Billy Corgan | |
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.jpg) Corgan performing with The Smashing Pumpkins in 2019 | |
| Born | William Patrick Corgan Jr. (1967-03-17)March 17, 1967 (age 58) Chicago, Illinois, U.S. |
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| Years active | 1985–present |
| Spouses | |
| Children | 3 |
| Musical career | |
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| Labels | |
| Member of | The Smashing Pumpkins |
| Formerly of |
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Musical artist | |
William Patrick Corgan Jr. (born March 17, 1967) is an American guitarist and songwriter, andprofessional wrestling promoter. He is best known as the co-founder, lead guitarist, primary songwriter, singer, and only constant member ofalternative rock bandthe Smashing Pumpkins. Corgan is credited with helping popularize the alternative rock genre. He has also been the owner and promoter of theNational Wrestling Alliance since 2017.
Corgan formed the Smashing Pumpkins inChicago in 1988 alongside guitaristJames Iha, with bassistD'arcy Wretzky and drummerJimmy Chamberlin joining soon after. Strong album sales and large-scale tours propelled the band to commercial success and critical acclaim throughout the 1990s. After their break-up in 2000, Corgan and Chamberlin started a new band calledZwan; after the band's demise, he released the collection of poetryBlinking with Fists (2004) and the solo albumTheFutureEmbrace (2005) before reforming Smashing Pumpkins in 2007. The new version of the band, consisting of Corgan anda revolving lineup, has released new albums and toured extensively. In October 2017, Corgan releasedOgilala, his first solo album in over a decade.[1] His latest solo album,Cotillions, was released in 2019.[2]
Corgan co-foundedResistance Pro Wrestling in 2011. He joinedTNA Wrestling in 2015 and became its president in 2016, but left a few months later. He purchased theNational Wrestling Alliance (NWA) in 2017; thereafter, Corgan made it his primary focus in professional wrestling.
William Patrick Corgan Jr.[3] was born at Columbus Hospital in theLincoln Park neighborhood of Chicago on March 17, 1967,[4][5] the oldest child of Martha Louise Maes Corgan Lutz (1947–1996) and guitarist William Dale Corgan (1947–2021).[6] He grew upCatholic and has a younger brother.[7] His parents divorced in 1970.[8] Billy said he went to live with his great-grandmother, and then his grandmother. Next he and his brother went to live with his father and new wife (a flight attendant whom his father had remarried) inGlendale Heights, Illinois, a Chicago suburb 22 miles west of the city.[9] His father was a musician and was often away; when Billy was nine his father and stepmother (whom Billy considers to be his mother) split. Billy grew up an hour away from both of his natural parents.[10]
Billy alleges that his father was abusive to him, bothphysically andemotionally.[11] He developed a protective bond with his younger paternal half-brother, Jesse, who hadspecial needs as a child.[12] When Billy's father and stepmother separated, all three boys lived alone with their stepmother.[13] Billy said his father was a "drug dealing, gun-toting musician [and] mad man". Although William Corgan Sr. negatively impacted his son's childhood, Corgan said he came to have tremendous respect for his father's musicianship.[14]
Corgan, who grew much faster than his fellow students, was a strong athlete in elementary school.[15] In addition to being a member of his baseball team at Marquardt Middle School, he amassed over 10,000baseball cards and listened to everyChicago Cubs game on the radio.[15] However, by the time he began attendingGlenbard North High School, his athletic prowess had greatly diminished. He decided to start playing guitar after seeing aFlying V when he went over to a friend's house.[15]
Corgan gave his savings to his father, who bought him a usedLes Paul knock-off.[15] His father encouraged him to listen toJeff Beck andJimi Hendrix but offered little other support, so Corgan taught himself.[13] His musical interests in high school includedhard rock music likeGuts-eraJohn Cale,heavy metal pioneersBlack Sabbath, andmainstream rock likeVan Halen,Queen,Boston,ELO,Rush, andCheap Trick. Corgan discovered thealternative rock genre by listening toBauhaus andthe Cure.[16] He performed in a string of bands in high school and graduated as an honor student. Despite grant and scholarship offers from a number of schools, and a tuition fund left by his grandmother,[17] Corgan decided to pursue music full-time.[18]
Not finding the Chicago music scene to his liking, Corgan moved toSt. Petersburg, Florida, in 1985 with his first major band, The Marked (named for the conspicuous birthmarks of both Corgan and drummer Ron Roesing). Not finding success in St. Petersburg, the band dissolved; Corgan moved back to Chicago and lived with his father. From 1987 to 1988, he played guitar in Chicago band Deep Blue Dream, which also featured futureStatic-X frontmanWayne Static.[19][20] He left the band to focus on the Smashing Pumpkins.[21]
Upon his return to Chicago, Corgan had already devised his next project – a band that would be called the Smashing Pumpkins.[22] Corgan met guitaristJames Iha while working in a record store, and the two began recording demos, which Corgan describes as "gloomy littlegoth-pop records".[22] He met bassistD'arcy Wretzky after a local show, arguing with her about a band that had just played, theDan Reed Network. Soon after, the Smashing Pumpkins were formed.[23] The trio began to play together at local clubs with adrum machine for percussion. To secure a show at theMetro in Chicago, the band recruited drummerJimmy Chamberlin, and played for the first time as a quartet on October 5, 1988.
The addition of Chamberlin drove the band in a heavier direction almost immediately.[22] On the band's debut album,Gish (1991), the band integratedpsychedelic rock andheavy metal into their sound.Gish fared better than expected, but the follow-up,Siamese Dream, released onVirgin Records in 1993, became a multi-platinum hit. The band became known for internal drama during this period, with Corgan frequently characterized in the music press as a "control freak" due to rumors that he played all the guitar and bass parts onSiamese Dream (a rumor that Corgan later confirmed as true). Despite this, the album was well received by critics, and the songs "Today", "Cherub Rock", and "Disarm" became hits.
The band's 1995 follow-up effort, the double albumMellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness, was even more successful, spawning a string of hit singles. According to Jon Pareles fromThe New York Times, Corgan wanted to "lose himself and find himself ..." in this album.[24] The album was nominated for sevenGrammy awards that year, and would eventually be certified ten times platinum in the United States. The song "1979" was Corgan's biggest hit to date, reaching No. 1 onBillboard's modern rock and mainstream rock charts. Their appearance onSaturday Night Live on November 11, 1995, to promote this material (their second appearance on the show overall) was also the television debut appearance of Corgan's shaved head, which he has maintained consistently since.[25]
On July 12, 1996, touring keyboardistJonathan Melvoin died in a Manhattan hotel room of aheroin overdose after he and Chamberlin used the drug together.[26] Chamberlin was later arrested on a misdemeanor drug possession charge.[27] The Smashing Pumpkins made the decision to fire Chamberlin and continue as a trio.[28] This shakeup, coupled with Corgan going through a divorce and the death of his mother, influenced the somber mood of the band's next album, 1998'sAdore. Featuring a darker, more subdued and heavily electronic sound at a time whenalternative rock was declining in mainstream cachet,Adore divided both critics and fans, resulting in a significant decrease in album sales (it sold 1.3 million in the US).[29]
Chamberlin was reunited with the band in 1999. In 2000, they releasedMachina/The Machines of God, aconcept album on which the band deliberately played to their public image. Critics were again divided, and sales were lower than before;Machina is the second lowest-selling commercially released Smashing Pumpkins album to date, with U.S. sales of 583,000 units up to 2005.[30] During the recording forMachina, Wretzky quit the band and was replaced for the upcoming tour by formerHole bassistMelissa Auf der Maur. In 2000 the band releasedMachina II/The Friends & Enemies of Modern Music free over the Internet and broke up at the end of the year, playing their last show on December 2, 2000, at theCabaret Metro.
Following a brief stint touring withNew Order in the summer,[31] Corgan reunited with Chamberlin to form the bandZwan with Corgan's old friendMatt Sweeney in late 2001.[32][33] The lineup was completed with guitaristDavid Pajo and bassistPaz Lenchantin. The band had two distinct incarnations, the primary approach being an upbeat rock band with a three-guitar-driven sound, the second, afolk andgospel inspired acoustic side with live strings.[34] The quintet performed throughout 2002, and their debut album,Mary Star of the Sea, was released in early 2003 to generally positive reviews.[35] In the midst of their supporting tour for the album, mounting conflict between Corgan and Chamberlin and the other band members led to the cancellation of the rest of the tour as the band entered an apparent hiatus, formally breaking up in September 2003.[36][37][38][39]
In 2004, Corgan began writing revealing autobiographical posts on his website and hisMySpace page under the titleThe Confessions of Billy Corgan, discussing subjects from his troubled childhood, failed marriage, and dynamics behind the breakups of both his prior bands. He commented that the Smashing Pumpkins endured the departure of Wretzky, who he called "a mean spirited drug addict", only to break up in 2000 largely because of Iha's desire to leave the group.[37][40] Corgan called his former Zwan bandmates Sweeney, Pajo and Lenchantin "dirty, filthy people who have no self-respect or class...never have I met such creatures who feel so entitled to all yet contribute so little, not only to my life but the culture and the world in general...the world is on the brink of wars and mass terror, and their main concern is whether or not their indy friends still like them."[41][42]
In late 2004, Corgan publishedBlinking with Fists, a book of poetry. Despite mixed reviews, the book debuted onThe New York Times Best Seller List.[43] He had made his debut as a poet on September 17, 2003, presenting at the Art Institute of Chicago's Rubloff Auditorium.[44]
Also in 2004, he began a solo music career, landing on anelectronic/shoegaze/alternative rock sound for his first solo album,TheFutureEmbrace, co-produced and arranged byBon Harris ofNitzer Ebb. Released on June 21, 2005, throughReprise Records, it garnered mixed reviews from the press and only sold 69,000 copies.[45] Corgan toured behind his solo album with a touring band that includedLinda Strawberry,Brian Liesegang andMatt Walker in 2005. This tour was not as extensive as previous Smashing Pumpkins or Zwan tours.[46] The tour was also controversial in Australia, with Corgan antagonising the audience and storming off the stage when Smashing Pumpkins songs were yelled out as requests.[47] Prior to recordingTheFutureEmbrace, Corgan had recorded some 72 songs inspired by Chicago history for the largely acousticChicagoSongs project, which have yet to be released.[48]
In 2005, Corgan took out a full-page ad in Chicago's two major newspapers (Chicago Tribune andThe Chicago Sun-Times) revealing his desire to re-form the Smashing Pumpkins.[48] Several days later, Jimmy Chamberlin accepted Corgan's offer for a reunion.[49]
On April 20, 2006, the band's official website confirmed that the group was reuniting.[50] The re-formed Smashing Pumpkins went into studio for much of 2006 and early 2007, and performed its first show in seven years on May 22, 2007, with new membersGinger Pooley (bass) andJeff Schroeder (guitar) replacing Wretzky and Iha. The new album, titledZeitgeist, was released in the United States on July 10, 2007, and debuted at No. 2 on theBillboard charts. Corgan and the rest of the Pumpkins toured extensively throughout 2007 and 2008, also releasing the EPAmerican Gothic and the singles "G.L.O.W." and "Superchrist". Chamberlin left the band in March 2009, and Corgan chose to continue under the name.[51]
In summer 2009, Corgan formed the bandSpirits in the Sky to play a tribute concert to the lateSky Saxon ofthe Seeds. He toured with the band, composed of ex-Catherine member and "Superchrist" producer Kerry Brown, theElectric Prunes bassistMark Tulin,Strawberry Alarm Clock keyboardistMark Weitz, frequent Corgan collaboratorLinda Strawberry, flautist Kevin Dippold, "Superchrist" violinistYsanne Spevack, saxist Justin Norman, new Pumpkins drummerMike Byrne, andJane's Addiction guitaristDave Navarro, playing covers and new Pumpkins material at several clubs in California.[52][53] At the end of the tour, Corgan, Byrne, Tulin, and Brown headed back to Chicago to begin work on the new Smashing Pumpkins album,Teargarden by Kaleidyscope.[54] The lineup at the time which included new bassistNicole Fiorentino, toured through much of 2010, then spent 2011 recording the "album-within-an-album"Oceania and mounting tours of the United States and Europe. However, Byrne and Fiorentino would later leave the band in 2014.
On May 15, 2014, Corgan releasedAEGEA, a new solo record of experimental recordings he made in 2007.[55] Limited to 250 vinyl copies, the album was mostly sold online, with a few copies sold at Madame Zuzu's, a tea house he owns and operates inHighland Park, a suburb northwest of Chicago.[56][57][58] On July 25, 2014, Corgan also released the tapes from his "Siddhartha" show from March 2014, much in the vein ofAEGEA. The set was expected[clarification needed] to contain between 5 and 6 discs.[59] During the summer 2014, he recorded the Smashing Pumpkins's ninth studio album,Monuments to an Elegy, withTommy Lee andJeff Schroeder. The album was released in early December 2014.[60]
In October 2017, he released a new solo album titledOgilala.[61]
In July 2018, the Smashing Pumpkins embarked on a reunion tour, theShiny and Oh So Bright Tour, with a focus on performing material from their first five studio albums.[62] The lineup consists of himself,James Iha,Jimmy Chamberlin, andJeff Schroeder. Former bassistD'arcy Wretzky was not a part of the lineup, reportedly due to unresolved tension between her and Corgan. Wretzky has stated that Corgan offered her a contract but later retracted the offer, saying that "we also have to balance the forces at play... there is no room for error."[63] After Wretzky released text messages between her and Corgan,[64] a feud ensued, with each party attacking each other with biting remarks.
On November 22, 2019, Corgan released his third solo albumCotillions, which he called "a labor of love". He also said, "This is absolutely an album from my heart."[65] On July 14, 2022, he and his partner, Chloe Mendel, announced that they would host a livestream charity show on July 27 to benefit the victims of the July 4 Highland Park, Illinois, shooting.[66]
In 2011, Corgan formed a Chicago-based independent wrestling promotion calledResistance Pro.[67][68] Two years later, in 2013, he starred in a commercial forWalter E. Smithe Furniture, using the platform to promote his wrestling company.[69]
In March 2014, it was reported that Corgan was in discussions with American television channelAMC to develop an unscripted reality series about Resistance Pro.[70][71] The premise being a behind-the-scenes look at the promotion as Corgan "takes over creative direction for the independent wrestling company". The show was given the green light by AMC, under the working title of "Untitled Billy Corgan Wrestling Project," the same month.[72]
In April 2015, Corgan became the new Senior Producer of Creative and Talent Development forTotal Nonstop Action Wrestling (TNA), where his role was to "develop characters and create story lines", which he has called "a dream come true".[73][74][75][76] In August 2016, Corgan took over as the promotion's new president.
In November 2016, Corgan had left TNA after disputes about not being paid on time, and subsequently, Anthem Sports & Entertainment Corp and Impact Ventures, parent company of TNA Impact Wrestling, provided a credit facility to TNA to fund operations.[77] In 2016, he loaned money to Anthem Sports & Entertainment to fund TNA, and they promised to pay him back.[78][unreliable source] On November 11, Corgan and Anthem signed a settlement, with Anthem repaying TNA's loan from Corgan.[citation needed]
Newly appointed TNA/Impact Wrestling President Ed Nordholm credits the invention of and the vision behind theMatt HardyBroken gimmick toJeremy Borash, David Lagana and Billy Corgan.[79][80]
In May 2017, Corgan purchased theNational Wrestling Alliance (NWA), including its name, rights, trademarks and championship belts.[81][82] Corgan's ownership took effect on October 1, 2017.[83]
For much of his life, Corgan has struggled withanxiety,depression,panic attacks,self-harm,obsessive-compulsive disorder, andsuicidal ideation.[84] He attributes these problems to the abuse he endured as a child at the hands of his father and stepmother, as well as other personal issues.[84] He has since become an advocate for abuse support networks.[84]
Corgan is an avid fan of theChicago Cubs; he was also an occasional commentator on the team for lateWXRT DJLin Brehmer.[85] He has appeared at many Cubs games, occasionally throwing theceremonial first pitch or singing "Take Me Out to the Ballgame". He is also a fan of theChicago Bulls,Chicago Blackhawks andChicago Bears, and became personal friends withDennis Rodman andChris Chelios.[13][86][87] He is an avidprofessional wrestling fan,[88] and appeared at anECW event wielding an acoustic guitar as a weapon.[89] In 2008, the Pumpkins song "Doomsday Clock" was used byROH for promotional videos.[90] On April 26, 2010, Corgan appeared on theSIRIUS Satellite Radio programRight After Wrestling withArda Ocal to discuss his love for wrestling and the importance of unique theme songs for characters. On August 26, 2010, he took part in a storyline withAAA during a concert forMTV World Stage.[91] As far as other entertainment, Corgan once commented that all he watches on TV are "sports and theThree Stooges".[92] In March 2008, he was spotted in the crowd at the final day of a crickettest match betweenNew Zealand andEngland.
Corgan accepts some elements ofCatholicism,Buddhism, andKen Wilber's spiritual ideas.[93] In 2009, he launched Everything From Here to There, an interfaith website that is devoted to "Mind-Body-Soul" integration. He mentions praying each morning and night to be able to see throughJesus Christ's eyes and feel with his heart.[94][95][96] An analysis of the symbolism of Corgan's lyrics considered the blend of beliefs he has cited in various interviews, which include ideas about religion, multiple dimensions, and psychic phenomena.[97] In an interview on theHoward Stern Show, Corgan said he had an encounter with a person who had the ability toshapeshift.[98]
Corgan's mother Martha died in December 1996. The song "For Martha", fromAdore, was written in her memory. In the early 2000s Corgan named his labelMartha's Music after her as well. A picture of Martha as a young girl sitting on a fake moon atRiverview Park is featured on the flipside of theSiamese Dream booklet.[99]
In 1991, Corgan briefly dated musician and actressCourtney Love.[100][101] In an interview onThe Howard Stern Show, Corgan confessed that he arranged for Love's band to stay in his Chicago apartment in order to meet her, an encounter he had longed for after seeing her photograph on the back ofHole's new single.[102] Their relationship ended on October 12, 1991, when Love found out that Corgan had another relationship.[103]
In 1993, Corgan married art conservator and artist Chris Fabian, his longtime on-again, off-again girlfriend. They were married at a small ceremony at his house inWrigleyville.[104] Corgan and Fabian separated in late 1995. Corgan filed for divorce in December 1996 on grounds of "irreconcilable differences,"[105] and the divorce was granted in 1997. Corgan refused to discuss the marriage for years,[106] only allowing that it was "unhappy."[107] In 2005 he described the circumstances of his marriage in depth via his personalblog.[108]
In late 1995,[13] Corgan started dating Ukrainian photographerYelena Yemchuk, who later contributed to several Smashing Pumpkins videos and album art. He continued to date Yemchuk until around 2004. According to Corgan, his breakup with her contributed to the themes of his 2005 solo releaseTheFutureEmbrace.[109] In 2005, Corgan dated musicianEmilie Autumn for a number of months. The pair collaborated on multiple occasions during this time, with Autumn providing vocals and violin on his solo album and costume for a supporting music video.
In early 2006, Corgan moved in with Love and her daughterFrances Bean Cobain. According to Love, he had his own wing in her Hollywood Hills mansion.[110] Two years later, Love criticized him publicly over his alleged refusal to attend her daughter'ssweet 16 party.[111] After they parted ways, Corgan stated in a March 2010 interview, "I have no interest in supporting [Love] in any way, shape or form. You can't throw enough things down the abyss with a person like that." Shortly after, when her band's albumNobody's Daughter was released, Corgan usedTwitter to post anger-filled rants against her in reference to two songs he had written, "Samantha" and "How Dirty Girls Get Clean", which ended up on the album without his permission. Love then wrote an apology to him on herFacebook account, but the feud continued. Corgan took to Twitter to rant against her again. She responded to him on Twitter, saying, "All i am is nice about you so if you wanna be mean be mean i don't feel anything. i have too much to feel dear."[112] In 2008, he blamed his dedication to music for what he called "a bad marriage and seven bad girlfriends in a row".[113] The two eventually reconciled, and Love was invited to perform at Smashing Pumpkins 30th Anniversary Show.[114] In 2020, Corgan told the Los Angeles Times that only a few people really matter to him and that Courtney is one of them, describing their relationship as a family bond.[115]
In 2009, Corgan was linked with pop starJessica Simpson.[116] He started dating Australian singerJessica Origliasso in 2010, and remained in a relationship with her until early June 2012. Origliasso blamed their split on their careers forcing them to spend too much time apart.[117][118]
He has been in a relationship with Chloe Mendel since 2013. He announced their marriage on September 17, 2023, during the 30th anniversary Siamese Dream show at Madame Zuzu's. They had wed the day before, on September 16. They have three children together, a son: Augustus Juppiter, born November 16, 2015, and two daughters: Philomena Clementine, born October 2, 2018, and Juno Delphine, born on March 18, 2025.[119][120][121]
On December 19, 2021, Corgan's father, William Dale Corgan, died at age 74.[6]
In 1998, Corgan said that he had not participated in an election since 1992, when he voted forBill Clinton.[122]After the election ofBarack Obama in2008, Corgan said, "I'm very proud of my country right now for doing the right thing."[123] He has since said that he was disappointed with Obama's presidency, and that he lacks faith in both major political parties.[124] In 2009, he posted a transcript of a webcast by political activistLyndon LaRouche to the official Smashing Pumpkins forum.[125][126] On March 10, 2009, Corgan testified in front of Congress on behalf of the musicFIRST Coalition. He spoke in favor of H.R. 848, thePerformance Rights Act, which gives musicians and artists their share of compensation when their music is played on radio stations.[127]
In an interview with radio host andconspiracy theoristAlex Jones in 2016, Corgan voiced discontent with "social justice warriors", comparing them toMaoists, cult members, and theKu Klux Klan, and calling their actions a threat to freedom of speech.[128] In 2018, he called himself a "free-marketlibertariancapitalist".[122]
Corgan adopted apescetarian diet in 2013,[129] and stated in 2017 that he had begun following avegan andgluten-free diet.[130] In 2012, he opened a Madame Zuzu's Tea House in the Ravinia neighborhood ofHighland Park;[131] the tea house closed in 2018 and reopened in a bigger space in downtown Highland Park in 2020.[132][133][134][135]
In addition to performing, Corgan has produced albums forRic Ocasek,the Frogs, andCatherine. He shared songwriting credit on several songs onHole's 1998 albumCelebrity Skin; the title track became Corgan's second No. 1 modern rock hit. He also acted as a consultant forMarilyn Manson during the recording of the albumMechanical Animals. He has produced three soundtracks for the moviesRansom (1996),Stigmata (1999) andSpun (2002) in which he appeared as a doctor.[136]
Corgan appeared at the 1996Rock and Roll Hall of Fame ceremony to induct one of his biggest musical influences,Pink Floyd. He played acoustic guitar during the ceremony with Pink Floyd, when they performed their song"Wish You Were Here".
In particular, Corgan guided and collaborated with three bands in the 2000s—Breaking Benjamin (during sessions for 2004'sWe Are Not Alone),Taproot (forBlue-Sky Research, 2005), andSky Saxon.[137]
In 2010, Corgan claimed co-writing credit (with ex-girlfriendCourtney Love) on at least two of the songs onHole's final albumNobody's Daughter and tried to assert a right of approval before the album could be released. Corgan had helped develop the album during its early stages. The album was released without the writing controversy ever being litigated or publicly resolved.[138][139]
Corgan appeared as a guest vocalist on the song "Loki Cat" on Jimmy Chamberlin's first solo album,Life Begins Again, and Chamberlin played drums for the song "DIA" on Corgan's solo debut, whereRobert Smith fromthe Cure teamed up with Corgan to do a cover of theBee Gees' "To Love Somebody". In 2007, Corgan provided vocals on theScorpions' song "The Cross", on their albumHumanity: Hour I.[140] In 2010 Corgan featured onRay Davies' albumSee My Friends on the album's closer, amash-up ofthe Kinks songs "All Day and All of the Night" and"Destroyer". He also contributed his guitar work on "Did You Miss Me" bythe Veronicas. Corgan has also collaborated withTony Iommi,Blindside,David Bowie (singing "All the Young Dudes" with Bowie at Bowie's 50th birthday party),New Order andMarianne Faithfull.
When asked in a 1994Rolling Stone interview about his influences, Corgan replied:
Eight years old, I put on theBlack Sabbath record, and my life is forever changed. It sounded so heavy. It rattled the bones. I wanted that feeling. WithBauhaus andthe Cure, it was the ability to create a mood and an atmosphere. The air gets heavier. WithJimi Hendrix it was the ability to translate this other level of guitar.Cheap Trick – it was a vocal influence. AlthoughTom Petersson once told me thatRick Nielsen called us 'tuneless and nonmelodic.'[141]
Corgan wrote six articles forGuitar World in 1995, and hissolos for "Cherub Rock" and "Geek U.S.A." were included on their list of the top guitar solos of all time.AllMusic said "Starla" "proves that Corgan was one of the finest (and most underrated) rock guitarists of the '90s",[142] whileRolling Stone called him and his Smashing Pumpkins bandmates "ruthless virtuosos". His solo for "Soma" was No. 24 onRolling Stone's list of the top guitar solos.[143] He is a fan ofEddie Van Halen and interviewed him in 1996 forGuitar World. Other guitarists Corgan rates highly includeUli Jon Roth,[144]Tony Iommi,Ritchie Blackmore,Leslie West,Dimebag Darrell andRobin Trower.[145]
His bass playing, which has featured on nearly every Smashing Pumpkins album, was influenced bypost-punk figures likePeter Hook andSimon Gallup.[146]
Corgan has praisedRadiohead, saying "if they're not the best band in the world, then they're one of the best". He is also a fan ofPantera and appeared briefly in their home video3 Watch It Go.[147] Other favorites includeDepeche Mode,[148]Siouxsie and the Banshees,[149]Rush,Pink Floyd,Led Zeppelin,Metallica,Slayer,Queen,Electric Light Orchestra,Dinosaur Jr.,My Bloody Valentine,[150] andSpiritualized.[92] Corgan stated in 1997 that upon hearing theU2 song "New Year's Day", at 16, "[U2] quickly became the most important band in the world to me."[151] Corgan particularly went out of his way to praise Rush in his interview forRush: Beyond the Lighted Stage, a documentary on the band, where he criticized mainstream reviewers for consciously marginalizing the band and their influence, and highlighted the fact that many of his musical peers were influenced by Rush.
He has listed his artistic influences asWilliam S. Burroughs,Pablo Picasso, Jimi Hendrix,Jack Kerouac, andPhilip K. Dick.[92][152]
During theGish-Siamese Dream era, Corgan played a customized '57 ReissueFender Stratocaster equipped with three FenderLace 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 '74 Strat that was stolen shortly afterGish was completed. Corgan was reunited with this guitar in early 2019.[153]
Corgan also used a wide variety of guitars onMellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness. On "Where Boys Fear to Tread", Corgan used aLes Paul Junior Reissue, and on "Tonight Tonight" he used a '72Gibson ES-335. He is also known to use a '74 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 albumZeitgeist, he used aSchecter C-1 EX baritone, finished in black with Tony Iommi signature pickups. Corgan endorsedReverend Guitars in hisZwan era, most notably playing a Reverend Slingshot.
In 2008, Corgan released to the market his own Fender Stratocaster.[154] This new guitar was made to Corgan's exact specs to create his famous mid-'90s buzzsaw tone; the instrument features three DiMarzio pickups (two custom for this instrument), a string-through hardtail bridge and a satin nitrocellulose lacquer finish.[155] 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 GibsonTony Iommi signatureSG; and his Schecter C-1 (only used on theZeitgeist 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 theElectro-Harmonix Big Muff[156]
In 2016,Reverend Guitars released the BC-1 Billy Corgan signature guitar featuring Railhammer Billy Corgan signature pickups.[157] The Reverend Billy Corgan SignatureTerz was launched at the 2018NAMM Show—an electric version of a 19th-century instrument that is played as if the guitar is capoed at the third fret, and tuned G-g standard. Corgan often uses the capo at the third fret and asked for a higher-register guitar.[158]
Corgan is noted for having usedMarshall andDiezel amps. He has also used modular preamps based on many different amps in conjunction withMesa Boogie poweramps. The preamps were custom built by Salvation Mods.[159] In August 2017, he sold a large collection of instruments and gear used throughout his career via music gear website Reverb.[160][161]
In 2020, Billy Corgan collaborated with Brian Carstens of Carstens Amplification to produce Grace, Corgan's first and only signature guitar amplifier to date.[162]
| Title | Album details | Peak chart positions | Sales | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| US [163] | AUS [164] | FRA [165] | GER [166] | JPN [167] | NLD [168] | NZ [169] | SWE [170] | SWI [171] | UK [172] | |||
| TheFutureEmbrace |
| 31 | 24 | 73 | 67 | 49 | 77 | 25 | 45 | 82 | 89 |
|
| Aegea |
| — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |
| Ogilala |
| 183 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 86 | — | |
| Cotillions |
| — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |
| "–" denotes a recording that did not chart or was not released in that territory. | ||||||||||||
| Title | Year | Peak chart positions | Album | ||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| UK [172] | |||||||||||||||||||
| "Walking Shade" | 2005 | 74 | TheFutureEmbrace | ||||||||||||||||
| "Aeronaut" | 2017 | — | Ogilala | ||||||||||||||||
| "The Spaniards" | — | ||||||||||||||||||
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| Title | Year | Peak chart positions | Album | ||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| US Main. Rock [174] | |||||||||||||||||||
| "Take Shape" (withCode Orange) | 2023 | 35 | The Above | ||||||||||||||||
| "—" denotes a recording that did not chart or was not released in that territory. | |||||||||||||||||||
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link){{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)William also fathered a half-brother, but Corgan has never found out who he is.
confessions2 was invoked but never defined (see thehelp page).{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link){{cite web}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link){{cite web}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link){{cite web}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link). Eater.com. December 29, 2011.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)Also noted is their influence on Billy Corgan, who recruited the engineer of 'Loveless', Alan Moulder, for the latest Smashing Pumpkins album.
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