Billy Corgan is best known as the lead singer, primary songwriter, guitarist, and only permanent member of the rock band The Smashing Pumpkins.
90 Facts About Billy Corgan
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Billy Corgan is currently the owner and promoter of the National Wrestling Alliance.
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Billy Corgan started a new band called Zwan, and after their demise he released a solo album, TheFutureEmbrace, in 2005 and a collection of poetry, Blinking with Fists, before reforming Smashing Pumpkins.
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In October 2017, Billy Corgan released Ogilala, his first solo album in over a decade.
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Billy Corgan later joined Total Nonstop Action Wrestling in 2015, becoming its president in August 2016.
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Billy Corgan was raised Catholic and is of Irish and German-Swiss descent.
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Billy Corgan's parents had one more son, Ricky, before divorcing in 1970.
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Billy Corgan's father was remarried to a flight attendant, and Corgan and his brother went to live with them in Glendale Heights, Illinois.
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Billy Corgan alleges that his stepmother was abusive to him, both physically and emotionally.
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Billy Corgan developed a protective bond with his younger paternal half-brother, Jesse, who had special needs as a child.
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Billy Corgan described his father as a "drug dealing, gun-toting, musician [and] mad man".
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Billy Corgan, who grew much faster than his fellow students, was a strong athlete in elementary school.
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Billy Corgan decided to start playing guitar after seeing a Flying V when he went over to a friend's house.
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Billy Corgan gave his savings to his father, who bought him a used Les Paul knock-off.
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Billy Corgan's father encouraged him to listen to Jeff Beck and Jimi Hendrix but offered little other support, so Corgan taught himself to play the instrument.
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In high school, Billy Corgan discovered alternative rock through Bauhaus and The Cure.
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Billy Corgan performed in a string of bands in high school and graduated as an honor student.
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Not finding the Chicago music scene to his liking, Billy Corgan moved to St Petersburg, Florida in 1985 with his first major band, The Marked.
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Not finding success in St Petersburg, the band dissolved; Billy Corgan moved back to Chicago to live with his father.
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Billy Corgan left the band to focus on The Smashing Pumpkins.
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Billy Corgan met guitarist James Iha while working in a record store, and the two began recording demos, which Billy Corgan describes as "gloomy little goth-pop records".
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Billy Corgan met bassist D'arcy Wretzky after a local show, arguing with her about a band that had just played, The Dan Reed Network.
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The band became known for internal drama during this period, with Billy Corgan frequently characterized in the music press as a "control freak" due to rumors that Billy Corgan played all the guitar and bass parts on Siamese Dream.
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The song "1979" was Billy Corgan's biggest hit to date, reaching No 1 on Billboard's modern rock and mainstream rock charts.
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On September 17,2003, Billy Corgan presented his poetry at the Art Institute of Chicago's Rubloff Auditorium.
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In late 2004, Billy Corgan published Blinking with Fists, a book of poetry.
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Billy Corgan toured behind his solo album with a touring band that included Linda Strawberry, Brian Liesegang and Matt Walker in 2005.
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In 2005, Billy Corgan took out a full-page ad in Chicago's two major newspapers revealing his desire to re-form the Smashing Pumpkins.
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Several days later, Jimmy Chamberlin accepted Billy Corgan's offer for a reunion.
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Chamberlin left the band in March 2009, and Billy Corgan elected to continue under the name.
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In summer 2009, Billy Corgan formed the band Spirits in the Sky to play a tribute concert to the late Sky Saxon of the Seeds.
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Billy Corgan toured with the band, composed of ex-Catherine member and "Superchrist" producer Kerry Brown, the Electric Prunes bassist Mark Tulin, Strawberry Alarm Clock keyboardist Mark Weitz, frequent Corgan collaborator Linda Strawberry, flautist Kevin Dippold, "Superchrist" violinist Ysanne Spevack, saxist Justin Norman, new Pumpkins drummer Mike Byrne, and Jane's Addiction guitarist Dave Navarro, playing covers and new Pumpkins material at several clubs in California.
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On May 15,2014, Billy Corgan released AEGEA, a new solo record of experimental recordings he made in 2007.
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On July 25,2014, Billy Corgan released the tapes from his "Siddhartha" show from March 2014, much in the vein of AEGEA.
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In September 2015, Billy Corgan started a blog of vintage photographs that he himself curated, and which he called "People and Their Cars".
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On November 22,2019, Billy Corgan released his third solo album Cotillions, which he called "a labor of love".
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In 2011 Billy Corgan formed a Chicago-based independent wrestling promotion called Resistance Pro.
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In March 2014 it was reported that Billy Corgan was in discussions with American television channel AMC to develop an unscripted reality series about Resistance Pro.
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The premise being a behind-the-scenes look at the promotion as Billy Corgan "takes over creative direction for the independent wrestling company".
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In May 2017, Billy Corgan purchased the National Wrestling Alliance, including its name, rights, trademarks and championship belts.
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For much of his life, Billy Corgan has struggled with anxiety, depression, panic attacks, self-harm, obsessive-compulsive disorder, and suicidal ideation.
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Billy Corgan has since become an advocate for abuse support networks.
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Billy Corgan is a keen supporter of the Chicago Cubs, and an occasional commentator on the team for WXRT DJ Lin Brehmer.
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Billy Corgan has appeared at many Cubs games, occasionally throwing the ceremonial first pitch or singing "Take Me Out to the Ballgame".
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Billy Corgan is a fan of the Chicago Bulls, Chicago Blackhawks and Chicago Bears, and became personal friends with Dennis Rodman and Chris Chelios.
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Billy Corgan is an avid professional wrestling fan, and appeared at an ECW event wielding an acoustic guitar as a weapon.
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Billy Corgan accepts some elements of Catholicism, Buddhism and Ken Wilber's spiritual ideas.
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Billy Corgan mentions praying each morning and night to be able to see through Jesus Christ's eyes and feel with his heart.
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An analysis of the symbolism of Billy Corgan's lyrics considered the blend of beliefs he has cited in various interviews, which include ideas about religion, multiple dimensions, and psychic phenomena.
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In 1991, Billy Corgan briefly dated musician and actress Courtney Love.
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In 1993, Billy Corgan married art conservator and artist Chris Fabian, his longtime on-again, off-again girlfriend.
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Billy Corgan filed for divorce in December 1996 on grounds of "irreconcilable differences," and the divorce was granted in 1997.
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In late 1995, Billy Corgan started dating Ukrainian photographer Yelena Yemchuk, who later contributed to several Smashing Pumpkins videos and album art.
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In 2005, Billy Corgan dated musician Emilie Autumn for a number of months.
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In early 2006, Billy Corgan moved in with Love and her daughter Francis Bean.
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In 2020, Billy Corgan told 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.
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In 2009, Billy Corgan was linked with pop star Jessica Simpson.
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Billy Corgan started dating Australian singer Jessica Origliasso in 2010, and remained in a relationship with her until early June 2012.
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Billy Corgan gave birth to a son named Augustus Juppiter Corgan on November 16,2015.
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In 1998, Billy Corgan said he had not participated in an election since 1992, when he voted for Bill Clinton.
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On March 10,2009, Billy Corgan testified in front of Congress on behalf of the musicFIRST Coalition.
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Billy Corgan adopted a pescetarian diet in 2013, and stated in 2017 that he had begun following a vegan and gluten-free diet.
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Billy Corgan shared songwriting credit on several songs on Hole's 1998 album Celebrity Skin; the title track became Corgan's second No 1 modern rock hit.
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Billy Corgan acted as a consultant for Marilyn Manson during the recording of the album Mechanical Animals.
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Billy Corgan has produced three soundtracks for the movies Ransom, Stigmata and Spun in which he appeared as a doctor.
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Billy Corgan appeared at the 1996 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame ceremonies.
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Billy Corgan inducted one of his biggest musical influences, Pink Floyd.
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Billy Corgan played acoustic guitar during the ceremony with Pink Floyd, when they performed their song "Wish You Were Here".
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In 2010, Billy Corgan claimed co-writing credit on at least two of the songs on Hole's final album Nobody's Daughter and tried to assert a right of approval before the album could be released.
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Billy Corgan had helped develop the album during its early stages.
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Billy Corgan contributed his guitar work on "Did You Miss Me" by The Veronicas.
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Billy Corgan has collaborated with Tony Iommi, Blindside, David Bowie, New Order and Marianne Faithfull.
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Billy Corgan wrote six articles for Guitar World in 1995, and his solos for "Cherub Rock" and "Geek USA" were included on their list of the top guitar solos of all time.
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Billy Corgan is a fan of Eddie Van Halen and interviewed him in 1996 for Guitar World.
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Billy Corgan's bass playing, which has featured on nearly every Smashing Pumpkins album, was influenced by post-punk figures like Peter Hook and Simon Gallup.
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Billy Corgan has praised Radiohead, saying "if they're not the best band in the world, then they're one of the best".
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Billy Corgan is a fan of Pantera and appeared briefly in their home video 3 Watch It Go.
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Billy Corgan has listed his artistic influences as William S Burroughs, Pablo Picasso, Jimi Hendrix, Jack Kerouac, and Philip K Dick.
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Billy Corgan played a customized '57 Reissue Fender Stratocaster equipped with three Fender Lace Sensor pickups.
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Billy Corgan owned a '74 Strat that was stolen shortly after Gish was completed.
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Billy Corgan used a wide variety of guitars on Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness.
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On "Where Boys Fear to Tread", Billy Corgan used a Les Paul Junior Reissue, and on "Tonight Tonight" he used a '72 Gibson ES-335.
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Billy Corgan is known to use a '74 Strat which has since been painted baby blue.
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Billy Corgan endorsed Reverend Guitars in his Zwan era, most notably playing a Reverend Slingshot.
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In 2008 Billy Corgan released to the market his own Fender Stratocaster.
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Billy Corgan's tone is often characterized by his use of fuzz pedals, particularly vintage versions of the Electro-Harmonix Big Muff.
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Billy Corgan often uses the capo at the third fret and asked for a higher-register guitar.
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Billy Corgan is noted for having used Marshall and Diezel amps.
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Billy Corgan has used modular preamps based on many different amps in conjunction with Mesa Boogie poweramps.
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In 2020, Billy Corgan collaborated with Brian Carstens of Carstens Amplification to produce Grace, Billy's first and only signature guitar amplifier to date.