Billy Corgan

Music career

Billy Corgan wasn't thrilled with the Chicago music scene, so in 1985 he relocated to St. Petersburg, Florida, with his first major band, The Marked. The group didn't find success there and broke up, prompting Corgan to return to Chicago and move in with his father. Between 1987 and 1988, he played guitar in the Chicago band Deep Blue Dream, which included future Static-X frontman Wayne Static. Corgan left that group to concentrate on a new project he had already been planning: the Smashing Pumpkins.

He met guitarist James Iha while working at a record store, and they started recording demos that Corgan later described as "gloomy little goth-pop records." He met bassist D'arcy Wretzky after a local show, getting into an argument with her about the Dan Reed Network, a band that had just performed. The Smashing Pumpkins formed soon after, with the trio playing local clubs using a drum machine. To land a gig at Chicago's Metro, they brought in drummer Jimmy Chamberlin, and the quartet played together for the first time on October 5, 1988.

Chamberlin's addition pushed the band toward a heavier sound. Their debut album, Gish (1991), blended psychedelic rock with heavy metal.

It performed better than anticipated, but the follow-up, Siamese Dream (1993) on Virgin Records, became a multi-platinum success. During this period, the band was known for internal conflict, and music press often labeled Corgan a "control freak" after rumors surfaced that he had played all the guitar and bass parts on Siamese Dream—rumors he later confirmed were true. Despite the drama, critics received the album well, and songs like "Today," "Cherub Rock," and "Disarm" became hits.

Personal life

Billy Corgan has dealt with anxiety, depression, panic attacks, self-harm, obsessive-compulsive disorder, and suicidal thoughts for most of his life. He blames the abuse he suffered as a child from his father and stepmother, along with other personal struggles, for these issues. He now speaks out in support of abuse support networks. A huge Chicago Cubs fan, Corgan occasionally served as a commentator for the team alongside the late WXRT DJ Lin Brehmer.

Involvement with sports

He has thrown ceremonial first pitches and sung "Take Me Out to the Ballgame" at Cubs games. He also roots for the Chicago Bulls, Blackhawks, and Bears, and became close friends with Dennis Rodman and Chris Chelios. A passionate pro wrestling fan, he once appeared at an ECW event swinging an acoustic guitar as a weapon. In 2008, ROH used the Pumpkins song "Doomsday Clock" in promotional videos.

On April 26, 2010, he joined Arda Ocal on SIRIUS Satellite Radio's Right After Wrestling to talk about his love for wrestling and the need for unique theme songs. On August 26, 2010, he participated in a storyline with AAA during an MTV World Stage concert. When it comes to TV, Corgan once said he only watches sports and the Three Stooges. In March 2008, he was seen in the crowd on the final day of a cricket test match between New Zealand and England.

Spiritual beliefs

Corgan identifies as Christian but has said he also accepts elements of Buddhism, Ken Wilber's spiritual ideas, and gnosticism. In 2009, he launched Everything From Here to There, an interfaith website focused on "Mind-Body-Soul" integration. He prays each morning and night to see through Jesus Christ's eyes and feel with his heart. An analysis of his lyrics noted the blend of beliefs he has mentioned in interviews, including ideas about religion, multiple dimensions, and psychic phenomena.

Family

On the Howard Stern Show, Corgan said he once met someone who could shapeshift, though he later admitted it might have been a hallucination. Corgan's mother Martha died in December 1996. He wrote the song "For Martha" from Adore in her memory. In the early 2000s, he named his label Martha's Music after her.

A picture of Martha as a young girl sitting on a fake moon at Riverview Park appears on the flipside of the Siamese Dream booklet.

Collaborations

Corgan has worked as a producer for artists like Ric Ocasek, the Frogs, and Catherine. He received co-writing credits on multiple tracks from Hole's 1998 release Celebrity Skin, and its title track became his second number one on modern rock charts. He also served as a consultant for Marilyn Manson while Manson was making the album Mechanical Animals. Corgan produced soundtracks for three films: Ransom, Stigmata, and Spun, and he made a cameo in Spun playing a doctor.

In 1996, he attended the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremony to honor Pink Floyd, a major influence on him, and performed "Wish You Were Here" on acoustic guitar alongside the band. During the 2000s, he guided and worked with Breaking Benjamin on their 2004 album We Are Not Alone, Taproot on their 2005 record Blue-Sky Research, and Sky Saxon. In 2010, Corgan claimed he co-wrote at least two songs on Hole's final album Nobody's Daughter with his ex-girlfriend Courtney Love, and he attempted to secure approval rights before the album could come out.

He had been involved in the album's early development. The record was eventually released without the writing dispute being settled in court or made public.

Instruments

During the Gish-Siamese Dream era, Corgan played a customized 1957 Reissue Fender Stratocaster equipped with three Fender Lace Sensor pickups (the Lace Sensor Blue in the neck position, the Lace Sensor Silver in the middle position, and the Lace Sensor Red at the bridge position). It also has a five-position pickup selector switch which he installed himself. This battered Strat became his number one guitar by default. He owned a 1974 Strat that was stolen shortly after Gish was completed.

Corgan was reunited with this guitar in early 2019. Corgan also used a wide variety of guitars on Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness. On 'Where Boys Fear to Tread', Corgan used a Les Paul Junior Reissue, and on 'Tonight Tonight' he used a 1972 Gibson ES-335. He is also known to use a 1974 Strat which has since been painted baby blue.

That guitar was used on the recordings for 'Bullet with Butterfly Wings' and also 'Muzzle', because the heavier wood gave it the basic Strat sound with a bit more bottom. During the recording and tour of the album Zeitgeist, he used a Schecter C-1 EX baritone, finished in black with Tony Iommi signature pickups. Corgan endorsed Reverend Guitars in his Zwan era, most notably playing a Reverend Slingshot. In 2008, Corgan released to the market his own Fender Stratocaster.

This new guitar was made to Corgan's exact specs to create his famous mid-1990s buzzsaw tone; the instrument features three DiMarzio pickups (two custom for this instrument), a string-through hardtail bridge and a satin nitrocellulose lacquer finish. When playing live, he uses both his signature Strats as well as two other Fender Strats, one in red with a white pick guard and one in silver-grey with a black pick guard; a Gibson Tony Iommi signature SG; and his Schecter C-1 (only used on the Zeitgeist song 'United States').

A video called 'Stompland' on the official Smashing Pumpkins YouTube channel is informative about Corgan's choice of effects pedals. In the video he reveals an extensive collection of pedals used throughout his career with the Smashing Pumpkins. Corgan's tone is often characterized by his use of fuzz pedals, particularly vintage versions of the Electro-Harmonix Big Muff.

Did You Know?

• Corgan's shaved head made its television debut on Saturday Night Live on November 11, 1995.
• He co-founded Resistance Pro Wrestling in 2011 and purchased the National Wrestling Alliance in 2017.