Green Day pay tribute to Winehouse

Amy Winehouse's death was a "big loss" to the music world, say American punk band Green Day.

The three-piece are set to release a string of albums called the ¡Uno! ¡Dos! ¡Tré! trilogy. The final track on ¡Dos! is called Amy and pays tribute to the late British singer.

The outspoken rock band never met the star, but singer Billie Joe Armstrong says the track is "their way of sending flowers."

"Her death was a big loss. I didn't know her but I was a fan of her music. She brought the old soul and first wave of ska into a modern era. She was an unbelievable talent, so the song kind of wrote itself," he gushed in an interview with British newspaper The Sun.

Billie Joe will appear on TV screens on the US version of The Voice next month. The star says joining the judges - including Adam Levine and Christina Aguilera - was a funny experience.

"Ha, The Voice. It's always been a guilty pleasure for me and my wife Adrienne. And I've been friends with Adam since he was 16. I was asked if I wanted to be a mentor and I had to choose between Adam and Christina Aguilera. I thought it would be more interesting if I was with Christina," he explained.

"But it's hilarious as in some of the pre-recordings we've done with the younger kids. I'd be introduced as the surprise guest and they ask 'Who the f**k are you?' Then Christina would say 'Here is Billie Joe from Green Day' and they are like 'What's a Green Day?' It's such fun."