Biography
Who is Billy Corgan?
Early life and background
William Patrick Corgan Jr. Was born on March 17, 1967, in Elk Grove Village, United States. He grew up in the Chicago area and attended Glenbard North High School, where he graduated as an honor student. During his youth, he developed an interest in baseball, amassed a large collection of baseball cards, and listened to Chicago Cubs games on the radio. He decided to pursue music after seeing a guitar at a friend's house and getting a used instrument from his father.
His early musical tastes included hard rock and heavy metal groups like Black Sabbath, Van Halen, and Rush. He also discovered alternative rock by listening to Bauhaus and the Cure. After high school, he turned down college scholarship offers to pursue music full time. He briefly moved to St. Petersburg, Florida, in 1985 with his first major band, The Marked, before returning to Chicago to play in a group called Deep Blue Dream.
The Smashing Pumpkins
Upon returning to Chicago, Billy Corgan formed the Smashing Pumpkins in 1988 alongside guitarist James Iha, bassist D'arcy Wretzky, and later drummer Jimmy Chamberlin. The band released their debut album, Gish, in 1991, which blended psychedelic rock and heavy metal elements. Their follow-up album, Siamese Dream, was released in 1993 on Virgin Records and became a multi-platinum commercial hit, featuring popular tracks like Today, Cherub Rock, and Disarm.
The group achieved even greater success with their 1995 double album, Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness, which earned seven Grammy nominations and spawned the hit single 1979. Following lineup changes, personal losses, and shifting musical trends, the band released Adore in 1998 and Machina/The Machines of God in 2000 before breaking up at the end of that year. Corgan later reformed the Smashing Pumpkins in 2007 with a revolving lineup, continuing to release new albums and tour extensively.
Side projects and solo work
After the initial break-up of the Smashing Pumpkins in 2000, Billy Corgan formed a new band called Zwan with drummer Jimmy Chamberlin and other musicians, releasing the album Mary Star of the Sea. Following Zwan's disbandment, he released a collection of poetry titled Blinking with Fists in 2004 and his debut solo album, TheFutureEmbrace, in 2005. He continued his solo career years later by releasing the albums Ogilala in 2017 and Cotillions in 2019.
Professional wrestling career
Alongside his music career, Billy Corgan is active in professional wrestling. He co-founded Resistance Pro Wrestling in 2011 and later joined TNA Wrestling in 2015, eventually becoming its president in 2016 before leaving the company. In 2017, he purchased the National Wrestling Alliance, making it his primary focus in the professional wrestling industry and serving as its owner and promoter.
Birthday and age
Billy Corgan was born on March 17, 1967, which makes Billy 59 years old today. That birthday falls under the Pisces sign. Billy shares the date with 38 other famous people.
Explore more
