Expert: Jason Musgrove - 3/7/2003

Question
Hi, how did the Smashing Pumpkins get their name?
Also, where were they all from?  I heard that one of them graduated from Morton High School in Morton IL, but I went there and I sort of think I would have known that!

Thanks,
Alicia

Answer
Hi Alicia,

Billy finally let the fans in on his reason for naming the band The Smashing Pumpkins at a radio show during The Sacred and Profane tour in '98.  Fans of the band were allowed to sit in on the show and ask them questions.  One fan asked Billy how he came up with the name.  Turns out it was quite obvious.  Billy claimed that when he was younger, he had heard a friend say during Halloween that he was going out and would be 'smashing pumpkins'.  Billy just thought that was a good name for a band.  In fact, long before he was ever in a band, he would tell friends that he was in a band called Smashing Pumpkins.  So naturally, once he DID start a band of his own, that was what he named it.  After the band became famous, however, Billy realized that fans were bringing pumpkins to shows and smashing them everywhere.  This lead Billy to add 'The' to the band name so that the word 'Smashing' would be read like the British adjective, as he intended it.  Thats how he came up with the band name.  :)

As far as where the band members are from:

Billy is from the suburbs of Chicago.  He graduated from Glenbard North High School.

James is from Chicago.  He graduated from Elk Grove Village High School.

D'arcy is from North Haven, Michigan.  She never graduated high school.

Jimmy is from Joliet, IL.  He attended Joliet Catholic High School.

Hope this info helps!

Jason