41 Facts About James Iha

James Yoshinobu Iha was born on March 26,1968 and is an American rock musician.

James Iha is best known as a guitarist and co-founder of the alternative rock band the Smashing Pumpkins.

James Iha was a member until the band's initial breakup in 2000 and rejoined in 2018.

James Iha was a member of Tinted Windows, a group with members of Cheap Trick, Fountains of Wayne, and Hanson.

James Iha previously co-owned independent record label Scratchie Records with Adam Schlesinger and, from 1999 to 2012, owned a recording studio with Schlesinger and Andy Chase of Ivy called Stratosphere Sound.

James Iha is a second-generation Japanese-American and is able to speak only a little Japanese.

In 1987 James Iha, then playing guitar in the Chicago band Snake Train, met Billy Corgan via a friend.

James Iha later became romantically involved with the band's bassist D'arcy Wretzky, but the couple broke up just prior to the band's performance at the Reading Festival in 1992.

James Iha sang the band's covers of the Cure's "A Night Like This" and Syd Barrett's "Terrapin".

Billy Corgan has claimed that James Iha played very little guitar on the first two Smashing Pumpkins albums, with Corgan himself playing most of the parts in the studio that James Iha played live.

James Iha was often considered the "quiet one" in Smashing Pumpkins, but he was known to engage in ad-libbed jokes and rap sessions at live performances.

James Iha's humor was encapsulated in his use of the catchphrase, "I've seen a million faces, and I've rocked them all," originally from the Bon Jovi song "Wanted Dead or Alive".

In 1998, James Iha released a moderately successful solo album, Let It Come Down.

When his former bandmates Billy Corgan and Jimmy Chamberlin revived the "Smashing Pumpkins" name, James Iha did not participate, and in fact had not spoken to Corgan in years.

James Iha admitted within the interview that he had not heard any of the band's new music since the reformation.

James Iha revealed that he and Corgan had not spoken in around ten years, but that he did speak to Wretzky "once in a while".

On March 26 and 27,2016, James Iha joined Corgan and Chamberlin on stage unannounced at back-to-back Smashing Pumpkins shows at the Ace Hotel in downtown Los Angeles.

James Iha played a third show with the band in their hometown of Chicago at the Civic Opera house on April 14,2016.

In 2017, reunion rumors were leaked through various sources, and in 2018, James Iha was spotted with Corgan, Chamberlin, and former Smashing Pumpkins guitarist Jeff Schroeder in the studio and at a photo shoot, confirming his return to the band.

James Iha has remained in the lineup ever since, appearing on the albums Cyr, Atum: A Rock Opera in Three Acts, and Aghori Mhori Mei, and touring extensively.

James Iha continues to contribute to other artists' recordings, such as "Don't Be Sad" on Whiskeytown's Pneumonia released in 2001 and further guest appearances for bands Ivy and Fountains of Wayne, both of which he remained close to, appearing on virtually every release by both bands since 1997.

Andy Chase of Ivy, and Adam Schlesinger of both Ivy and Fountains, recorded on most songs James Iha produced or wrote for other artists.

James Iha made bigger news when he joined the alternative rock supergroup A Perfect Circle in July 2003 in time for their Thirteenth Step club tour.

James Iha has since recorded on their 2004 album eMOTIVe as well as contributed remixes of Blue and Outsider, and is back with the band following its near 6-year long hiatus.

James Iha has collaborated on musical and fashion design projects in Japan.

James Iha collaborated on and produced two tracks with Japanese musician Chara for her 2001 album Madrigal called "Boku ni Utsushite" and "Skirt".

In 2001, James Iha played live with the Blank Theory and recorded on their album Beyond the Calm of the Corridor producing the song "Addicted" together with Schlesinger and contributing guitar playing.

James Iha scored the Japanese film Linda, Linda, Linda, released in late summer of 2005.

James Iha produced two tracks on the 2006 tribute album to Serge Gainsbourg, Monsieur Gainsbourg Revisited, "I Love You ", that featured Cat Power and model Karen Elson singing and "L'Hotel" with Michael Stipe on vocals.

James Iha recorded on the track "The Ballad of Bonnie and Clyde" in a duet with singer Kazu Makino on the US edition of the album.

In February 2006, a digital EP "In the Sun" produced by James Iha featuring Michael Stipe and Chris Martin was released.

In collaboration with Stipe, James Iha played guitar at the "Bring 'Em Back Home Now" concert in March 2006 in New York City to benefit Iraq War veterans peace groups such as Veterans for Peace.

James Iha remixed "Me Plus One", a track from Norwegian pop singer Annie's debut album Anniemal.

In 2006 James Iha recorded a cover of "Judy Is a Punk" by the Ramones for 30th anniversary of a Japanese clothing label Beams.

James Iha appeared on stage with Swedish band the Sounds, on the season finale of MTV's Bam's Unholy Union in April 2007 and contributed guitar to the song "Seatbacks and Traytables", on Fountains of Wayne's 2007 album Traffic and Weather.

James Iha had lived in Manhattan since 2000 and has since moved to Brooklyn.

In May 2008, Marilyn Manson said that James Iha would be making a guest appearance on his new record; however, James Iha was not credited as a guitarist on the album.

On February 17,2009, it was announced that Iha had, together with Taylor Hanson, Fountains of Wayne bassist Adam Schlesinger, and Cheap Trick drummer Bun E Carlos formed a new band called Tinted Windows.

In 2013, under management of David Bason, James Iha collaborated with Japanese musician Yukihiro Takahashi, writing songs for and performing on Takahashi's album Life Anew, and performing as part of Takahashi's band "In Phase" on tours in Japan.

In 2017 James Iha composed the score for the drama series The Arrangement.

Since James Iha rejoined Smashing Pumpkins, he has remained nominally a member of A Perfect Circle but has not participated in any live performances or studio recordings.