What Every Current And Former Member Of The Smashing Pumpkins Is Doing Today

Rock band The Smashing Pumpkins broke out in 1991 with the release of their debut album, "Gish." It was their sophomore effort, 1993's "Siamese Dream," that really put the Chicago-based four-piece on the map, yielding such hits as "Today," "Disarm," and "Rocket." They followed that up with "Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness," a 1995 double album that cranked out even more hits, including "Bullet with Butterfly Wings," "1979," and "Tonight, Tonight." 

While often lumped in with the grunge scene that dominated music during the 1990s, The Smashing Pumpkins' frontman and chief creative voice Billy Corgan embarked on musical excursions far beyond the flannel-shirt-and-ripped-jeans wannabes that followed in the wake of Nirvana, Pearl Jam, Soundgarden, and others. Over the years, The Smashing Pumpkins has remained a force to be reckoned with, even if that force has had its ups and downs. Fans thought it was all over when the band broke up rancorously in 2000, with Corgan venturing into various collaborations and solo projects before announcing he was reforming the Pumpkins in 2005.

Since then, the band's lineup has varied, with members popping in and out; a glance at the group's roster seem as if they've had more bassists than mockumentary sensation Spinal Tap has had drummers. To find out what they're all up to these days, read on to discover what every current and former member of The Smashing Pumpkins is doing today.

After The Smashing Pumpkins disbanded in 2000, Billy Corgan formed Zwan, recording one album, "Mary Star of the Sea," before splitting up in 2003 after cancelling a tour. Corgan published a book of his poetry in 2004, "Blinking with Fists." 

In 2005, Corgan released his first solo album, "TheFutureEmbrace," and hit the road for a tour. However, the tempestuous musician clashed with fans who called out for Pumpkins songs during his solo shows — which so infuriated him that he once stormed offstage, mid-show. In 2005, he put out a full-page ad in two Chicago newspapers revealing his plan to reform the Pumpkins. Corgan and the band's new lineup (bassist Ginger Pooley and guitarist Jeff Schroeder replaced D'Arcy Wretzky and James Iha, with Jimmy Chamberlin back on drums) recorded the album "Zeitgeist." In the years that followed, he fluctuated between producing Pumpkins albums with various personnel and recording solo material, at one point rebranding himself as William Patrick Corgan. (It didn't take.) Iha (but not Wretzky) rejoined The Smashing Pumpkins for a 2018 reunion tour, the Shiny and Oh So Bright Tour.

In the midst of all that, Corgan pursued his interest in professional wrestling, co-founding the Resistance Pro independent wrestling league in 2011 then going on to become a senior producer for TNA Wrestling before purchasing the National Wrestling Alliance in 2017. In 2024, Corgan announced he was working on an unscripted TV series chronicling his role as NWA president, "Billy Corgan's Adventures in Carnyland."

Guitarist and founding member James Iha went on to pursue a variety of projects after The Smashing Pumpkins broke up in 2000. That included producing and playing on other artists' albums, a lengthy list that includes Michael Stipe, Cat Power, the Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Ladytron, Fountains of Wayne, and more. In 2003, he co-founded A Perfect Circle, a supergroup featuring members of Tool and Primus. (He's remained a member of A Perfect Circle, on and off, since then.) That same year, he joined Vanessa and the O's. In 2009, he formed another supergroup, Tinted Windows, an unlikely combo that featured Iha alongside Hanson's Taylor Hanson (of "MMMbop" fame), Fountains of Wayne bassist Adam Schlesinger, and ex-Cheap Trick drummer Bun E. Carlos. "I was like, 'That's the best idea ever,'" Iha told Rolling Stone, describing the band's debut (and, to date, only) album as "a love letter to power pop." 

In the years that followed, Iha released a solo album and collaborated with other artists; in 2010, A Perfect Circle resurfaced after a six-year hiatus. He'd also been dabbling in film and television, scoring the Japanese film "Linda, Linda, Linda" and the 2014 Hulu series "Deadbeat." 

He officially rejoined The Smashing Pumpkins in 2018 after joining Corgan onstage, unannounced, for a few shows during 2016, and has continued touring and recording with the band. In 2021, Hanson revealed that plans had been underway for a Tinted Windows reunion, but were scuttled when Schlesinger became one of the musicians who contracted coronavirus, which led to his death in 2020.

Jimmy Chamberlin was a founding member of The Smashing Pumpkins, and he's often considered to be the most underrated member of the band. He was fired in 1996, after his night of partying ended with Pumpkins keyboardist Jonathan Melvoin dying of a heroin overdose. Chamberlin kicked his own heroin habit and rejoined the Pumpkins in 1999, remaining with the band until the 2000 breakup. The drummer then joined Corgan in Zwan, which disbanded in 2003. Chamberlin was part of the lineup when Billy Corgan reformed The Smashing Pumpkins in 2005; he exited in 2009 and then rejoined in 2015, and has been behind the drums for the Pumpkins ever since.

Outside of the Pumpkins, Chamberlin has pursued some solo projects. These have included his own band, Jimmy Chamberlin Complex, releasing the album "LIfe Begins Again" in 2005, followed by a couple more albums. He formed another band, the prog-rock outfit Skysaw, recording an album titled "Great Civilizations." He's also performed and recorded with Chicago-based jazz saxophonist Frank Catalano.

Chamberlin is also an entrepreneur whose investments with various tech startups led him to take on a major role in digital media firm LiveOne Inc. Speaking as part of a panel on "Music in the Digital Age" at the 2014 edition of Web Summit, Chamberlin shared his own vision for the future. "I think the next wave is gonna be who can curate a great experience that's really relevant to the individual," he predicted.

Prior to the 2000 breakup of The Smashing Pumpkins, rumors abounded that D'arcy Wretzky had quit the band during sessions for "Machina," reportedly due to clashes with frontman Billy Corgan. That scuttlebutt proved true, and Wretzky was replaced by Hole bassist Melissa Auf der Maur. Soon after parting ways with the Pumpkins, Wretzky was arrested and charged with drug possession. In 2004, Corgan issued a scorched-earth social media post (via Today) about why the band broke up, dissing Wretzky as "a mean-spirited drug addict."

For the next decade, fans wondered whatever happened to Wretzky, who'd been running an equestrian center in rural Michigan. In 2011, she was arrested again — this time for missing court dates over charges she let her horses roam free. She served five days of a six-day sentence but was reportedly back in court soon to answer charges of driving under the influence. Meanwhile, she and Corgan continued feuding over the years, with Corgan eventually revealing the real reason he can't stand Wretzky. 

In 2018, Corgan went on tour with the original Pumpkins lineup — sans Wretzky. "Ms. Wretzky has repeatedly been invited out to play with the group, participate in demo sessions, or at the very least, meet face-to-face, and in each and every instance she always deferred," the band said in a joint statement to Rolling Stone. 

After the departure of D'arcy Wretzky, former Hole member Melissa Auf der Maur served as The Smashing Pumpkins' bass player until the band's 2000 split. Following that brief stint, she went on to form a new band, the Chelsea, which went on to back Hole frontwoman Courtney Love. She also formed a Black Sabbath cover band, Hand of Doom. Meanwhile, she launched a career as a solo artist, putting out two solo albums. The second, 2010's "Out of Our Minds," was accompanied by a companion comic book and short film.

Beyond music, Auf de Maur has also dabbled in acting, most notably in the 2011 feature "Collaborator." She's also continued to pursue her passion for photography. In recent years, she's retreated from the public eye, living quietly in upstate New York. In 2010, she and her husband, filmmaker Tony Stone, opened Basilica Hudson, an art and performance venue in Hudson, New York.

Interviewed by Upstate Diary in 2015, she was asked if she missed the limelight. "No. I wouldn't be here in Hudson, New York, if I did. I would be in LA or New York," she said. Asked if she still performed, she responded, "Never." Never say never, the old adage goes; in 2024, Courtney Love shared a photo of herself and Auf der Maur in London, revealing they were collaborating on some new music. As Love wrote in the caption for that Instagram post, it was their "first time in studio together in 24 years."

When Billy Corgan reformed The Smashing Pumpkins in 2007, Ginger Pooley — then known as Ginger Reyes — took over bass duties, a position she held until amicably exiting the group in 2010. Post-Pumpkins, Pooley has remained an in-demand bassist, backing up some big names. Immediately after her exit from The Smashing Pumpkins, she was a member of the band for two Glee Live tours, concerts featuring the cast of mega-hit Fox TV musical "Glee."

She's also played bass for former "Glee" star Lea Michele and was part of the band backing up Gwen Stefani during her concert tours. Other artists she's worked with include Guns N' Roses guitarist Slash, Rage Against the Machine's Tom Morello, Jane's Addiction and Porno for Pyros frontman Perry Farrell, and Red Hot Chili Peppers bassist Flea. In addition, she's played bass on various projects led by her husband, composer Kristopher Pooley. Meanwhile, Pooley has ventured into composing herself, which has included writing music for short-lived TV show "The New Normal." As a songwriter, she and her husband co-wrote two songs with pop star Katy Perry.

In 2024, Pooley revealed that she'd be joining Garbage on their European tour that summer, playing bass for the Shirley Manson-fronted band. As she told Guitar World, the timing worked out for her, family-wise. "Things are kind of winding down," she explained. "My daughter is going into high school in the fall. I feel like, in a way, I've graduated from a certain phase of life."

Lisa Harriton was tapped by Billy Corgan to provide keyboards and backing vocals for The Smashing Pumpkins in 2007. Joining the lineup alongside fellow newbies Ginger Pooley and guitarist Jeff Schroeder, Harriton continued playing with the band until making an exit in 2009.

After leaving The Smashing Pumpkins, Harriton embarked on a successful career as a songwriter. Her best-known composition is "Everything Is Awesome" from 2014's "The LEGO Movie," which earned her an Oscar nomination for best original song. She's also active in the Los Angeles jazz scene, and as a keyboardist has accompanied such jazz veterans as Ernie Watts, Joe LaBarbera, and more. She's also served as bandleader for studio sessions backing up Liz Phair, Tyler Hilton, and others.

Harriton served as chair of the Independent Artist and Keyboard program at the Musicians Institute from 2011 to 2014 and taught songwriting at the Los Angeles College of Music between 2015 and 2018. 

Jeff Schroeder became a member of The Smashing Pumpkins in 2007, along with Ginger Pooley and Lisa Harriton. Unlike those two, whose tenures with the band were relatively brief, Schroeder stuck around for more than 15 years, playing guitar for the Pumpkins until amicably departing in 2023. "It's easy to say now that when I joined The Smashing Pumpkins in 2007 I had no idea what I was getting into," he wrote in a statement shared via Instagram. "The opportunity seemed to have come out of nowhere. I was at UCLA working on my doctorate in comparative literature when a close friend messaged me and said The Smashing Pumpkins were looking for a guitar player. Being a huge fan of the band, the audition was something I threw myself into. It was one of the best decisions I've made in my life." 

During his years with the band, Schroeder spent his spare time with what many would consider an unlikely pursuit for a rock star: completing his studies at UCLA, ultimately earning that Ph.D. in comparative literature.

Since exiting the Pumpkins, Schroeder has performed with LA-based band Glass Bow. In 2024, he announced the arrival of his debut solo album, "Metanoia." As record label Clerestory AV explained in an Instagram post, the music on that album is a far cry from his work with The Smashing Pumpkins. "The album features 72 minutes of meditative guitar work in the spirit of ambient pioneers [Robert] Fripp & [Brian] Eno," a label rep wrote.

When The Smashing Pumpkins' original drummer, Jimmy Chamberlin, exited the band in 2009, Mike Byrne was brought in as a replacement. During his stint with the Pumpkins, Byrne was named Modern Drummer Magazine's "up and coming drummer of the year" in 2011 and was nominated for "alternative drummer of the year" in 2013. He exited the Pumpkins in 2014 to make way for the return of Chamberlin, who's remained the band's drummer since rejoining.

After his stint in The Smashing Pumpkins, Byrne co-founded Bearcubbin'!, an experimental rock group based in Portland, Oregon. When the group made its debut appearance at South by Southwest in 2014, Bearcubbin'! earned the dubious distinction of winning the award for "worst band name" out of the thousands of bands in attendance at SXSW. The group split up in 2016, issuing a statement on Facebook to declare that "this seems as good a time as any to announce that Bearcubbin'! will no longer be continuing as an active band."

When Ginger Pooley left The Smashing Pumpkins in 2010, she was replaced with a new bassist, Nicole Fiorentino, whose previous experience included playing bass for Veruca Salt. After leaving the Pumpkins in 2014, Fiorentino teamed up with producer and songwriter Meghan Toohey to found a new band, The Cold and Lovely. "We started the band about three years ago, released a full-length record in 2012 and an EP last year," Fiorentino told For Bass Players in 2014, shortly after leaving The Smashing Pumpkins. "We've been compared to bands like Lush, Garbage, Silversun Pickups, and My Bloody Valentine. If I had to slap a label on it, I'd say we are dream-pop-rock-shoegaze."

In 2016, disillusioned by the grind of being a touring musician on the road, she opened her own dog-walking and pet-sitting business. "I started my business and wanted to focus on that, and with any new company, the first two years are the hardest, so I really didn't have time for anything else," she explained in an interview with Bass Magazine in 2019, revealing that she had recently formed a new band, Bizou. 

She ultimately returned her focus to her business, the Pet Groupies. As she told Kinship, her decision to pack it in as a musician and shift her attention to animals was met with incredulity. "All of my musician friends and a lot of my family and friends were like, 'You're at the peak of your music career — you're quitting now to start a dog-walking business?'" she recalled. 

Katie Cole is an Australian singer-songwriter who captured the attention of The Smashing Pumpkins' frontman Billy Corgan, who invited her to be his opening act for a 2014 solo show. When The Smashing Pumpkins embarked on a 2015 tour, Corgan asked Cole to open for the band during the U.S. leg of the tour. "I agreed and was super excited. Before the tour had started, the conversation evolved; it led into asking me to play bass on a few songs to fill out the sound. So I did that — double duty," Cole recalled in an interview with Sound World Central. "So I'd play a set of my songs, then run out [to] sell merch and take photos and then jump back on stage with the band." 

When Jack Bates was hired as permanent bass player, her role shifted to that of a multi-instrumentalist and backing vocalist. Cole has remained part of the Pumpkins lineup since then, both onstage and in the studio, contributing to the band's "Cyr" and "Atum" projects. She's also continued to pursue her parallel career as a solo artist; her EP, "River & Roads," was released in 2023.

Jack Bates joined The Smashing Pumpkins in 2015 and comes by his profession via a certain degree of heredity; his father is Peter Hook, bassist for Joy Division. "First and foremost, I was a massive fan," Bates told Guitar World of joining The Smashing Pumpkins. According to Bates, Pumpkins leader Billy Corgan had a long relationship with his dad, and he recalled first meeting Corgan when he was just 12 years old. "In 2015 it came up that the Pumpkins needed a bassist, and Jeff [Schroeder] called me to ask if I was interested," Bates recalled. "I was like, 'No way!' But it was real, and it's been a fantastic opportunity. I thought it would be just one tour, but I'm here doing it still."

Then there's Kiki Wong, who has been touring guitarist for The Smashing Pumpkins since joining in 2024. She was hired after the band held open auditions for a new guitarist upon the departure of Jeff Schroeder. Wong, already a social media superstar guitar phenom with more than 700,000 Instagram followers, was selected from thousands of applicants. "I was a fan of Kiki's before she submitted her name to be considered — and it's great that someone of her acumen will be part of our touring family," Corgan told Rolling Stone of the band's new addition.

To learn more about Billy Corgan and company, read our feature detailing the untold truth of The Smashing Pumpkins. 

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