Billy harriton. Lower Merion School District Wall of Fame: Honoring Athletic Excellence

Who are the notable athletes and coaches honored in Lower Merion School District’s Wall of Fame. How many different sports are represented among the honorees. What years do the Wall of Fame inductees span.

Table of Contents

The Legacy of Lower Merion School District’s Athletic Achievements

The Lower Merion School District’s Wall of Fame stands as a testament to the rich athletic history and accomplishments of its students and staff. This prestigious recognition celebrates individuals who have made significant contributions to the school’s sports programs over several decades. The Wall of Fame showcases a diverse array of athletes and coaches, highlighting their dedication, skill, and impact on the school’s athletic legacy.

A Diverse Representation of Sports Excellence

The Wall of Fame features honorees from a wide range of sports, demonstrating the school district’s commitment to fostering talent across various athletic disciplines. Some of the sports represented include:

Football
Basketball
Lacrosse
Swimming
Field Hockey
Track and Field
Wrestling
Tennis
Soccer
Baseball
Gymnastics
Volleyball
Golf
Cross Country
Cheerleading
Crew
Figure Skating

This diverse representation underscores the school’s commitment to providing opportunities for students to excel in various athletic pursuits.

Multi-Sport Athletes: A Hallmark of Lower Merion’s Athletic Program

Many of the Wall of Fame honorees participated in multiple sports during their time at Lower Merion. This trend highlights the well-rounded nature of the school’s athletic program and the versatility of its student-athletes. For instance:

Sue Kohler (1975-1978): Hockey, Swimming, Lacrosse
Brendon Walsh (1977-1981): Football, Basketball, Golf
Bonnie Rosen (1984-1988): Hockey, Basketball, Lacrosse
Craig Brown (1975-1978): Soccer, Swimming, Baseball

The prevalence of multi-sport athletes suggests that Lower Merion encourages students to explore various athletic pursuits, fostering a well-rounded approach to physical education and competition.

Benefits of Multi-Sport Participation

Engaging in multiple sports can offer numerous advantages to student-athletes, including:

Reduced risk of burnout
Enhanced overall athleticism
Improved social skills through diverse team interactions
Better time management skills
Increased exposure to different coaching styles and strategies

Decades of Excellence: The Timespan of Wall of Fame Inductees

The Wall of Fame honorees span several decades, showcasing the enduring tradition of athletic excellence at Lower Merion School District. The earliest inductee mentioned is Mike Fanning, who attended the school from 1952 to 1955. The most recent inductees listed are from the early 1990s, such as Kyle Helton (1990-1993) and Bill Beck (1993-1996).

This wide timespan demonstrates the school’s long-standing commitment to recognizing and celebrating athletic achievement. It also provides a fascinating glimpse into the evolution of sports programs at Lower Merion over the years.

Notable Eras Represented

1950s: The post-war era of athletic growth
1960s: A time of expanding sports programs and opportunities
1970s: The impact of Title IX on women’s sports
1980s: The rise of specialized training and increased competition
1990s: The dawn of modern sports science and technology in high school athletics

Recognizing Coaches and Athletic Directors: The Pillars of Success

The Wall of Fame not only honors student-athletes but also pays tribute to the coaches and athletic directors who have played crucial roles in shaping Lower Merion’s athletic programs. These individuals have dedicated their careers to nurturing talent, instilling values, and building successful teams.

Some notable coaching and administrative honorees include:

Robert V. Donato, Jr.: Athletic Director and Head Basketball Coach
Theodore Copeland: Boys Soccer Coach
Sally Henn: Head Girls Tennis Coach
Anita Deasey: Head Girls Field Hockey Coach and Head Girls Lacrosse Coach
Norton Seaman: Head Lacrosse Coach
Nicholas Settanni: Director of Athletics

The inclusion of coaches and administrators in the Wall of Fame underscores the importance of leadership and guidance in developing successful athletic programs.

Impact of Coaching on Student-Athlete Development

Effective coaching can significantly influence a student-athlete’s growth, both on and off the field. Some key areas of impact include:

Technical skill development
Strategic thinking and decision-making
Character building and sportsmanship
Mental toughness and resilience
Leadership skills
Time management and discipline

Women in Sports: Celebrating Female Athletic Achievement

The Wall of Fame prominently features numerous female athletes, reflecting Lower Merion’s commitment to gender equality in sports. This representation is particularly noteworthy given the timespan of the honorees, which includes periods before and after the implementation of Title IX in 1972.

Some standout female athletes honored in the Wall of Fame include:

Cherie Greer (1986-1990): Basketball, Lacrosse
Susan Talucci (1983-1987): Volleyball, Basketball, Lacrosse, Cheerleading
Bonnie Rosen (1984-1988): Hockey, Basketball, Lacrosse
Laura Robinson (1978-1982): Hockey, Swimming, Lacrosse

The strong representation of female athletes across various sports and decades highlights Lower Merion’s ongoing commitment to providing equal opportunities and recognition for all student-athletes.

The Evolution of Women’s Sports at Lower Merion

The Wall of Fame provides insight into the growth and development of women’s sports programs at Lower Merion over time. Some notable trends include:

Increased diversity of sports offerings for female athletes
Growing recognition of women’s athletic achievements
The emergence of multi-sport female athletes
The appointment of dedicated coaches for women’s teams

The Impact of Lacrosse on Lower Merion’s Athletic Legacy

One striking feature of the Wall of Fame is the prominent representation of lacrosse players and coaches. This suggests that lacrosse has played a significant role in Lower Merion’s athletic history and success.

Notable lacrosse honorees include:

Scott Growney (1978-1982)
Steve Growney (1977-1981)
Anne Rosato (1980-1984)
Sandy Phillips (Boys Lacrosse Coach)
Norton Seaman (Head Lacrosse Coach)

The strong presence of lacrosse in the Wall of Fame may reflect the sport’s popularity in the region and Lower Merion’s particular success in this area.

Factors Contributing to Lacrosse Success

Several factors may have contributed to Lower Merion’s strong lacrosse tradition:

Regional popularity of the sport
Strong youth development programs
Dedicated coaching staff
Success breeding further interest and participation
Cross-pollination with other sports (many lacrosse players also excelled in other disciplines)

The Role of Individual Sports in Lower Merion’s Athletic Program

While team sports are well-represented in the Wall of Fame, individual sports also play a significant role in Lower Merion’s athletic legacy. Sports such as swimming, track and field, tennis, and wrestling have produced numerous honorees, highlighting the school’s commitment to fostering excellence across a wide range of athletic pursuits.

Some notable individual sport athletes include:

Bret Haber (1984-1987): Track
Brad Roseland (1986-1990): Wrestling
Susan Taylor (1989-1992): Tennis, Basketball
Greg Cirello (1976-1979): Boys Swimming

The success of Lower Merion athletes in individual sports demonstrates the school’s ability to nurture personal growth, self-discipline, and individual achievement alongside team-oriented values.

Benefits of Individual Sports in Educational Athletics

Individual sports offer unique benefits to student-athletes, complementing the lessons learned through team sports:

Enhanced personal responsibility and accountability
Improved self-motivation and goal-setting skills
Development of mental toughness and resilience
Opportunities for introspection and self-improvement
Transferable skills for academic and professional success

The Enduring Legacy of Lower Merion’s Wall of Fame

The Wall of Fame serves as more than just a list of accomplished athletes and coaches. It represents a living history of Lower Merion School District’s commitment to athletic excellence, personal growth, and community pride. By honoring individuals from various eras, sports, and roles, the Wall of Fame creates a narrative of continuity and progress in the school’s athletic programs.

This recognition not only celebrates past achievements but also inspires current and future students to strive for excellence in their athletic pursuits. The Wall of Fame stands as a testament to the power of dedication, teamwork, and perseverance in shaping young lives through sports.

The Broader Impact of Athletic Achievement

The success stories represented in the Wall of Fame extend beyond the realm of sports. Many of these honored individuals likely went on to achieve success in various fields, carrying with them the lessons and values instilled through their athletic experiences at Lower Merion. This underscores the importance of high school athletics in shaping well-rounded, confident, and capable individuals who can contribute positively to society.

As Lower Merion School District continues to build upon its rich athletic tradition, the Wall of Fame will undoubtedly grow, incorporating new generations of exceptional athletes, coaches, and administrators who embody the spirit of excellence that has become synonymous with the school’s sports programs.

Wall of Fame – Lower Merion School District

Honoree	Year(s)	Activities
Sue Kohler	1975-1978	Hockey, Swimming, Lacrosse
Bret Steidle	1972-1975	Football, Wrestling, Lacrosse
Laura Robinson	1978-1982	Hockey, Swimming, Lacrosse
Brendon Walsh	1977-1981	Football, Basketball, Golf
Larry Knight		Track
Anysia Fedec	1979-1983	Lacrosse
Bonnie Rosen	1984-1988	Hockey, Basketball, Lacrosse
Bret Haber	1984-1987	Track
Brad Roseland	1986-1990	Wrestling
Karen McKeel	1974-1977	Cross Country, Swimming, Lacrosse
Jon Warner	1973-1976	Track
Sally Schofield		Hockey, Swimming, Lacrosse
Peter Scott	1976-1979	Boys Lacrosse
Winthrop Jessup	1960-1963	Track
Maura Walsh	1978-1979	Girls Swimming
Dave Lewis	1984-1987	Cross Country, Indoor Track, Swimming
Ethan Frey	1983-1987	Track
Merit Lentz	1963-1966	Boys Basketball
Marny Fornwalt	1971-1974	Gymnastics, Hockey, Lacrosse
Scott Growney	1978-1982	Lacrosse
Doug McKeel	1971-1974	Track
Liz Sommers	1977-1980	Hockey, Basketball, Lacrosse
Susan Taylor	1989-1992	Tennis, Basketball
Cherie Greer	1986-1990	Basketball, Lacrosse
Dawn Anthony	1973-1976	Hockey, Basketball, Lacrosse
Sue Darwin	1974-1977	Hockey, Basketball, Lacrosse
Bill Pincus	1973-1976	Wrestling
Craig Brown	1975-1978	Soccer, Swimming, Baseball
Susan Oaks	1971-1974	Gymnastics, Hockey, Lacrosse
Laurie Lafair	1977-1980	Tennis
Greg Cirello	1976-1979	Boys Swimming
Susan Talucci	1983-1987	Volleyball, Basketball, Lacrosse, Cheerleading
Susie Wynn		Figure Skating
Ward Steidle	1976-1979	Football, Wrestling, Lacrosse
Steve Growney	1977-1981	Lacrosse
Anne Rosato	1980-1984	Lacrosse
Joyce Delacuur	1976-979	Girls Track
Julie Plazak	1984-1987	Field Hockey, Swimming, Lacrosse
Jodi Bell	1983-1987	Tennis, Swimming, Lacrosse
Joe Gallagher	1976-1979	Football, Wrestling, Lacrosse
Robert V. Donato, Jr.		Athletic Director, Head Basketball Coach
Anita Corl Huntsman	1966-1969	Field Hockey, Lacrosse
Theodore Copeland		Boys Soccer Coach
Sally Henn		Head Girls Tennis Coach
Sandy Phillips		Boys Lacrosse Coach
Anita Deasey		Head Girls Field Hockey Coach, Head Girls Lacrosse Coach
William Zimmerman		Head Wrestling Coach, Head Girls Tennis Coach
Sally Volpe		Head Field Hockey Coach, Gymnastics Coach, Tennis Coach, Lacrosse Coach
Norton Seaman		Head Lacrosse Coach
Kyle Helton	1990-1993	Football
Carolyne Doubman	1989-1992	Cheerleading, Field Hockey, Swimming, Diving, Lacrosse
Nicholas Settanni		Director of Athletics
Richard Wilmot	1990-1993	Soccer, Lacrosse
Bill Beck	1993-1996	Crew
Mike Fanning	1952-1955
Jim Adams	1966-1969	Wrestling, Soccer
Richard A. Buchanan	1960-1964	Football, Basketball, Baseball
Geoff O’Donnell	1970-1973	Football, Wrestling, Lacrosse
William “Billy” Pincus	1973-1976	Wrestling
Tom Remillard	1982-1985	Wresting
Ronald Bell	1983-1986	Swimming, Soccer, Lacrosse
Hank McElwee	1965-1968	Football, Wrestling, Lacrosse
Rich Pocock	1965-1968	Football, Wrestling, Lacrosse
Haddon Corbett
Dan Engel
Carli Sukonik

Teddy Molineaux, Harriton @TeddyMolineaux @harritonramsfb – PA Football News

Written by: Billy Splain on Sunday, June 21st, 2020

Teddy Molineaux
Harriton
Tailback, Outside Linebacker
2021
Jersey #2
Ht 5’9” Wt 175
Twitter @TeddyMolineaux

Last year:

2019 stats

Offense
410 Rushing
290 Receiving
215 Returning
5 TD

Defense
72 Tackles
1 Int
2 Forced Fumbles

Other Sports:

Baseball, Basketball, Indoor Track

Central League HM 2019
Harriton HS Athlete of the Year 2018, 2019, 2020

Who Is Teddy???

Why do you play football?

Football, or sports in general, have always been something that I just cant stay away from. When I was younger, I used to think about people who didnt play sports and just think to myself, “What, are they crazy?”. But for football more specifically, the energy and the hype around every single game just gives me a feeling like no other.

Who is your favorite sports star and why?

Hands down, Conor McGregor. A lot of people hate on him for the way he goes about his matches, but the attitude and confidence he has is just so impressive to me. In my mind, he is just a straight dog when it comes to competition and he doesn’t fear anyone, even after defeat.

Do you have a favorite play you remember the most? Explain:

My favorite play of all time was in our rivalry game against Lower Merion. There were about 11 seconds left in the half, and they were punting. I was back to return it, but the punt wasn’t catchable and it bounced and rolled away from me. But instead of picking it up, the LM guys kind of surrounded it waiting for someone else to do something. I saw my chance, and I ran in, picked it up, and sprinted the other way towards the endzone. After a massive block (Seth Fliszar, #12) and 65 yards, I strolled into the endzone. But my favorite part about the play was not the actual touchdown: It was looking back into our student section and seeing a full set of bleachers roaring and shouting, while the other side of the bleachers was dead silent.

What game, yours, college or pro, was your favorite game and why?

My favorite game to watch is the Army-Navy game. Not a specific game, but the energy in that stadium with all the cadets and midshipmen is unlike anything I’ve ever been near.

What is your favorite Pro team, any sport?

My favorite pro team is the New York Yankees. Some people call me a bandwagon, but I kind of chose them at a young age to have a competitive relationship with my dad, a Mets fan, and mt godfather, a Red Sox fan.

What cartoon character do you think your head coach most resembles.

Coach Mellor definitely resembles Peter Griffin just because of how relaxed and funny he is.

If your mom and dad are screaming at you from the stands, what is it they usually yell?

It’s either my dad screaming “Go Teddy go” as loud as possible, or my mom screaming something I dont understand.

Who is your mentor, the person you want to be like?

Someone who really inspires me is my older brother Nicholas. Even though he gets mad at me 95% of the time we are together (sometimes for no reason, in my opinion), he is always trying to make me better at whatever we are doing.

Name a sport you’d love to play but can’t:

I would love to competitively box or do MMA, but my mom would never let that happen.

Tell everyone something about you that would make them laugh out loud:

I know all the lyrics to multiple T-Swift songs.

What is your favorite football memory to date?

I will never forget beating Lower Merion 20-0.

What is your favorite play to run?

95 Rose/Linda, Halfback Screen

What scares you the most?

Not achieving my goals.

Music of choice: Country music or hip hop

Follow PA Football News on Twitter @PaFootballNews

Sidlowski, Garnet Valley dig deep to rout Harriton – PA Prep Live

Garnet Valley played long ball, hitting six home runs in an 18-0 Central League softball victory over Harriton on Friday.

Annie Bechtold went deep twice and drove in five runs. Emily Orsini stroked two homers and knocked in four runs. Morgan Mesaros (four RBIs) and Kate Dugey also homered.

Anna Sidlowski tossed the first no-hitter of her career. She fanned seven and walked one in four innings. She also went 3-for-4 with a double and two RBis.

O’Hara 6, Penncrest 4 >> Defense helped O’Hara rally from a 3-0, third-inning deficit. The left side of the infield recorded 10 outs to keep O’Hara in the contest.

Caitlin Jordan blasted two doubles and drove in three runs to lead the comeback. Meredith Hannigan was 3-for-4 and knocked in a run. Leah DiGiadomenico added two runs scored and an RBI. Pitcher Eliana Guerrieri fanned eight and went 2-for-4 with two runs scored for Penncrest.

Boys Lacrosse

Nate Diamond’s three goals and three assists powered Ridley to an 11-8 victory over Harriton. Anthony Laber added three goals and an assist while Reece Millison pitched in with a hat trick.

Girls Lacrosse

Brynn Ammerman, Sydney Wilson, Cale Parsells and Carly Wilson all had hat tricks as Agnes Irwin rolled over Germantown Academy in the Inter-Ac League, 20-3.

Ammerman also had three assists. Wilson had two helpers. Parsells recorded three draw controls and Wilson had four draw controls.

In the Ches-Mont League:

W.C. East 17, Sun Valley 4 >> Carli Komorowski led the Vanguards with two goals. Riley Purfield and Riley Basht added one goal each.

In nonleague action:

Upper Darby 17, Conwell-Egan 2 >> Twins Joira and Curran Penot powered the Royals. Moira Penot was excellent in goal while Curran paced the offense with four goals.

Olivia Pierucci contributed two goals and two assists. Gia Castro, Erin Colsher and Lauren Stokes added two goals apiece.

Garnet Valley 14, York Catholic 6 >> Kate Stankavage collected four goals, five draw controls and three ground balls to lead the Jags.

Kait Henning chipped in with three goals and one ground ball. Sydney Pyon added two goals, one assist and three ground balls. Maddie Kalish also scored twice and goalie Sierra McLaughlin made 14 saves.

In the Central League Thursday:

Penncrest 16, Lower Merion 6 >> Eight players scored for the Lions, led by Mia George and Kate Stanton with four goals each. Katherin Harding had seven draw controls and goalie Sophie Pasnak made seven saves.

Boys Tennis

Lower Merion’s Vik Miller and Justin Minerva, Conestoga’s Peter Auslander and Harriton’s Ethan Carr advanced to the semifinals of the Central League singles tournament.

Miller defeated Strath Haven’s Justin Bi (6-0, 6-0) and Harriton’s Jacob Kerstein (6-0, 6-1) to reach the semifinals. Minerva beat Penncrest’s Cameron Fawthorp (6-0, 6-0) and Strath Haven’s Sawyer Bock (6-0, 6-0). Auslander knocked off Marple Newtown’s Billy Mills (6-0, 6-0) and Radnors’s Ariston Fonseca (6-0, 6-1), while Carr topped Haverford’s Wenyu Huangpu (6-0, 6-1) and Conestoga’s Justin Xu (2-6, 6-0, 10-6).

In Central League action Thursday:

Strath Haven 5, Penncrest 2 >> R.J. Steinke and Gabriel Ball scored a 6-3, 4-6, 6-4 victory at first doubles to pace the Panthers. Strath Haven took three of the four doubles matches, while Sawyer Bock and John Zhou won at singles.

Benjamin Chang was a 6-1, 6-1 winner at second singles for the Lions.

In the Inter-Ac League:

Haverford School 6, Malvern Prep 1 >> Mat Ferraci and Damian Ferraro helped the Fords sweep the doubles in straight sets with a 6-3, 6-0 victory at first doubles. Christian Crowder dropped just one game at second singles. Ethan Chan did the same at third singles.

Billy Beggs’s Men’s Lacrosse Recruiting Profile

Personal Statement

My name is William Beggs. I am a defenseman at Archbishop John Carroll High School in Pennsylvania. I have been playing lacrosse since third grade. I love playing lacrosse and more specifically defense because of the physical aspect of the game. I love working together with my teammates and building bonds with new teammates that I have not played with before such as school transfers or underclassmen. The game of lacrosse helps me develop my physical and mental skills. Playing lacrosse in college would help me further develop those skills such as quick thinking, self-discipline, and physical strength. I am a very coachable player. I listen when coaches or other players give me advice and constructive criticism. I also try to give advice to my teammates to help them develop their game. I try to act as a leader off the field as well as on it. One of my goals for my junior year is to be named a captain of my high school team. I always try my best to set an example for the underclassmen and for my own friends and classmates. I want to study Aerospace Engineering in college and want to work at NASA after college. Overall, I feel as if lacrosse prepares you for the real world by, most importantly, increasing your teamwork skills which are an important factor when it comes to jobs, relationships, and the rest of your life.

Academics

Grades

This information is unavailable to unknown [or unregistered] users

Test Scores

This information is unavailable to unknown [or unregistered] users

High School Information

High School:: Archbishop John Carroll High School
State:: PENNSYLVANIA
Enrollment:: 953

Academic Accomplishments

Honors Classes:

Yes. Honors 3D Sol Model,
Honors Biology,
Honors Eng Lang Arts III,
Honors Faith in Action 11,
Honors French III,
Honors Mod Am His/Cul,
Honors Pre-Calculus,
Honors Eng Lang Arts II,
Honors US Government,
Honors Algebra II,
Honors Chemistry,
Honors French II,
Honors Theology II,
Honors Eng Lang Arts I,
Honors World History,
Honors French I,
Honors Geometry,
Honors Theology I

Registered with the NCAA Eligibility Center?

Yes

Awards, Achievements and Activities

Award
Chappell Culpeper Foundation Scholarship
Award

Sentry-Heritage Academic Scholarship
Award

Knights of Columbus Council # 4129 Scholarship
Award

Sophomore year First Honors
Award

Freshman year Second Honors
Activity
Marple Friends & Neighbors magazine January 2021 Student of the Month
Activity
Archbishop Carroll’s annual PatrioTHON
Activity
Archbishop Carroll’s Community Service Corps
Activity
Native Lacrosse volunteer

Sherlock Holmes | Harriton Theater Company

Harriton Theater Company in the Black Box Theater at Harriton High School

PRESENTS
SHERLOCK HOLMES

by
William Gillette and Sir Arthur Conan Doyle

Sherlock Holmes is a fictional creation of Arthur Conan Doyle. First appearing in print in 1887’s A Study in Scarlet, the character’s popularity became widespread with the first series of short stories in The Strand Magazine, beginning in 1891; additional tales appeared from then until 1927, eventually totaling four novels and 56 short stories. The character of Sherlock Holmes was inspired by the real-life figure of Joseph Bell, a surgeon at the Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh, whom Conan Doyle met in 1877. Like Holmes, Bell was noted for drawing broad conclusions from minute observations.

Recognizing the success of the character, Conan Doyle decided to create a play based on Holmes. The script was later rewritten with the help of American stage actor, William Gillette. Gillette visited Conan Doyle to request permission not only to perform the role but also to rewrite the play.

The play itself drew material from Conan Doyle’s published stories “A Scandal in Bohemia”, “The Final Problem” and A Study in Scarlet, while adding much that was new as well. Doyle was credited as a co-author, even though Gillette actually wrote the play. It premiered on Broadway in 1899, and has seen unending success ever since.

Sherlock Holmes has a profound and lasting effect on mystery writing and popular culture as a whole, with the original tales, as well as thousands written by authors other than Conan Doyle, being adapted into stage and radio plays, television, films, video games, and other media for over one hundred years.

Cast Members

Sherlock Holmes
Ben Newman

Dr. Watson
Jackson Eisner

Madge Larrabee
Nina Gold

James Larrabee
Arrion Johnson

Alice Faulkner
Audrey Sigler

Sidney Prince
Jaspar Albright

Professor Moriarty
Allegra Greenawalt

Bassick
Julia Green

Forman
Jacqueline Kelly

Craigin
Sammy Biglin

Leary
Cliffe Edmonds

McTague Angelina DeMonte

Therese
Julia Hoeffner

Billy
Tyler Weiss

Parsons
Andreas Kaiser

Sir Edward Leighton
Patrick McCann

Count von Stalburg
Will Coleman

Newsboy
Gage Klaumenzer

Ensemble
Ashley Sydnor, Wendy Kelly, Cori Mastin

Directed by
Neill Hartley*

Technical Directors
Sean Connolly* with John Bezark*

Musical Direction by
Kat Bowman* with Aidan Todd

Student Directors
Julia McGinty and Dinah Day-Booth

Stage Manager
Willow Kaminski

Costume Design
Kim Fogarty*, Ana-Isabela Navarro, Rowen Murphy-Usher, and AmaRa Pedreros-Montes

Set Design
Sam Gerike and Noah Shelanski

Lighting Design
Jacob Newmark

Publicity Design
Emma Deutsch and Ben Newman

Hair and Makeup Design
Taylor Fagan and Sydney Klein

Sound Design
Ashley Young and Dylan Teaford

Prop Masters
Katie Federman, Sarah Liez, and Homa Mirzai

Student from Lower Merion writes play about a school shooting

Next week, a citywide playwriting program for young people will present its first professional production of a full-length play.

“Candles,” written by a high school freshman and presented by Philadelphia Young Playwrights, is about a tragic shooting at a high school. It premieres next week at the Arden Theatre in Old City with a professional director and union actors, making it eligible for a Barrymore Award.

The play takes place entirely in a classroom of a fictional high school called Edgewater, where the student newspaper club meets and spends most of its time goofing around.

The students bicker, banter, and find reasons to procrastinate.

“Can you guys stop being idiots for five seconds?” says an older student and mentor, played by Ang Bey, trying to quiet the rowdy room. She tells them that the paper is under threat: unless they shape up, the school board will no longer support student journalism.

But then tragedy hits. A shooter rampages through the school, killing 12 students and two teachers.

The rest of the play follows the emotional roller coaster of the survivors as they attempt to cope with grief and rage.

“They argue a lot. I really wanted to make this as authentic as possible,” said playwright Angelina DeMonte, a sophomore at Harriton High School in Lower Merion. She wrote much of “Candles” as a freshman.

“I’m a teenager. I go to high school. I know in that situation there would be a lot of arguing. Figuring out how to go about this, I wanted to include what the real journey would be for them,” she said.

Angelina DeMonte wrote “Candles,” a play about the aftermath of a school shooting. (Kimberly Paynter/WHYY)

DeMonte started writing “Candles” two years ago, immediately after the shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida, that killed 17 people.

She was just in junior high at the time. Like many young people, DeMonte felt frustrated by feelings of futility. What could an eighth grader do about national gun violence?

“It’s something I struggled with. I feel really voiceless when it comes to what I can do about it,” she said. “Playwriting has given me an outlet to say what I need to say and have my voice be heard. ”

DeMonte was accepted into the residency program at Philadelphia Young Playwrights, or PYP. That provided her with a dramaturge and writing mentor to guide her through the process of writing a full-length script. The play runs about an hour and 15 minutes.

It’s a more ambitious script than PYP usually presents. The program partners with area schools to create writing projects in the classroom. Every year, it accepts submissions for its annual monologue and short-play festivals.

Though “Candles” is the first time PYP will give full production treatment to one of its students’ scripts, it is certainly not the first time it has produced a script about a school shooting.

“We received through our annual playwriting festival over 650 submissions for consideration for production. Easily 30 dealt with school shootings,” said executive director Lisa Nelson-Haynes. “We do not tell students what to write about. It’s very telling that it is so top-of-mind for so many of our kids. For them, it’s not if, but when.”

For DeMonte, writing “Candles” has been a passion project. Her characters rise to the moment, using their talents for journalism, poetry, and music to memorialize the dead and fight for change.

DeMonte even wrote a final song: a poem set to music that enables the students to move on from their grief.

“There’s nothing like it, being able to see everything in my head scribbled on a piece of paper, coming to life before my eyes,” she said. “Seeing what other people can bring to it to make it that much better.”

Billy Corgan – zxc.wiki

Billy Corgan on June 11, 2005 in Cologne

William “Billy” Patrick Corgan (* 17th March 1967 in Chicago , Illinois ) is an American musician , record producer , songwriter , lyricist and band leader of the alternative rock – band Smashing Pumpkins and wrestling -Unternehmer.

life and work

Childhood and youth

Billy Corgan was born in Chicago as the son of blues and rock music guitarists William Corgan Sr. and Martha Lutz . After their parents’ divorce in 1970, Corgan moved to live with his father and stepmother in Glendale Heights , where he grew up with his brother and half-brother. Corgan said he was beaten by his stepmother.

During his school days Corgan played in a variety of different bands and after graduating from school decided to pursue a career as a musician. His first major band was The Marked. The band’s name alluded to the striking moles of Corgan and drummer Ron Roesing. Disappointed with the Chicago music scene, Corgan and his band moved to Saint Petersburg , Florida in 1985 , but soon returned to Chicago after the band broke up.

The Smashing Pumpkins

In Chicago, Corgan founded the band The Smashing Pumpkins together with guitarist James Iha , with whom he worked in a record store, and they released their first demo tapes. Soon after, bassist D’arcy Wretzky and drummer Jimmy Chamberlin joined them. Corgan sang, played guitar and wrote most of the songs.

The first album Gish was released in 1991 , the big breakthrough followed two years later with Siamese Dream . The album went platinum several times in the US, and the singles Today and Disarm became hits worldwide. The 1995 album Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness even topped this success: The record was nominated for seven Grammys and the song in 1979 became the band’s most successful single to date. In 1996 the band temporarily separated from Chamberlin after he became addicted to heroin. The band released the album Adore in 1998 and Machina / The Machines of God in 2000 , a concept album, which, however, could not follow on from their earlier successes. Wretzky left the band while recording the latter album and was replaced by bassist Melissa Auf der Maur .

Soon after, the band announced that they would split up that same year. The album Machina II / The Friends & Enemies of Modern Music was released for free purchase on the Internet.

Zwan and solo career

After the dissolution of the Smashing Pumpkins, Corgan founded the band Zwan in 2001 with Pumpkins drummer Jimmy Chamberlin . In 2002, Corgan and Zwan contributed a large part to the soundtrack of Jonas Åkerlund’s film Spun , in which he also had a brief cameo as a doctor. In 2003 Zwan’s first and only album, Mary Star of the Sea, was released . But the band broke up in the same year: With Zwan, Corgan and Chamberlin could not build on their immense success with the Smashing Pumpkins.

After Zwan broke up, Billy Corgan was mainly active as a solo artist and began to write about his life on a blog . Here Corgan also writes of very private details, such as his broken relationship with his parents, suicidal thoughts or disputes between the Smashing Pumpkins. In 2004 his first book, the poetry volume Blinking With Fists , was published by the British publisher Faber & Faber . Corgan also documented the writing process on his blog. Blinking With Fists managed immediately on the bestseller list of the New York Times , but met with mixed reviews.

On June 20, 2005, Corgan’s first solo album was released with the title The Future Embrace and the first single Walking Shade . From June to August 2005 he was on a world tour with final concerts in Tokyo with a band consisting of Matt Walker, Linda Strawberry and Brian Liesegang . In 2007 Billy Corgan was a guest singer on the song The Cross by the Scorpions .

Smashing Pumpkins Revival

Corgan announced on his website and a full-page ad in the Chicago Tribune on June 22, 2005 that he missed his old band the Pumpkins were trying to bring back to life, and he described the breakup as the worst decision of his life. In 2006 the Smashing Pumpkins reunited, but with the new band members Ginger Pooley on bass and guitarist Jeff Schroeder instead of Wretzky and Iha. In July 2007, the band released the album Zeitgeist , which received mixed reviews. In 2012 the new album Oceania followed , which was largely positively received by music critics. Oceania is also an “album within an album” as part of Corgan’s music project Teargarden by Kaleidyscope .

In 2009 Corgan founded the band Spirit in the Sky , initially to play a tribute concert for the rock and roll singer Sky Saxon .

Solo albums as William Patrick Corgan

Corgan also worked as a solo artist while working with the now reunited Smashing Pumpkins. On October 13, 2017, the album Ogilala was released under his real name William Patrick Corgan (abbreviated to WPC on the cover). The songs on the album, which Corgan produced with Rick Rubin , are based primarily on acoustic guitar and sparing instrumentation. Corgan hired session musicians from Nashville for the double album Cotillions , released on November 22, 2019 , which led to a sound that is strongly oriented towards country and bluegrass .

Wrestling career

In 2011 Corgan founded the indie wrestling league Resistance Pro Wrestling . In 2012 he also opened Madame Zuzu’s Tea House in his hometown of Highland Park . In April 2015 Corgan joined Total Nonstop Action Wrestling , where he was employed as a senior producer. Corgan had invested a total of $ 1.8 million in TNA to fund two taping marathons and the Slammiversary PPV. The deal called for him to receive a $ 900,000 bonus on repayment. A few days before the agreement, Corgan had an exchange on Twitter with TNA and Anthem Sports & Entertainment Corporation, because his money was not returned to him immediately after the judge’s verdict. From August 2016 through November 15, 2016, Corgan was the President of Total Nonstop Action Wrestling. Corgan sued TNA. He agreed with Anthem Sports & Entertainment Corporation that he would be paid his $ 2.7 million. Thus the dispute was settled. Corgan then left TNA.

Discography

Albums

year	title	Top ranking, total weeks, awardChart placementsChart placements (Year, title, rankings, weeks, awards, notes)				Remarks
year	title	DE	CH	UK	US	Remarks
2005	The Future Embrace	DE67 (1 week) DE	CH82 (1 week) CH	UK89 (1 week) UK	US31 (3 weeks) US	as Billy Corgan
2017	Ogilala	–	CH86 (1 week) CH	–	US183 (1 week) US	as William Patrick Corgan
2019	Cotillions	–	–	–	–	as William Patrick Corgan

Singles

year	Title album	Top ranking, total weeks, awardChartsChart placements (Year, title, album , rankings, weeks, awards, notes)	Remarks
year	Title album	UK	Remarks
2005	Walking Shade The Future Embrace	UK74 (1 week) UK

Soundtracks

Tribute album

With The Smashing Pumpkins

With Zwan

Web links

Individual evidence

↑ Billy Corgan’s blog
^ Corgans Blog – Poetry
↑ http://www. Pitchfork: Billy Corgan opens Tea Shop
↑ Big update: TNA and Anthem agree with Billy Corgan! – Smashing Pumpkins frontman leaves and Dixie Carter stays! – What does the future of the company look like? wrestling-infos.de. Retrieved November 17, 2016
↑ ^a^b Chart sources: DE CH UK US

90,000 Biography The Smashing Pumpkins – Hazzen

In 1988, Chicago clubs were completely swept by the house music tide that had literally blown up the city two years earlier. Meanwhile, in one of the Polish bars in Chicago, located near the city center, a new movement in music was born. The lanky guitarist and his friend turned the audience on to jazz-punk music. 18 months later, the two men began calling themselves the Smashing Pumpkins. By signing with Virgin Records, the band went from provincial to one of the most famous alternative bands in the world, mixing iron guitar with psychedelic and jazz without any problems.Their creation – “Mellon Collie And The Infinite Sadness” – became the largest double-CD sales, while the total sales of all records exceeded 10 million.

Of all the alternative rock bands of the early nineties, the Smashing Pumpkins were the least influenced by the traditional rock underground. Guitarist and songwriter Billy Corgan created a blend of progressive, heavy metal, gothic and psychedelia to create a layered, powerful sound. In fact, the Smashing Pumpkins became a model for a successful alternative group – Nirvana was too destructive and Pearl Jam shied away from success.Billy Corgan was already involved in music from childhood, as his father was a jazz guitarist and earned a living playing in small mediocre bands. There was always music in the Korgan house: Hendrix, Miles Davis, Frank Sinatra, Muddy Waters. This was Billy’s first exposure to music. They lived in the suburbs of Chicago, and at 19, Billy left home to move to Florida with his fledgling gothic band, The Marked. But the team failed and he returned to Chicago in 1988.

At the shop where he settled, Billy meets James Iha, a strikingly handsome American Japanese player then playing in college, in a group called Snake Train, with whom they began recording using drum machines as drums. Playing guitars and writing songs, Corgan and Iha finally wrote enough material to make their live debut at the Polish Bar in Chicago. Corgan played the role of bass guitarist and drummer. By that time Corgan already had some experience of playing in a group. Prior to that, he played in a Florida metal band called Marked. Thanks to Corgan’s talent for generating the sound of bands like Zepp / Floyd / Queen, Iha’s first performance at one of the Chicago clubs, the Polish Bar, followed.

Shortly after performing in Chicago, Corgan heard about a group called the Dan Reed Network, or rather a woman named D’Arcy. She played guitars. Corgan immediately found her and asked if she would like to play bass in his and James’s band. Billy left her his phone number, and soon she became the third member of the group.

Progressing and growing, the Pumpkins finally secured the trust of the local club owner and were soon invited to open for Jane Addiction, but they didn’t have a drummer or drum kit, but they soon came along. Jimmy Chamberlain at the time specialized more in jazz than alternative music, but still got caught up …. With Chamberlain, the Pumpkins finally became a full quartet. But in 1996, Jimmy was fired for drug use and for causing the death of keyboardist Jonathan Melvoin.

The band’s next step towards fame was the recording of Iha and Corgan’s only song “I Am One”, which would later be included on the band’s first album, “Gish”.

This is how Pumpkins began work on their debut album, named after the heroine of one of the films (Lillian Gish).”Gish” was recorded by Butch Vig at his Smart Studios, and was released in May 1991. It was clear that the band began to develop after the addition of acoustic guitars. “Siva” and “Bury Me” are classics for the Pumpkins of the time – pounding bass and pyrotechnic guitars. The songs “Daydream” and the quasi-psychedelic “Rhinoceros” were unlike anything else and became key for the group over the next five years. In fact, the song “Rhinoceros” became one of the most talented rock pieces of the 90s. The album was named one of the best-selling and most popular albums of the year, based on the fact that the popular Nirvana album “Nevermind” was also recorded by Vig and was released in the same. The album combined so many different musical styles that it was difficult to categorize. Billy’s musical tastes were influenced by such bands as Black Sabbath, Bauhaus, The Cure, Jimi Hendrix and Cheap Trick. And it worked … 700,000 copies of Gish have been sold worldwide.

In May 1991 the band toured with the album “Gish”, which lasted 18 months.It was the beginning of the Smashing Pumpkins’ transformation into a soap opera. At first Iha and D’Arcy dated, but the pair fell apart during the tour. But all these events never influenced the musical mood of the collective, but emotionally the whole collective experienced it. After the end of the tour, Corgan fell into depression and was on the verge of committing suicide. Then Chamberlain announced that he was sick with alcoholism and drug addiction, and he needed to be treated. All this happened after a successful tour, it seemed that they should be at the height of fame, but instead were on the verge of collapse.The Pumpkins’ popularity grows with the release of the soundtrack to the hit film Singles, featuring their song “Drown”.

In 1993 Corgan entered the Triclops Sound studio to record the new album “Siamese Dream”. The relationship between the band left much to be desired, and Billy Corgan, spitting on Iha and D’Arcy, played almost all the guitar and bass parts. But that didn’t stop Corgan and Vig from finishing the album a month before the due date. The album represents, as it were, two aspects of the band’s creativity.For example, songs like “Silverfuck” and “Geek USA” are harsh and harsh in sound, while “Disarm” and “Soma” are melodic and calm.

In the summer of 1993, the album took fourth place, after which the Pumpkins went on another tour. Pumpkins’ second album sold 3 million copies.

In the group, the passions have not yet calmed down, but musically the Pumpkins have finally established themselves as a collective. And in 1994, they received almost the highest award that an alternative group can receive – they were invited to perform in the front ranks of the Llollapalooza tour that year.

Immediately after Lolapalooza the band flew to Chicago and Corgan rushed to write material for the new album. Before the new songs were recorded, a collection of old songs appeared that were not included in any album. The collection appeared in October 1994 and was called “Pisces Iscariot”.

“Collecting” material for the new album, Corgan “got together” to the point that he decided not to fool himself and others, but to release a double album with 28 songs. When work on “Mellon Collie And The Infinite Sadness” began, the relationship in the band warmed significantly.Korgan managed to rest, and D’Arcy and Iha began to carry out their direct duties, that is, to play their instruments. But, as before, Corgan rushed around the studio, wanting to bring the sound to perfection. Working this time with Flood and Alan Moulder, Corgan managed to find new ways of sounding, significantly improving the sound of The Smashing Pumpkins’ music.

Many doubted that the double disc, especially with such a stupid name, would be a success. However, the album was on the first line of the charts.More than 4 million copies were sold in the States, as a result of which the disc became multi-platinum. “Pumpkins” gathered entire stadiums and were at the peak of their popularity when problems began again in the group. On July 12, the band’s keyboardist, Jonathan Melvin, died of a heroin overdose. Chamberlin miraculously managed to digest the same dose, but he was kicked out of the team. The Smashing Pumpkins spent two months looking for a new drummer. In August, it was announced that Matt Walker would be the band’s touring drummer and Dennis Flemion’s touring keyboardist.

This was followed by a tour in support of the new album. The tour was extremely successful … And in the spring of 1997, the Smashing Pumpkins recorded two soundtracks (The Beginning Is The End Is The Beginning and The End Is The Beginning Is The End) for the Batman & Robin “.

And, in 1998, the Pumpkins begin work on a new album “Adore”. But something happened with the sound, and the album turned out, to put it mildly, pop. And although they worked with Flood this time, but nothing like ” Mellon Collie And The Infinite Sadness ”failed.

In the spring of 1998, the Pumpkins embark on a tour in support of “Adore”. The tour was called “The Arising”.

Then Jimmy Chamberlain returns to the group, and, according to the stories of “eyewitnesses”, Jimmy got down to business … But, it seems, the group is again in full force. However, in the fall of 1999 the permanent bassist D’Arcy leaves the group …

And in 2000 the final chord from The Smashing Pumpkins follows – the album “Machina / The Machines Of God”.

A short time later, Corgan announced his decision to disband the group.With former Hole bassist Melissa Auf Der Maur instead of D’Arcy, the Smashing Pumpkins began their farewell tour in 2000. On December 2 in Chicago they gave their final concert. In 2001, Corgan, together with Chamberlin, muddied a new project “Zwan”, and Iha and Auf Der Maur began to play “The Virgins”.

In 2005, Billy Corgan publishes an advertisement in a Chicago newspaper about the desire to revive The Smashing Pumpkins – to which drummer Chamberlin responds. At the end of 2006, Corgan announced the recording of a new album; from the previous line-up of the group, only Chamberlin is in the case, the names of the other musicians were not disclosed.On February 7, 2007 at 7 hours 7 minutes, a message appears on Corgan’s blog with the title and release date of the album: Zeitgeist (German “Spirit of Time”), the sixth studio album, will be released on July 7, 2007 (07.07.07). Later, eight European festival dates for the band are announced ahead of the album’s release (May 28 – June 17) …

Composition
Billy Corgan – vocals, guitar, bass, keyboards
Jimmy Chamberlin – drums (1988-1996, 1999-2000 and since 2005)
Jeff Schroeder – guitar
Ginger Reyes – bass, vocals
Lisa Harriton – keyboards

Former band members
James Iha – guitar (1988-2000)
D’Arcy Wretzky – bass guitar (1988-1999)
Melissa Auf Der Maur – bass guitar (1999-2000)
Matt Walker – drums (1996-1997)

Discography
EP, B-sides
Pisces Iscariot (1994)
Zero EP (1996)
Airplane Flies High (1996)
Earphoria (2002)

Albums
Gish (1991)
Siamese Dream (1993)
Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness (1995)
Adore (1998)
MACHINA / The Machines of God (2000)
MACHINA II / The Friends & Enemies of Modern Music ( 2000)
Zeitgeist (2007)

Official site The Smashing Pumpkins
Not Official Russian site The Smashing Pumpkins
The Smashing Pumpkins on MySpace

The Smashing Pumpkins is.

.. What are The Smashing Pumpkins?

The Smashing Pumpkins ( IPA: [ˈsmæʃɪŋ pʌmpkɪns]) is an American alternative rock band formed in Chicago in 1988. Although its line-up has changed several times, Billy Corgan (guitar / vocals), James Iha (guitar / backing vocals), Darcy Recki (bass / backing vocals) and Jimmy Chamberlain (drums) were the main members of the band during the period. her musical activity. The current line-up includes guitarists Billy Corgan and Jeff Schroeder, drummer Mike Byrne and bass player Nicole Fiorentino.

Denying the influence of punk rock, the band created a very extended, dense, heavy guitar sound, combining elements of gothic rock, heavy metal, dream pop, psychedelic rock, progressive rock, shoegazing, and electronics ^[1]. Corgan is the group’s primary songwriter: his great musical ambitions and relaxing lyrics have created albums that have been described as “compassionate, offensive messages of Billy Corgan’s earthly nightmares” ^[2].

The band broke into the music mainstream with the release of their second album Siamese Dream in 1993. The band built their audience through active touring and a 1995 double album titled Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness , which peaked at # on Billboard 200 . Having sold nearly 19 million albums in the US ^[3] ^[4], The Smashing Pumpkins became one of the most commercially successful and established bands of the 90s.However, internal fights, drug use, and a drop in record sales led to the band’s disbandment in 2000.

In 2006, Billy Corgan and Jimmy Chamberlin resumed work to record the new album Zeitgeist . The group toured with occasional lineups ranging from five to nine musicians throughout most of 2007 and 2008 with new member Jeff Schroeder, after which Chamberlain left the group in early 2009. He was replaced by drummer Mike Byrne and bass player Nicole Fiorentino, who established themselves in the new lineup along with Corgan and Schroeder, touring for much of 2010 and 2011. The lineup has currently released a new album titled Oceania and is also continuing to record new material for Teargarden by Kaleidyscope .

Group history

Early years (1988 – 1992)

Following the disbandment of gothic rock band The Marked , singer and guitarist Billy Corgan leaves the city of St. Petersburg, Florida to return to his homeland in Chicago, where he wanted to get a job in a record store and create a new band called The Smashing Pumpkins ^[5].While working there, he met guitarist James Iha. Adorned with paisley and other psychedelic trappings, they began writing songs together (using a drum machine), heavily influenced by bands such as The Cure and New Order ^[6]. The duo first performed on stage on July 9, 1988 at a Polish bar located at Chicago 21 . The performance took place only with the participation of Korgan, Iha and drum machine ^[7]. After the show Dan Reed Network , Corgan met D’arsi Rezki, with whom he discussed the achievements of the group ^[8] ^[9]. After learning that Rezki was playing bass, Corgan recruited her, and the newly formed trio played a gig at the nightclub Avalon ^[9]. After that show, owner of Cabaret Metro Joe Shanahan agreed to book the band’s show on the condition that they replace the drum machine with drummer ^[9].

Corgan’s friend advised to take jazz drummer Jimmy Chamberlin ^[9] into the group. Chamberlin knew little about alternative music, so almost immediately changed the sound of the nascent band.From the memories of Corgan:

We were totally in sad rock like The Cure . It took two or three practice sessions before I realized that there was something about his powerful drumming that allowed us to play harder than we could ever imagine.

Billy Corgan ^[6]

On October 5, 1988, the full band took to the stage for the first time at Cabaret Metro ^[9].

In 1989, the band’s recordings first appeared on a compilation album Light Into Dark , which also featured several alternative Chicago bands ^[10]. In 1990, on the local label Limited Potential , the band released their first single, I Am One ^[10]. After selling the single, the band at Sub Pop released the song Tristessa , after which they signed a contract with Caroline Records ^[10].In 1991, under the direction of producer Butch Vig, the band recorded their debut studio album, Gish ^[11], at Smart Studios for $ 20,000. In order to get the cohesion that Corgan desired, he often played all musical instruments, while retaining the drum parts that created tension in the ^[12] sound. The music combines heavy metal, psychedelia and dream-pop, comparing the sound of the band Jane’s Addiction ^[12]. Gish was a minor success with the single Rhinoceros , which is receiving airplay on some alternative rock radio ^[10]. Following the release of the EP Lull in October 1991 via Caroline Records , the band officially signed with Virgin Records , a division of Caroline ^[10]. Following the recording, the band embarked on a tour to support the album, which opened with bands such as Red Hot Chili Peppers , Jane’s Addiction and Guns N ‘Roses ^[10].During the tour, Iha and Rezki experienced a difficult breakup with each other, Chamberlain became addicted to drugs and alcohol, and Corgan became deeply depressed, writing several songs for a new album in the garage where he lived at the time ^[13].

Break into the mainstream (1992 – 1994)

With alternative rock breaking into the American mainstream due to the popularity of grunge bands such as Nirvana and Pearl Jam , The Smashing Pumpkins were poised for major commercial success.During this time, the band was constantly mixed with the grunge movement, despite Corgan’s protest: “Now we have gone from Jane’s Addiction to Nirvana , now we are the next Pearl Jam ” ^[14].

Amid intense internal pressure, the band moved to Marietta, Georgia in late 1992 to break through to widespread popularity to begin work on their second album with Butch Vig as producer ^[6].The decision to record this far away from hometown was motivated in part by the group’s desire to avoid friends and strife, but in large part due to a desperate attempt to isolate Jimmy Chamberlin from his known drug ties ^[6]. The recording process for the album Siamese Dream was severely overshadowed by divisions within the band ^[6]. As with the album Gish , Corgan and Vig decided that Corgan should play almost all the guitar and bass parts on the album, thus causing resentment in the group ^[15] ^[16].The modern music press began to portray Corgan as a tyrant ^[17]. Meanwhile, Corgan’s depression reached the point where he was already contemplating suicide, but he managed to pull himself together by actually living in studio ^[18]. Meanwhile, Chamberlin quickly managed to find new connections and began to often be absent from the studio for several days ^[6]. In all, the recording took four months and had a budget of over $ 250,000 90,086 [15] 90,087.

Despite all the problems during the recording, Siamese Dream debuted at number ten on Billboard 200 ^[19], and sold over four million copies in the US ^[20].Along with the increased influence of the group in the mainstream, the collective gained a reputation as careerists among its former colleagues, with whom relations subsequently deteriorated ^[7]. Indie rock group Pavement in the lyrics of their song Range Life from 1994 openly mocks the group, and Stephen Malkmus, lead singer of the group Pavement , said: “I never understood their music, but fairly speak about their status.” ^[21]. Former member of Hüsker Dü Bob Mold called them the grunge band The Monkees ^[6], and Chicago musician and producer Steve Albini wrote a derogatory letter in response to a commendable article about the group, mockingly comparing them to the band REO Speedwagon and convinced of their insignificance ^[22]. The opening song and single Cherub Rock ” from the album Siamese Dream is directly related to Corgan’s feud with the indie world ^[23].

In 1994, Virgin released compilation Pisces Iscariot , which peaked at No. 4 on Billboard 200 ^[24]. A videotape was also released, titled Vieuphoria , which was a mix of live and off-screen footage ^[24].After continuing to tour in support of the album, including headlining festivals Lollapalooza and Reading in 1994 and 1995 respectively, the band took a break to record their next LP, ^[24].

Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness (1995 -1997)

Billy Corgan on tour Mellon Collie with shaved head and tank top Zero

Corgan worked nonstop for the next year and wrote about fifty-six songs for the next album ^[25].After a period of intense creativity, the band returned to the studio with producers Flood and Alan Moulder to work on what Corgan called “The Wall for Generation X” ^[26].

The result was Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness , a double album of twenty-eight songs lasting over two hours (the vinyl version of the album contained three LPs, two additional songs and another tracklist) ^[7]. The songs were connected to each other by one idea – the cycle of life and death ^[7].Praised by Time Magazine Time as “the most ambitious and accomplished work of a band ever” ^[27], Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness album debuted at number one on Billboard 200 in October 1995 ^[28]. Even more successful than Siamese Dream , the new album was certified platinum ^[29] nine times in the United States and is by far the best selling double album of the decade ^[30].He also received seven Grammy nominations in 1997, including Album of the Year ^[30]. The band won the award only for “Best Hard Rock Performance” of the single Bullet With Butterfly Wings ^[30]. The album Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness spawned five singles: Bullet With Butterfly Wings , 1979 , Zero , Tonight, Tonight and Thirty-Three , the first three of which went gold and that’s it. except for the song Zero entered the Top 40 ^[30].The remaining songs, which were not included in the album Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness , were released as B-sides to the singles, and eventually made the compilation The Airplane Flies High ^[30]. As proof of the band’s popularity, Virgin Records initially sold a limited edition of 200,000 copies of the album, but due to increased demand, the company released significantly more records than previously estimated ^[31].

In 1996, the band embarked on a massive world tour in support of Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness .During this period, Corgan’s appearance – a shaved head, a long-sleeved black shirt with the word Zero on it and silver trousers – became the hallmark of ^[32]. In the same year, the group also appeared in an episode of the series The Simpsons Homerpalooza ^[33]. Thanks to its wide rotation on MTV, major music industry awards and the sale of T-shirts in malls bearing the Zero sign, The Smashing Pumpkins was considered one of the most popular bands of the time ^[33] ^[34].However, this year has not been entirely positive for the group. In May, the band played a gig at The Point Theater in Dublin ^[35]. Despite repeated requests from the band to stop the mosh, a 17-year-old female fan named Bernadette O’Brien was crushed to death ^[35]. Due to the incident, the concert ended early, and the band’s next night performance in Belfast was canceled in deference to the deceased ^[35]. However, while Corgan claimed that “the time of the mosh has come and gone,” the band would have continued to demand open concerts during the remainder of the ^[36] tour.

On the night of July 11, 1996, the band suffered personal tragedy when concert keyboardist Jonathan Melvoin and drummer Chamberlin took too much heroin in a New York hotel room at ^[37]. Melvoin died and Chamberlin was arrested for drug possession ^[37]. A few days later, the group announced that Chamberlin had been fired as a result of the drug incident ^[37]. The band decided to end the tour and hired drummer Matt Walker and keyboardist Denis Flemion ^[6].Corgan later stated that continuing to tour was the worst decision the band ever made, damaging ^[6]‘s music and reputation. At the same time, after the release of Mellon Collie , the band gave an interview in which they stated that the disc will be the last regular recording of The Smashing Pumpkins ^[38] and that rock has become stale ^[38]. James Iha stated at the end of 1996: “The future is electronic music ^[38]. It seems really boring to play only rock music. ”^[39].

Albums

Adore , Machina and decay (1998-2000)

After the release of the album Mellon Collie , the band released many songs on various compilations. Released in early 1997, the song Eye was based solely on electronic instruments and marked an abrupt transition in the band’s sound. At this time, Corgan announced his idea to “re-adjust the focus and move away from the classic rock format” ^[40]. In the same year, the band released the soundtrack The End Is the Beginning Is the End for the movie “Batman and Robin” ^[41].The song, featuring new drummer Matt Walker, had a heavy sound similar to Bullet With Butterfly Wings ” but heavily influenced by ^[41] electronic instruments. The song later won a Grammy in 1998 for Best Hard Rock Performance at ^[41].

Recorded following the death of Corgan’s mother and his divorce in 1998, the album Adore represented a significant change in the band’s style, moving from early guitar rock to electronica. The recording, cut with session drummers and drum machines, was imbued with an even darker aesthetic than the band’s early work. In addition, the group changed their image, changing their informal look to a more understated appearance. Although Adore received positive reviews from critics and received a Grammy nomination for Best Alternative Performance, at the end of the year only 830,000 copies of the album were sold in the United States, which was viewed by the music industry as bad luck ^[42].However, three times as many copies of the album were sold overseas. In support of the album Adore , the band embarked on a seventeen-day charity tour of fifteen cities in North America. At each stop during the tour, the band donated 100 percent of their ticket proceeds to a local charity. The tour expenses were fully funded by the group’s own funds. During the tour, the band donated over $ 2.8 million to charity 9086 [43] .

In 1999, the band surprised fans with the return of Jimmy Chamberlin to the main lineup for a short-term tour called The Arising , featuring both new and classic material. The line-up proved to be short-lived, however, and the band announced Rezki’s departure in September while working on the album Machina / The Machines of God ^[44]. For the Sacred and Profane tour, former Hole bassist Melissa Of Der Mauer was invited to support the album, and she appeared in the video with the band.Released in 2000, the album Machina was originally touted as “the band’s return to traditional rock sound with the release of the gothic and electronic disc Adore ” ^[45]. The album debuted at number three on Billboard , but quickly disappeared and in 2007 received only gold certification ^[46] ^[47] ^[48]. Music journalist Jim Derogatis, who described the album as “one of the strongest in the band’s career,” noted that the stalled sales of Machina compared to teenage teen pop “is concrete evidence that a new wave of young pop fans – the music went deaf in relation to alternative rock ”^[49].

On May 23, 2000, in an interview and live on radio KROQ-FM , Billy Corgan announced his decision to disband the band later this year following an additional tour and recording of the album ^[45]. The band’s last album, Machina II / The Friends & Enemies of Modern Music, , was released before disbanding as a limited edition on vinyl in September 2000 with permission and guidelines for free online distribution by fans at ^[45]. Only twenty-five copies were disassembled, each of which was numbered and given to friends of the group, including members ^[45].Released under the auspices of Corgan’s Constantinople Records , the album consisted of one double LP and three dozen singles ^[50]. The band originally asked Virgin to provide the album Machina II for free download to all those who bought the first part. When the label refused, Corgan decided to release the material himself ^[51].

December 2, 2000 The Smashing Pumpkins played their farewell concert at The Metro , where their successful career began twelve years ago ^[51].The nearly five-hour show consisted of 35 songs that spanned the band’s entire career, followed by a recording of their first live show Cabaret Metro 10-5-88 ^[51]. Single Untitled , which coincided with the farewell show, was commercially successful ^[51].

Outside

The Smashing Pumpkins (2001 – 2004)

In 2001, the compilation Rotten Apples was released. The limited edition two-disc version of the album included a compilation titled Judas O .At the same time, a DVD titled The Greatest Hits Video Collection was also released, which included all the promo videos from Gish to Machina along with unreleased material ^[52]. In 2002, the album Vieuphoria was released on DVD as a soundtrack to Earphoria , released exclusively for radio stations in 1994.

Billy Corgan and Jimmy Chamberlin reunited in 2001 as members of Corgan’s supergroup Zwan .The band’s only album, Mary Star of the Sea , was released in 2003. After canceling several shows, Corgan announced the band’s disbandment in 2003. Also in 2001, Corgan toured with the band New Order and was featured on their album Get Ready . In October 2004, Corgan released his first book, a collection of poems Blinking with Fists ^[53]. In June 2005, he released the solo album TheFutureEmbrace , which Corgan described as “a picking up the strings of work in progress Smashing Pumpkins ” ^[53].The album received mixed reviews from critics and had meager sales of 90,086 [53] . Only one single was released in support of the album – Walking Shade .

In addition to being in the band Zwan , Jimmy Chamberlin formed an alternative rock / jazz fusion group called Jimmy Chamberlin Complex . In 2005, the band released an album titled Life Begins Again . As a guest, Corgan took part in the recording of the track Lokicat .James Iha, following the disbandment of Smashing Pumpkins , became guitarist for A Perfect Circle , appearing on the Thirteenth Step tour and on the eMOTIVe album in 2004. James has also been involved in other projects such as Team Sleep led by Chino Moreno and Vanessa and the O’s . He continues to work for his own label as well as Scratchie Records . D’arcy Rezki, other than a 2009 interview, has not made any public statements or performances since leaving Smashing Pumpkins in 1999.On January 25, 2000, she was arrested after allegedly acquiring three bags of cocaine, but after a successful drug education program ordered by the court, the charges were dropped ^[54].

During this time period, Corgan claimed that he would not reanimate the group Smashing Pumpkins , however, when Zwan broke up, he stated, “I think my heart was in Smashing Pumpkins … It would be naive to think with my side that I could find what would mean so much to me. ”^[55].In 2005, Corgan stated, “I never wanted to leave the Smashing Pumpkins . This was never part of the plans. ”^[56]. On February 17, 2004, Corgan posted a post on his personal blog, calling Rezki a “dastardly drug addict” and blaming James Iha for the breakup of Smashing Pumpkins ^[57]. On June 3, 2004, Corgan added that “the depth of my pain (from James) matches the depth of my gratitude” ^[58]. In 2005, James Iha responded to Corgan’s claims, stating, “No, I did not disband the group.The only person who could do this is Billy. ”^[59].

Reunion and Album

Zeitgeist (2005 – 2008)

At the end of 2006, Corgan announced the recording of a new album. From the previous line-up, only Chamberlain participates in the recording of the album, the names of the other musicians were not disclosed. On February 7, 2007 at 7:07 minutes, he publishes the name and release date of the new album on the band’s blog – the sixth studio album Zeitgeist (German: Zeitgeist) will be released on July 10, 2007 (a different date was announced earlier – 07.07.07, but due to the fact that albums are usually released on Tuesdays, it had to be changed). Later, the band announced 8 European festival shows leading up to the album’s release, from May 28 to June 17, 2007.

The single Tarantula went online in June 2007, and fans calmed down a bit – Smashing Pumpkins sounds like the good old Smashing Pumpkins. And their track Doomsday Clock sounds on the official soundtrack of the Transformers movie (film)

Albums

Teargarden and Oceania (2009 – present)

On March 20, 2009, it was announced on the band’s official website that Jimmy Chamberlain had left the band, and Billy Corgan was going to start working in the studio on a new album.[1]

On June 19, 2012 the new album The Smashing Pumpkins Oceania was released via EMI Label Services. ^[60]

Style, influence and heritage

Videos