Nineties rock legend reveals bizarre second job that’s worlds away from music after selling 30 million albums
FOR MOST fans, this singer is known for hits like ‘Today’, ‘Tonight Tonight’ and ‘1979’.
But behind his multi-million record selling band, this frontman has a taste for wrestling – and now he’s merging his two loves.
Billy Corgan, lead singer of Smashing Pumpkins, is bringing wrestling and rock music together like never before.
In new documentary, Billy Corgan: Welcome to Carnyland, he sees his efforts to combine his work with the Smashing Pumpkins to his life as owner and promoter of the National Wrestling Alliance.
The eight-episode series, which will air on US network The CW, will see Corgan also allow cameras into his family life as a father and new husband to Chloé Mendel.
In the trailer for the series, Corgan is seen discussing his career ‘side hustle’, saying: “Everyday I question my sanity, because I have a really good day job.”
“Noone in my life cares about professional wrestling,” he continues. “Not Chloé, not the band… except Jack.”
“Wrestling is not really in my life,” says guitarist James Iha, with drummer Jimmy Chamberlin adding: “Yeah it’s not really my thing.”
But British-born Jack, who joined the band in 2015, said: “Yeah it’s a lot more fun when the wrestlers are around.”
The singer has had a lifelong love of the sport, and purchased the National Wrestling Alliance (NWA) in 2017.
He previously co-founded Resistance Pro Wrestling in 2011 and became president of TNA Wrestling in 2016.
But to most he’s known as the lead singer of the hit rock group, which is arguably one of the most definitive bands of the 90s.
The band has seen multiple line-up changes, with Corgan remaining a constant driving force thanks to his distinctive voice, alongside guitarist Iha and drummer Chamberlin.
First forming in 1988, the band have received widespread acclaim over the course of their career, with their albums Siamese Dream (1993) and Mellon Collie and The Infinite Sadness (1995) being named two of the greatest albums of all time by Rolling Stone.
They are also credited for their high-concept music videos for ‘upping the game’ in the genre with groups from My Chemical Romance to Nelly Furtado noting band inspired their own imagery and concepts.
The band continue to tour to this day, playing to thousands.
They kickstart their European tour in Manchester on June 7 and are joined on their six UK dates by Weezer.