It’s been over twenty years since Smashing Pumpkins were in their “heyday” with their platinum record Siamese Dream in 1993, followed by Melon Collie and the Infinite Sadness in 1995, which won them seven Grammy nominations, including Album of the Year.
While the history of Smashing Pumpkins has been rocky at times—storied, to say the least—Billy Corgan has remained a creative powerhouse, and reunited the Smashing Pumpkins a number of times throughout the years, including on the album Zeitgeist in 2007 with Jimmy Chamberlain, and in 2012 without any of the original members besides himself.
In 2018, with Shiny and Oh So Bright, James Iha and Jimmy Chamberlain joined the fold again, and they have been prolific as a band, to say the least, since then, releasing the follow-up triple album to Mellon Collie called ATUM. Their latest album, Aghori Mhori Mei, was hailed as a “return to form” and showed all of the band members utilizing their sonic powers at full tilt.
Billy Corgan has contributed to the American landscape for years, and not just with his music
What some people may not know is that while Billy Corgan has tried to honor and continue the legacy of the Pumpkins, he has remained, in his time, dedicated to not only his music, coming out with solo albums Ogilala in 2017 and the country-influenced Cotillions in 2019, he has also been involved in other non-musical projects, meant to offer his services to the Chicago area and beyond.
In 2012, he opened Madame Zuzu’s Tea Shop, where he makes frequent appearances and even plays small shows, when he’s not touring with the Pumpkins or in the studio recording a new album.
Perhaps more notable is his involvement in professional wrestling, which resulted in his purchasing the National Wrestling Alliance (NWA) in 2017, which has featured him as part of its management and promotion since. Billy Corgan is a consummate entertainer with a deep sense of the power of not only music but the cult-like “culture” of institutions such as professional wrestling.
He is unorthodox and often outspoken as a public figure, but has, time and time again, put his money where his mouth is. His songs, which deal with adventure, hardship, camaraderie, and dreaming, have apparently fueled the fire to get him involved in the world not just from a musical perspective, in which he certainly excels, but also as a businessman and culture creator. And many people in our country, professional wrestling fanatics, urban tea drinkers, and others, are the wonderful beneficiaries.