A very proficient songwriter, Corgan contributed Pumpkins songs to movie soundtracks (Singles, Lost Highway, Batman & Robin), supplied the musical score for such movies as Stigmata and Ransom, and produced albums for such other artists as Ric Ocasek, Hole, and Catherine. With each subsequent album (1993's quadruple-platinum classic Siamese Dream, 1995's ten-times platinum double-album Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness), the Pumpkins grew in popularity, until they were one of rock's top dogs by the mid- to late '90s. At the fore was Corgan's wild, Jimi Hendrix-esque playing, an integral part of the early Pumpkins sound. Several independent singles led to a deal with Caroline Records, which issued their debut, Gish, in 1991. Like the Marked, the Pumpkins merged a dark alternative sound with metal, but also gave it a psychedelic and experimental twist. But from the advice of a friend, Corgan checked out local jazz fusion drummer Jimmy Chamberlin, who immediately landed the gig with his powerful, John Bonham-esque drumming style. He befriended guitarist James Iha and bassist D'Arcy, and the three started to play in bars and clubs around Chicago with a drum machine in place of a real drummer. Working at a record store, Corgan began putting the pieces together for his next band, which would be the Smashing Pumpkins. However, the change of scenery did little to improve the group's fortunes, and so the Marked disbanded and Corgan moved back north, into his father's house in Chicago. Petersburg, Florida in pursuit of greener musical pastures. After gigging around the Chicago area, the Marked soon relocated from Illinois to St. In 1985 Corgan formed his first real band, a goth metal group called the Marked. After his parents divorced, Corgan moved from one relative to the next as a child, and by age 14 he began playing guitar himself (citing such hard rock bands as Cheap Trick and Van Halen as important early influences). Born on March 17, 1967, in Elk Grove, Illinois, Corgan's first true exposure to music came from his father, Bill Corgan, Sr., who was a blues guitarist. Best known as the guitarist, singer, and head songwriter for the Smashing Pumpkins, Billy Corgan was one of alt-rock's leaders and focal points for much of the '90s.
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