William Patrick Corgan Jr. was born on 17 March 1967, in Elk Grove Village, Illinois USA, and is a singer, author, record producer, poet and a composer who is perhaps best known as the driving force behind the band The Smashing Pumpkins, He has been active in the music industry for more than 30 years .
How rich is Billy Corgan? According to authoritative sources, Billy’s net worth is estimated to be over $50 million. An influential figure in the alternative rock scene, Billy Corgan has significantly contributed to his net worth through his involvement in the music industry since the late 1980s.
Billy Corgan Net Worth $50 Million
Billy Corgan has always been fascinated with music, and his music taste was heavily influenced by such bands as Black Sabbath, Queen, Rush, and Cheap Trick. Billy is a self-taught guitar player, and also plays keyboards, harmonica, ukulele and bass. He has been part of a variety of bands, beginning in his high school years, and after graduating decided to follow the same path. Corgan’s passion for music resulted in the creation of what would soon become a major commercial success called “The Smashing Pumpkins”. The band which plays levels of goth rock, psychedelic rock and heavy metal was formed in 1988 when Corgan met James Iha and D’artzy Wretzky, who then recorded their first demo songs together. Under Corgan’s strict guidance, the band released its first album entitled “Gish” in 1991 and several years later produced “Siamese Dream” that was released through Virgin Records. Soon the album became a multi-platinum success, and songs “Disarm” and “Today” proved to be hit singles. Around the time of the release of the second album, the band underwent a lot of internal drama and disagreements, since some of the members were displeased with Corgan’s ways of controlling the band. Nevertheless, the album was critically appraised and Corgan with “The Smashing Pumpkins” went on to work on their next project. Regardless, Billy’s net worth was growing steadily.
In 1995, the band released a double album called “Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness”, the success of which is proven by seven Grammy Awards nominations and a ten times platinum certificate in the United States. Later certified diamond by the RIAA, the album produced several Top 40 hits that were played on radio stations: “Bullet with Butterfly Wings”, “1979”, “Tonight Tonight” and “Thirty-Three”. With the success of the “Mellon Collie” album came a significant increase in Billy Corgan’s net worth.
Despite the constantly changing band members, “The Smashing Pumpkins” managed to record nine albums and have even announced the release of two upcoming albums “Day for Night” and “Monuments to an Elegy” on which Tommy Lee is announced to be playing drums on all of the tracks of the album. Largely due to his contributions to “The Smashing Pumpkins”, Billy Corgan managed to create a worldwide known name for himself and secure a profitable future.
In addition to his involvement with the band, Billy Corgan has collaborated with Breaking Benjamin, Sky Saxon, Courtney Love and Scorpions. A multi-talented singer, songwriter and a musician, Bill Corgan has been nominated for and won such awards as American Music Awards, Grammy Awards, and MTV Video Music Awards.
In his personal life, Billy’s relationships have been effected by his long battle with depression, however, he was married to Chris Fabian(1993-96), and has subsequently had several relationships, including living with Courtney Love for a number of years, and Jessica Simpson. As of 2015. Billy is described as ‘unattached’.
Martha Louise Maes Corgan Lutz, William Corgan Sr., 1979, Bullet With Butterfly Wings, Disarm
Siblings
Jesse Andersen, Ricky Corgan, 1979, Bullet With Butterfly Wings, Disarm
Nicknames
billy_corgan , William Patrick Corgan, Jr. , Corgan, Billy , William Patrick Corgan , William Patrick "Billy" Corgan, Jr. , The Smashing Pumpkins , Zwan , William Patrick "Billy" Corgan Jr. , William Patrick Corgan Jr. , DJ Ivory Tower
“Gish” (1991), "The Essential Cheap Trick" (2004), "TheFutureEmbrace" (2005), "The Essential Cheap Trick" (2004), "We Are Not Alone" (2004), "The Chicago Code" (2011)
Music Groups
The Smashing Pumpkins (Since 1988), Zwan (2001 – 2003), Spirits in the Sky, Starchildren
Nominations
American Music Awards, Grammy Awards, and MTV Video Music Awards
Movies
Spun
TV Shows
"Right After Wrestling" (2010)
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Trademark
1
Fender Stratocaster
2
Shaved head
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Quote
1
[on creativity] When you have it, it feels like a font that just flows through you, and everything gets real easy. And then one day it sort of slows down or it stops and you tell yourself, 'I'm just having a bad day or a bad month'. And the next thing you know, people start doubting you, you don't have that magic touch. And then you start doubting yourself.
2
[on celebrity] Imagine if every week of your life for the rest of your life somebody'd be walking down the street going, 'Here's a picture of you when you were eighteen. Didn't you have a better hairstyle then? Look at this T-shirt you were wearing. Don't you want to wear that T-shirt again?' That's what it's like. It's a mirrored paradigm which you cannot escape. And if you complain, which I have, you're not grateful.
3
"You'll never see Zwan. I'll never go anywhere near those people. Ever. I mean, I detest them." (about the chances of Zwan reuniting.)
4
"The album was going to come out. So I did what I always did: Try to make the best of a situation. I start covering up. Put on a good face. And honestly, as God is my witness, I'm glad the thing didn't sell, because if it had sold then it would have been really tough. I would look like I was insane to walk away from something that I'd just built." (about his uncomfortable situation with his former band Zwan and how grateful he was when Mary Star of the Sea album flopped.)
5
You can put out the big fire [Napster], but there are 100 other little fires ready to spring up, and you'll never put them all out. Ultimately, music is going to be free.
6
I hate that in magazines, they always stick me somewhere in the back. It means they don't think I'm the cute one.
7
Don't judge yourself by other people's standards. You'll always lose.
8
Life is everything and nothing all at once.
9
As a 28-year-old who has lived long enough to know the difference, I know now that the feelings I felt at 16 were not necessarily correct. But however over dramatic, the desperation and hopelessness I felt at 16 was my reality.
10
It's a Backstreet Boy world, and at the end of the day, you just want to go home and kill yourself.
11
(On The Tonight Show) Jay Leno: "So why is the band splitting up?" Billy Corgan: "Comedy doesn't pay."
12
Great music completely obliterates any concept of genre
13
Well, we have brought certain things upon ourselves. I've certainly brought things upon us with my mouth.
14
Say you write a song about a chandelier, and the chandelier gives off light. And the light is the color red and red reminds you of the color you're not supposed to wear around a bull. So you name the song Cow.
15
(At a Smashing Pumpkins concert, just before an acoustic song) Corgan: "Are you ready to rock!" (Crowd cheers.) Corgan: "Well then you are in the wrong place."
16
Stay in school. Lie to your teachers, but stay in school.
17
The thing that makes it all worth it is when somebody comes up and says 'I had a really hard time in my life and your album really helped me.' As long as that happens, all the idiots in the world and all the stupid press can say what they want to. It just doesn't matter.
18
We can look you in the eye and talk to you about life, heart, love, rock 'n' roll, whatever. But we do not have the moral authority to tell people how to vote or what to do to their bodies. We're just a rock band.
19
For a 6-foot-3 guy with no hair and a whiny voice, I've done all right.
20
We used to compete with Nirvana. That was good. That was real. That was viscerally good. Now we compete with imitation-Nirvana. There's nothing good in that. ...It's really sad.
21
The basic Pumpkins philosophy from the beginning was that everything had already been done. You couldn't write better songs than the Beatles, you couldn't be heavier than Led Zeppelin or Black Sabbath, you couldn't be cooler than Cheap Trick. There was no way you were gonna top that. So all you could really do was try to rip off what you liked about it and sort of throw it back at people in a different way.
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Fact
1
His father's ancestry is Irish, Scottish, and English. His mother's lineage is half Belgian (Flemish) and half Italian/Sicilian.
2
Huge fan of professional wrestling.
3
recording a debut solo album after splitting up with his former band, Zwan. [2004]
4
His first solo album, entitled "The Future Embrace" was released on the 21st June. [June 2005]
5
He first appeared with his head shaved in an episode of "Saturday Night Live" in 1995.
6
The last footage of Billy with hair is the video for "Bullet With Butterfly Wings".
7
Started shaving his head when he began losing his hair in the 1990's.
8
Attended Glenbard North High School, also attended by Kiele Sanchez.
The Smashing Pumpkins album, "Machina II", was never released in stores. Instead, out of his angst toward the animosity of the record company, he released the album for download, free of charge, from his website.
During the band's over 20 years together, the Smashing Pumpkins put forward nine critically acclaimed albums: Gish, Siamese Dream, Pisces Iscariot, Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness, Adore, Machina the Machines of God, Machina II the Friends and Enemies of Modern Music, Zeitgeist and Oceania.
13
Composed most of the songs for both his bands, The Smashing Pumpkins and Zwan. He also co-wrote the album "Celebrity Skin" for Courtney Love's band Hole.
14
After buying a pawn shop guitar, he discovered that it whined when he stopped playing it. Instead of trading in the guitar, he actually wrote the whine into the song "Mayonaise".
15
The debut album of his new band 'Zwan' has been a critical fave, as most of Smashing Pumpkins' albums were, and the band plans to spend 2003 touring in support of the disc. Corgan says Zwan will play no Smashing Pumpkins material in their shows, because he wants the band to establish itself independently of the Pumpkins.
16
Billy Corgan made a short movie with his friends in the early 1980s, titled "Alien 1/2". The premise was basically a semi-sequel to Ridley Scott's "Alien", before James Cameron's "Aliens" was released in 1986. Corgan and his friends play astronauts who travel to a distant planet, only to be attacked by an alien (it's actually a plush Tazmanian devil doll). Corgan and his comrades use such tools as a pink hair dryer to combat the beast, which flies above their heads, thanks to some fishing line. Action sequences include a spaceship landing on the planet's surface, which was achieved by a thin piece of paper, folded into a tirangular shape (for the spaceship), and what appears to be a flat picture of a red planet (most likely Mars). Corgan utters the dramatic line, "And nowwwww, the end is near!". Bits of this movie were broadcasted on VH1's "Before They Were Rock Stars".
17
Has formed a new band called 'Zwan' with former Smashing Pumpkins drummer, Jimmy Chamberlin, guitarist Matt Sweeney (from New York indie rock group Chavez), bassist/guitarist/keyboardist David Pajo (from Papa M, Ariel M, Tortoise) and later adding bassist Paz Lenchantin (from A Perfect Circle).
18
Guitarist, keyboardist, vocalist, and songwriter for the band Smashing Pumpkins from 1988-2000. When asked about how his band and others from the "alternative revolution" did in changing the music industry for the better, he responded "We didn't do a very good job."
19
Has a large red birthmark that covers the top of his left hand.
20
Briefly joined the British band New Order in 2001, performing live as stand-in guitarist.
Soundtrack
Title
Year
Status
Character
The Shield
2006
TV Series writer - 1 episode
Air Guitar Nation
2006
Documentary writer: "Cherub Rock" - as William Corgan
Smallville
2005
TV Series writer - 1 episode
Band Camp
2005
Video writer: "Forget It" - as William Patrick Corgan
National Treasure
2004
writer: "Forget It"
S.P.U.N.G
TV Series lyrics - 2 episodes, 2004 music - 2 episodes, 2004
Juggalo Championshxt Wrestling Volume 3
2003
Video writer: "Bullet with Butterfly Wings"
Mayor of the Sunset Strip
2003
Documentary writer: "Malibu" - as William Corgan
Crossing Jordan
2002
TV Series performer - 1 episode
Spun
2002
arranger: "Jesus, I Have Taken My Cross" - as Corgan / writer: "Freedom Ain't What It Used to Be", "Think You Know", "Revolve", "Wasting Time"
On the Edge
2001
writer: "1979"
Homicide: The Movie
2000
TV Movie writer: "Crestfallen"
Juggalo Championshxt Wrestling Vol. 2
2000
Video writer: "Bullet with Butterfly Wings"
Any Given Sunday
1999
writer: "BE A MAN"
Stigmata
1999
writer: "Identify"
American Pie
1999
writer: "Celebrity Skin"
Free Tibet
1998
Documentary writer: "Bullet with Butterfly Wings", "Silverfuck" - as B. Corgan
First Love, Last Rites
1997
performer: "When I Was Born, I Was Bored"
Batman & Robin
1997
producer: "The End Is the Beginning Is the End" / writer: "The End Is the Beginning Is the End"
Lost Highway
1997
producer: "Eye" / writer: "Eye"
Ransom
1996
performer: "Lizards", "Rats", "Rats with tails", "Spiders", "Squirrels", "Worms 1", "Worms with vocals" / producer: "Lizards", "Rats", "Rats with tails", "Spiders", "Squirrels", "Worms 1", "Worms with vocals" / writer: "Lizards", "Rats", "Rats with tails", "Spiders", "Squirrels", "Worms 1", "Worms with vocals"
The Simpsons
1996
TV Series writer - 1 episode
Top of the Pops
1995
TV Series writer - 1 episode
Salto al vacío
1995/I
writer: "Disarm" - as William Corga / writer: "Mayonaise" - as William Corgan
Lassie
1994
writer: "Today" - as William Corgan
Singles
1992
producer: "Drown" / writer: "Drown"
1992
2015
TV Series writer - 1 episode
The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon
2015
TV Series writer - 1 episode
My Mad Fat Diary
2014
TV Series writer - 1 episode
Girls
2014
TV Series writer - 1 episode
Bad Words
2013
writer: "Snail"
Glee
2012
TV Series writer - 1 episode
The Tonight Show with Jay Leno
2010-2012
TV Series writer - 3 episodes
Footloose
2011
writer: "Window Paine"
Todd's Pop Song Reviews
2011
TV Series documentary writer - 1 episode
10 Years
2011
writer: "Tonite, Tonite"
The Chicago Code
2011
TV Series performer - 13 episodes
Hop
2011
writer: "Celebrity Skin"
20 to 1
2010
TV Series documentary writer - 2 episodes
South Park
2009
TV Series writer - 1 episode
Flashforward
2009
TV Series writer - 1 episode
Cold Case
2009
TV Series writer - 1 episode
Guitar Hero 5
2009
Video Game writer: "Bullet With Butterfly Wings"
Fanboys
2009
writer: "Today"
Paging David Cronenberg
2008
Short "Eye"
100 Greatest Hard Rock Songs
2008
TV Movie writer: "Bullet with Butterfly Wings"
Sputnik
2008
TV Series writer - 1 episode
Guitar Hero World Tour
2008
Video Game writer: "Today"
Grand Theft Auto IV
2008
Video Game writer: "1979" - as B. Corgan
Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock
2007
Video Game writer: "Cherub Rock"
Tony Hawk's Proving Ground
2007
Video Game writer: "Tarantula"
Transformers
2007
writer: "Doomsday Clock"
When a Man Falls
2007
performer: "Shangra-La", "Sky Of Blue", "Whisper" / writer: "Shangra-La", "Sky Of Blue", "Whisper"
Rock Band
2007
Video Game writer: "Celebrity Skin", "Cherub Rock"
Clerks II
2006
writer: "1979" - as William Corgan
SingStar Rocks!
2006
Video Game writer: "Celebrity Skin"
Composer
Title
Year
Status
Character
Head Games
2012
Documentary
Gran Turismo 5
2010
Video Game
Smashing Pumpkins: If All Goes Wrong
2008
Video documentary
Masters of Horror
2005
TV Series 1 episode
The Heart Is Deceitful Above All Things
2004
Spun
2002
Graceful Swans of Never
2001
TV Movie documentary
Hole: Be a Man
2000
Video short uncredited
Stigmata
1999
Music Department
Title
Year
Status
Character
Jessica Simpson: The Price of Beauty
2010
TV Series composer - 2 episodes
Stigmata
1999
music mixer / music programmer
Ransom
1996
music producer: Kidnapper's Boombox Music
Actor
Title
Year
Status
Character
Alternative Press Music Award Show
2014
TV Movie
Spun
2002
Doctor
Director
Title
Year
Status
Character
The Smashing Pumpkins: 1991-2000 Greatest Hits Video Collection
2001
Video video "Thirty-Three"
Writer
Title
Year
Status
Character
Try
2000
Short
Producer
Title
Year
Status
Character
Owata
2011
Short executive producer
Thanks
Title
Year
Status
Character
Sweet Daddy
2016
Documentary special thanks post-production
The Sheik
2014
Documentary special thanks
GLOW: The Story of the Gorgeous Ladies of Wrestling
2012
Documentary special thanks
Hit So Hard
2011
Documentary thanks
Self
Title
Year
Status
Character
Man in the Camo Jacket
2016
Documentary post-production
Himself
The Swerve
2015-2016
TV Series
Himself - Guest
The Smart Studios Story
2016
Documentary
Himself
Rock Icons
2015
TV Series documentary
Himself
The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon
2015
TV Series
Himself - Musical Guest: The Smashing Pumpkins
The Irish Rock Story: A Tale of Two Cities
2015
TV Movie documentary
Himself
6 Music: In Concert
2015
TV Series
Himself
Algren
2014
Documentary
Himself
Beautiful Noise
2014
Documentary
Himself
Hurricane Festival 2013
2013
TV Movie documentary
Himself
The Smashing Pumpkins: Oceania 3D Live in NYC
2013
Video
Himself
Barbed Wire City: The Unauthorized Story of Extreme Championship Wrestling
2013
Video documentary
Himself
Downloaded
2013
Documentary
Himself
Last Call with Carson Daly
2012
TV Series
Himself - Guest
Rage
2012
TV Series
Himself
Revolution with Brian Solis
2012
TV Series
Himself
Piers Morgan Tonight
2012
TV Series
Himself
TNA Today
2012
TV Series
Himself
Sunset Strip
2012
Documentary
Himself
The Smashing Pumpkins Live at the Metro, 1993
2011
Documentary
Himself
Music
2010
Documentary
Himself
Ce soir (ou jamais!)
2010
TV Series
Himself
Spin's 25th Anniversary Concert Series
2010
TV Mini-Series
Himself
Rush: Beyond the Lighted Stage
2010
Documentary
Himself
We Believe
2009
Documentary
Himself
The Chris Isaak Hour
2009
TV Series
Himself
The Fillmore Residency
2008
Video
Himself
Smashing Pumpkins: If All Goes Wrong
2008
Video documentary
Himself
Durch die Nacht mit...
2008
TV Series documentary
Himself
The Smashing Pumpkins: Live from Tower Theater in Philadelphia
2007
Video
Vocals and Guitars
Smashing Pumpkins: Inside the Zeitgeist
2007
Video documentary short
Chasing October
2007
Documentary
Himself
The Return of Courtney Love
2006
TV Movie documentary
Himself
Loops!
2006
TV Series
Himself
The Best Hit USA
2005
TV Series
Himself
The Tonight Show with Jay Leno
1994-2005
TV Series
Himself - Musical Guest / Himself
Late Show with David Letterman
2003-2005
TV Series
Himself / Themselves
WrestleMania 21
2005
TV Special
Himself
New Order: 5 11 Live in Finsbury Park June 9th 2002
2003
Video
Himself
Saturday Night Live
2003
TV Series
Himself - Musical Guest
Graceful Swans of Never
2001
TV Movie documentary
Himself
The Smashing Pumpkins: 1991-2000 Greatest Hits Video Collection