Billy Corgan Birthday & Fun Facts

Billy Corgan Birthday Highlights

Birth Name

William Patrick Corgan

Place Of Birth

Chicago, United States

Age

56 years old

Birth Date

March 17 1967

Billy Corgan Facts

Child Star?

no

Occupation

Musician

Education & Qualifications

Glenbard North High School

Net Worth

$60,000,000

Current Partner

Chloe Mendel

Children

Augustus Juppiter Corgan, Philomena Clementine Corgan

Parents

William Corgan Sr., Martha Louise Maes Corgan Lutz

Siblings

Jesse Andersen, Ricky Corgan

Billy Corgan is one of the most successful and well-known American musicians of our time.
He is the primary songwriter, singer, and guitarist for the rock band The Smashing Pumpkins and has also had a successful solo career. Billy was born in Chicago in 1967 and grew up in a suburb outside of the city.
Billy started playing the guitar at a young age and by high school, he was already in his first band. He mainly plays the electric guitar, but also plays acoustic guitar, like during his performance with Pink Floyd. Billy decided at the end of high school, in the chaos of a difficult home life, that he would focus on his music career full time. Billy is not only known for his musical talents but he's quite the sportsman as well, and has owned several professional wrestling promotions. His first major band was The Marked.
In this article, we'll take a closer look at Billy's life and career, and explore some of the interesting facts about him that you may not know!

What is Billy Corgan’s net worth?

Billy Corgan has an estimated net worth of $60 million dollars.

How much does Billy Corgan earn per year?

Billy makes his money through record sales, touring, merchandise, and live appearances on TV shows and movies. In 2012, he made about $160,000 through record sales alone.

How tall is Billy Corgan?

Billy is about 6 ft 3 in (1.9m) tall.

How old is Billy Corgan?

Born March 17, 1967, Billy Corgan is currently 54 years old. He is a Pisces.

Billy William Patrick Corgan was born in Chicago to William Corgan Sr. and Martha Louise Maes Corgan Lutz. He is part of Irish descent, and he grew up in a suburb of the city called Lincoln Park. Billy’s parents divorced when he was only three years old and he, along with his brother Ricky, went to live with his father in Glendale Heights, Illinois. Billy’s father was a blues guitarist.
With a negligent father, an abusive stepmother, and two younger brothers, Billy Corgan acted as a protective figure for his siblings. His father, despite being a talented musician, discouraged his son from taking up music, saying he didn't have what it takes, and clearly expressed his disapproval when Corgan began playing the guitar.
Billy attended Marquardt Middle School in Illinois and was a good athlete and honor student. He was part of the basketball team and was also a big baseball fan. He had a huge baseball trading card collection and watched the Chicago Cubs games religiously.
Billy Corgan began attending Glenbard North High School, and it was during this time that he saw a Gibson Flying V electric guitar at a friend's house. Billy had grown up looking longingly at his father's guitars but was never allowed to touch them. It was love at first sight with the Flying V.
Billy began saving money for a guitar. He asked for birthday money in lieu of presents, and when he finally had enough, he handed over the savings to his father and received a cheap, sunburst-finish Les Paul rip-off electric guitar.
Despite the shabby guitar and lack of support from his father, Billy taught himself to play the instrument, gaining inspiration from hard and mainstream rock artists like Black Sabbath and Cheap Trick. Today he plays a Fender Billy Corgan Stratocaster electric guitar.
When the time came to make big life decisions, Billy Corgan contemplated how he had earlier wished to study something like history or psychology. But he was absolutely steadfast about his decision to pursue music, and so he did just that.

Who is Billy Corgan’s partner?

Billy Corgan has been dating Chloe Mendel, creative director of Maisonatia, since 2013. The pair have had two children together. In November 2015, their son, Augustus Juppiter Corgan was born. They had a daughter three years later, Philomena Clementine Corgan. 
Billy Corgan and Chloe Mendel are a busy working couple and keep their schedules full by zipping between their NYC, Chicago, and LA homes, managing their careers, and looking after their kids. Still, both feel very fulfilled by their lives together. They also have two cats and two dogs running around their homes!

Best Known For…

Billy Corgan is best known as the lead singer and sole permanent member of the alternative rock band The Smashing Pumpkins. Billy Corgan was in a number of other bands before forming The Smashing Pumpkins with James Iha and D’arcy Wretzky, including The Marked, Zwan, and Static X. The other members of The Smashing Pumpkins currently are James Iha, Jimmy Chamberlin, and Jeff Schroeder. Approximately 30 million copies of the studio albums have been sold so far, and it has been a huge success.
Formed in 1988, The Smashing Pumpkins rock band released their debut album 'Gish' in 1991 to critical acclaim. The album integrated psychedelic and heavy metal styles, with Billy Corgan’s distorted vocals and guitar playing.
Their second album 'Siamese Dream', released in 1993 was even more successful, reaching double platinum in the United States. The album spawned popular singles like 'Cherub Rock' and ‘Today.’
The band's critically acclaimed 1995 album 'Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness' debuted at number one on the Billboard charts and sold 246,500 units, making it the fastest-selling double album ever released at that point.
In 2000, The Smashing Pumpkins broke up after releasing the album 'Machina or The Machines of God.' Billy Corgan later went on to release a solo album, and in 2006, The Smashing Pumpkins reunited with most of their original lineup.
Billy Corgan also purchased National Wrestling Alliance in 2017. He was also the owner of Total Nonstop Action Wrestling from 2016-2017, and Resistance Pro Wrestling from 2011–2014.
Billy has been involved in solo projects throughout his life and teamed up with other artists for collaborative works. In 2001 Billy co-founded 'Zwan' with Chamberlain and old friend Matt Sweeney. But this venture ceased in 2003 when they disbanded over tensions between Billy Corgan and Chamberlain.
Billy Corgan's first poetry book, titled 'Blinking with Fists' (2004), is a collection of poems, prose, and lyrics that he had written over the years. The book ended up being a New York Times Best Seller.

Charity Work

Billy Corgan has worked with a number of charities throughout his career.
To help out a charity in his town, Corgan launched a campaign on Cameo, a fan engagement platform. PAWS Chicago was the hometown organization that he chose to support through this initiative. Billy is a longtime supporter of PAWS Chicago and the lifesaving work they do to end animal homelessness, so he donated his fee for all Cameo appearances booked during this campaign.
Billy Corgan has also been involved with the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society. He's clearly an animal lover. He's said it himself, 'In my home, the animals run the show. At best we're equals. But that's the way it should be. They have every right to live and be happy as much as I do.'

What awards has Billy Corgan won?

The Smashing Pumpkins 'Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness' was nominated for seven Grammy awards the year it was released.
Billy Corgan has received a total of 13 nominations and two wins at the Grammy awards.
The Smashing Pumpkins have also been a recipient of multiple accolades from the American Music Awards, MTV Music Awards, and GAFFA-Prisen Awards just to name a few. They've won Favorite Alternative Artist, Best International Album, and also awards for their cinematography.

Billy Corgan’s Hobbies And Interests

As we've established, Billy Corgan is no stranger to the world of baseball. While the Chicago Cubs will always be his number one, he also likes the Chicago Bulls and Chicago Blackhawks. He's shown up at plenty of games and even performed at a few. And obviously, he's had the opportunity to throw the first pitch on more than one occasion.
He also likes professional wrestling. Billy's been involved in the business as a promoter, and commentator.
Billy's religious beliefs are mostly Catholic. On his website Everything From Here To There, he has professed his faith and belief in religion, saying 'Christ IS Love...Jesus Christ has a particular vibration, as does Buddha, Mohammed, Quan Yin, and many other avatars, divine natures that allow me to understand how my hand is being held with Love.'

Billy Corgan shaved his head bald in the '90s. He did it as he was already losing a lot of hair, and it was getting hard to manage. The Smashing Pumpkins' appearance on SNL in November 1995 was when everyone saw Billy bald for the first time.
Billy Corgan once dated former Hole singer Courtney Love. The third studio album of the rock band, 'Celebrity Skin' was a hit, and Corgan holds the credit as one of the songwriters.
Both The Smashing Pumpkins and Nirvana performed at Reading Festival in 1992. But while everyone went wild over Nirvana's amazing performance, The Smashing Pumpkins' fans were left a little less than pleased. Billy Corgan, in particular, was so frustrated with how his guitar looked and sounded that he broke it on stage and threw it into the crowd. Unfortunately, the broken guitar ended up hitting, in Corgan's words, 'the executive who’d picked our record off the dust heap.' The man wasn't too seriously injured, but he did end up bleeding a little. Corgan also says he's not going to stop smashing guitars any time soon.
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