Smashing Pumpkins frontman Billy Corgan has praised the contributions of estranged bass player D’arcy Wretzky – saying her work "had a lot to do with the success of the band."
Wretzky left the Pumpkins in 1999 and has rarely spoken in public since, other than to aim insults at Corgan. As recently as 2018, when a rumoured reunion of the classic lineup fell apart, she described Corgan as "insufferable."
She also said she thought he may have "a brain tumour," to which Corgan later replied: "Yeah, that would fall under one of the 400 libellous and defamatory things she said that has no bearing in reality."
Despite the back-and-forth sniping, Corgan has now heaped praise on the bassist.
In a video on his Substack, he says: "I don’t often speak on D’arcy’s contribution, because obviously what went down a few years ago didn’t leave either one of us in the best light.
"But, I’ve said it before, and I have no problem saying it again. D’arcy had a way of kind of letting it be known – stuff that she thought was moving the band forward, or moving the band laterally, or moving the band backwards.
"And probably, of the four of us, her opinion about those types of things carried more weight.
"So her contribution, kind of spiritually, emotionally, I think had a lot to do with the success of the band. So again, I would never take that away from her, because I really did respect her musical opinion.
"We managed to disagree about everything else, but in music, when we would align, it was powerful. And I think that’s what makes a great band, when the four contributing factors of a band can come together."
Corgan goes on to say that the original lineup created some real mnagic when they were together, which will spark fans' hopes that he may still be open to welcoming Wretzky back into the fold.
Since she left in 1999, bass duties in the Smashing Pumpkins have been held down by a long line of musicians including Melissa Auf Der Maur, Ginger Reyes, Mark Tulin, Nicole Fiorentino, Mark Stoermer, Sierra Swan and Jack Bates.
