Billy Corgan wants you to stop calling him Billy, actually

by Mark Teo

March 20, 2015

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At 48, the Smashing Pumpkins singer wants you to call him by his big-boy name: William.

Nearing his fifth decade on earth, Billy Corgan can look back at an accomplished career: As leader of the Smashing Pumpkins, he influenced a generation of musicians with Gish, Siamese Dream, Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness, and yes, even Adore. (And yes, his last album, Monuments to an Elegy, is surprisingly decent, too.) He’s achieve more in his 48 years than most of us can expect, and now, he wants the world to know that yes, he’s a big boy now. And he wants you to call him by his grown-up name: William.

So, after three decades of sharing a name with an Ikea bookcase, Corgan had enough. At a recent show in Lima on his birthday, the crowd sung “Happy Birthday” to him, including the lines “Happy Birthday, dear Billy.” That’s when he took the opportunity to address the crowd.

My name is not Billy. My name is William. My mother thanks you in heaven.

Corgan, whose status as a full-grown adult man was confirmed when he went bald a quarter-century ago, must’ve surely appreciated the response: The crowd chanted “William! William! William!” repeatedly.

So there you are: William Corgan it is. Watch the video below. [H/T Consequence of Sound]

 

Tags: Music, News, Billy Corgan, Smashing Pumpkins

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