wanna know me? then read!
William Patrick Corgan Jr. was born to Bill Corgan and Martha Corgan on March 17, 1967, St. Patricks Day. He was born in Chicago, his father being a blues musician and his mother a flight attendant. Billy grew to be a "four-track-cassette making geek" who played guitar in his spare time while working at an old record store and then at a pizza place as a delivery boy. He played guitar up in his bedroom, learning scales and progressions. The basics.In 1985, Billy formed a band called Hexen. A video tape exists of them playing, but nothing other than a small clip shown by VH-1 has actually been seen. Then, in around 1986 he formed a band called the Marked. They moved to Florida because Chicago already had enough goth bands. The band had little success, so they broke up and Billy moved back to Chicago and lived with his father. In Chicago, he met James Iha, which started the basis for the Smashing Pumpkins. The two played at a Polish bar in 1988, just two guitarists and a drum machine to keep the beat. James and Billy played together for a few months, when Billy met D'arcy outside a nightclub. She joined as the bassist. Billy wrote all of the songs. Then, later that year (198 cool , Billy hired Jimmy Chamberlin to play drums for the opening slot for Jane's Addiciton. The band was complete.
Billy has little known interests outside of music. He has produced albums for the Frogs, and the Smashing Pumpkins, and was co-writer on 4 songs on Hole's 1998 album "Celebrity Skin", including the title track. He was an advisor of sorts for the 1998 Marylin Manson album, "Mechanical Animals", and has appeared on several soundtracks as a solo artist, including the "Ransom" soundtrack, and the "Stigmata" soundtrack. Billy has been known to credit John Lennon, Judas Priest, David Bowie, Blondie, the Cure, and My Bloody Valentine as musical inspirations. He also takes an interest in the music of Radiohead, Spiritualized, the Frogs, and Garbage.
