William Patrick Corgan Jr. (born March 17, 1967) is an American musician, songwriter, and wrestling promoter. He is best known as the lead singer, primary songwriter, guitarist, and only permanent member of the rock band The Smashing Pumpkins. He is currently the owner and promoter of the National Wrestling Alliance (NWA).
Corgan formed Smashing Pumpkins in Chicago in 1988 along with guitarist James Iha, followed by bassist D'arcy Wretzky and drummer Jimmy Chamberlin. Strong album sales and large-scale tours propelled the band toward commercial success and critical acclaim throughout the 1990s. After their break-up in 2000, Corgan started a new band called Zwan, and after their demise released a solo album, TheFutureEmbrace, in 2005 and a collection of poetry, Blinking with Fists, before reforming Smashing Pumpkins. The new version of the band, consisting of Corgan and a revolving lineup, has released and toured new albums extensively since 2007. In October 2017, Corgan released Ogilala, his first solo album in over a decade. His latest album, Cotillions, was released on November 22, 2019.
In 2011, Corgan founded Resistance Pro Wrestling. He later joined Total Nonstop Action Wrestling in 2015, becoming its president in August 2016. After leaving TNA in November 2016, he purchased the NWA in October 2017, transforming it from a brand licensing organization to a singular promotion.
William Patrick Corgan Jr. was born at Columbus Hospital in the Lincoln Park neighborhood of Chicago on March 17, 1967, the oldest son of guitarist William Dale Corgan (1947-2021) and his wife Martha Louise Maes Corgan Lutz. He was raised Catholic and is of Irish and German-Swiss descent. His parents had one more son, Ricky, before divorcing in 1970. His father was remarried to a flight attendant, and Corgan and his brother went to live with them in Glendale Heights, Illinois. Corgan alleges that his stepmother was abusive to him, both physically and emotionally. He developed a protective bond with his younger paternal half-brother, Jesse, who had special needs as a child.
