John Kiffmeyer

John Kiffmeyer is a fascinating footnote that's actually more than a footnote. As Al Sobrante he was Green Day's original drummer, the one who left in 1990 and was replaced by Tré Cool right before the band went stratospheric. It's easy to frame that as the ultimate missed-the-boat story, but I think there's something admirable in walking away to go to college instead of chasing fame. He later worked as a cinematographer too, which suggests a restless creative mind rather than someone defined by one band. I find his path a reminder that the people who shape a sound aren't always the ones who cash in.

John Kiffmeyer (born July 11, 1969), also known professionally as Al Sobrante, is an American cinematographer and retired musician and songwriter. He is the former drummer for the punk rock band Green Day, leaving in 1990 and replaced by Tré Cool. His stage name is a reference to his hometown, El Sobrante.

Summary adapted from Wikipedia, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.

Name (English)

John Kiffmeyer

Name (Japanese)

ジョン・キフメイヤー

Reading

じょん・きふめいやー

Born

July 11, 1969 (age 56)

Zodiac / Chinese zodiac

Cancer / Rooster

Origin

Contra Costa County, California, United States

Blood type

Private

Height

Private

Agency

Private

Occupation

drummer / musician / record producer / composer

Elementary school

Private

Junior high

Private

High school

Private

University

California State Polytechnic University, Humboldt

Spouse

Private

Children

Private

Parents

Private

Siblings

Private

Motto

Private

• Wikipedia (Japanese)https://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E3%82%B8%E3%83%A7%E3%83%B3%E3%83%BB%E3%82%AD%E3%83%95%E3%83%A1%E3%82%A4%E3%83%A4%E3%83%BC

Tags

• California
• drummer
• musician
• record producer

Last updated

2026-06-02

Facts are limited to publicly available information up to 2024; non-public items are marked "Private / Unknown". English text is machine-assisted (facts translated by Sonnet, "My Take" written by Opus 4.8). The Japanese page is the source of record.