's maiden name, "Madden". When his father left, this left only Benji's mother to care for the four children. Obviously that caused a lot of financial problems leading to the eviction from their home. Benji first started playing the guitar at 16. Before that, though, he and his younger twin brother went to a Beastie Boys concert and decided that they wanted to start a band. When they graduated in 1997, his mother gave him and Joel a pair of airline tickets to California to go to a club where all the good punk rock bands actually started. When they got back, they were more determined than ever. They teamed up with two school friends and Billy - and Good Charlotte was born.

In the 2001 film Not Another Teen Movie, Benji, Adam Ly and the other Good Charlotte members made a cameo as the band at the school's prom. Madden made another appearance in the 2006 film Material Girls with his brother Joel. Madden started a clothing line called MADE Clothing along with his brothers Joel and Josh. "MADE" stands for the will to fight and die for those who you love. The line is now defunct. In early 2006, MADE Clothing became DCMA Collective. The line is owned by himself, his brothers Joel Madden, Josh Madden, and friend Tal Cooperman. A DCMA Collective store was opened in Los Angeles, California, on March 15, 2008.

On April 3, 2010, Benji partook in a boxing match against MTV and VH1 host Riki Rachtman at Ellismania 5: Get These Brawls. The event was hosted by Jason Ellis at The Joint in the Hard Rock Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas. Rachtman made several public statements against Benji and Good Charlotte prior to the fight, presumably to enrage Benji and cause him to exhaust himself early in the fight. Benji beat Rachtman by knockout 1 minute and 42 seconds into the first round.

On november 11, 2011 he and his brother Joel Madden released a free mixtape named "The Madden Brothers: Before Volume 1" It contains new artists the brothers were personally interested in. Their brother Josh Madden helped to produce the mixtape.