D'arcy Wretzky
Encyclopedia
D'arcy Elizabeth Wretzky (born May 1, 1968 in South Haven
, Michigan
) is an American musician. She is best known for her work as the original bass player
of the alternative rock
band The Smashing Pumpkins
. During her tenure with the band, Wretzky played almost exclusively a Fender Jazz Bass
.
and oboe
, and performed in choirs. She also performed gymnastics
. She would later refer to her father, a pipefitter with a love of horseback riding, as "a very strange man." The young Wretzky was a self-described "tomboy
", and had a contentious relationship with her sister. She attended South Haven's L.C. Mohr High School, where she grew interested in post-punk
and played in cover bands. After high school, she moved to France
to join a band, but the band had already disbanded upon her arrival, prompting her to return to the United States. She then moved to Chicago
and spent the summer living with friends and attending concerts.
criticizing the band that had performed. An argument and discussion followed, and Corgan recruited her into his band, the nascent Smashing Pumpkins, which, at the time, was merely Corgan, James Iha
, and a drum machine
. Wretzky accepted, and Jimmy Chamberlin
completed the lineup a few months later, after Joe Shanahan encouraged Corgan to add a live drummer.
Wretzky is the credited bassist on the Smashing Pumpkins' first five studio albums: Gish
, Siamese Dream
, Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness
, Adore, and Machina/The Machines of God
. It was confirmed by both her and Corgan, however, that Corgan played the bass tracks for Siamese Dream because he could complete them in far fewer takes. Wretzky often contributed backing vocals in concert, and on studio albums. She contributes vocally in some Smashing Pumpkins songs including "Daydream" from Gish, many songs on Siamese Dream, "1979
", "Cupid De Locke", "Farewell and Goodnight", "Beautiful"; "Where Boys Fear To Tread" from Mellon Collie, and "Dreaming
" and "The Bells" from The Aeroplane Flies High
. Wretzky also co-wrote one Smashing Pumpkins song, "Daughter".
Wretzky's time in the band was marked by alternating periods of happiness and discomfort. Corgan considered her the "moral authority" and "moral conscience" of the band. In the aftermath of the success of 1995's Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness
, Corgan said she began an "apparent slow descent into insanity and/or drugs (take your pick)." In 1999, Wretzky left the band to pursue an acting career. Shortly after leaving the group, she was arrested for possession of crack cocaine
. Corgan later said she was "fired for being a mean spirited drug addict who refused to get help." She was replaced on 2000's Machina tour by former Hole
bassist Melissa Auf der Maur
.
as a second vocalist for their final album Hot Saki and Bedtime Stories
. She also appeared in the video for Four Leaf Clover. At the time, Wretzky was married to Catherine member Kerry Brown
.
Wretzky contributed vocals to the track "One and Two" on James Iha's 1998 solo album, Let It Come Down.
In 1999, she contributed vocals on two Filter
songs, "Cancer" and "Take A Picture". During this time, she worked with cellist Eric Remschneider
, whom she had worked with when he had recorded with the Smashing Pumpkins.
filed a lawsuit against Virgin Records
for selling ringtones of Smashing Pumpkins songs without their consent.
After many years out of the spotlight, Wretzky resurfaced in July 2009 by calling in unexpectedly on Chicago's Q101 FM with Ryan Manno. During the interview, she stated that she wasn't "healthy" enough to be a musician, and repeatedly professed her admiration for Monkees frontman Davy Jones
, as well as discussed the Silversun Pickups
and Marilyn Manson
's family. In addition, she also mentioned that she now lives on a farm in Michigan, had briefly lived in Austin, Texas
sometime during the previous decade, and that former fiancé Wendell Green had died.
Several other articles on the internet have stated that Wretzky owns three antique stores.
Wretzky was jailed in February 2011 for missing four court dates related to a ticket she received for failing to control her horses. She spent six days in jail. She was also arrested on February 7, 2011, on a misdemeanor drunken-driving charge.
South Haven, Michigan
South Haven is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan. Most of the city is in Van Buren County, although a small portion extends into Allegan County. The population was 5,021 at the 2000 census....
, Michigan
Michigan
Michigan is a U.S. state located in the Great Lakes Region of the United States of America. The name Michigan is the French form of the Ojibwa word mishigamaa, meaning "large water" or "large lake"....
) is an American musician. She is best known for her work as the original bass player
Bassist
A bass player, or bassist is a musician who plays a bass instrument such as a double bass, bass guitar, keyboard bass or a low brass instrument such as a tuba or sousaphone. Different musical genres tend to be associated with one or more of these instruments...
of the alternative rock
Alternative rock
Alternative rock is a genre of rock music and a term used to describe a diverse musical movement that emerged from the independent music underground of the 1980s and became widely popular by the 1990s...
band The Smashing Pumpkins
The Smashing Pumpkins
The Smashing Pumpkins are an American alternative rock band that formed in Chicago, Illinois in 1988. Formed by Billy Corgan frontman and James Iha , the band has included Jimmy Chamberlin , D'arcy Wretzky , and currently includes Jeff Schroeder Mike Byrne , and Nicole Fiorentino The Smashing...
. During her tenure with the band, Wretzky played almost exclusively a Fender Jazz Bass
Fender Jazz Bass
The Jazz Bass was the second model of electric bass created by Leo Fender. The bass is distinct from the Precision Bass in that its tone is brighter and richer in the midrange and treble with less emphasis on the fundamental harmonic...
.
Early life
Wretzky was born and raised in Michigan, where her mother, a musician working as a lounge singer, encouraged D'arcy and her sisters to perform music. Growing up, she played the violinViolin
The violin is a string instrument, usually with four strings tuned in perfect fifths. It is the smallest, highest-pitched member of the violin family of string instruments, which includes the viola and cello....
and oboe
Oboe
The oboe is a double reed musical instrument of the woodwind family. In English, prior to 1770, the instrument was called "hautbois" , "hoboy", or "French hoboy". The spelling "oboe" was adopted into English ca...
, and performed in choirs. She also performed gymnastics
Gymnastics
Gymnastics is a sport involving performance of exercises requiring physical strength, flexibility, agility, coordination, and balance. Internationally, all of the gymnastic sports are governed by the Fédération Internationale de Gymnastique with each country having its own national governing body...
. She would later refer to her father, a pipefitter with a love of horseback riding, as "a very strange man." The young Wretzky was a self-described "tomboy
Tomboy
A tomboy is a girl who exhibits characteristics or behaviors considered typical of the gender role of a boy, including the wearing of typically masculine-oriented clothes and engaging in games and activities that are often physical in nature, and which are considered in many cultures to be the...
", and had a contentious relationship with her sister. She attended South Haven's L.C. Mohr High School, where she grew interested in post-punk
Post-punk
Post-punk is a rock music movement with its roots in the late 1970s, following on the heels of the initial punk rock explosion of the mid-1970s. The genre retains its roots in the punk movement but is more introverted, complex and experimental...
and played in cover bands. After high school, she moved to France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
to join a band, but the band had already disbanded upon her arrival, prompting her to return to the United States. She then moved to Chicago
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
and spent the summer living with friends and attending concerts.
The Smashing Pumpkins
After a concert at a local rock club, Wretzky overheard Billy CorganBilly Corgan
William Patrick "Billy" Corgan, Jr. is an American singer, songwriter, guitarist and occasional poet best known as the frontman and sole permanent member of The Smashing Pumpkins. Formed by Corgan and guitarist James Iha in Chicago, Illinois in 1987, the band quickly gained steam with the...
criticizing the band that had performed. An argument and discussion followed, and Corgan recruited her into his band, the nascent Smashing Pumpkins, which, at the time, was merely Corgan, James Iha
James Iha
James Yoshinobu Iha b. March 26, 1968 in Chicago, Illinois) is a Japanese American rock musician. He is best known as having been a guitarist and co-founder of the alternative rock band The Smashing Pumpkins and for his eclectic musical projects of recent years, most notably being a permanent...
, and a drum machine
Drum machine
A drum machine is an electronic musical instrument designed to imitate the sound of drums or other percussion instruments. They are used in a variety of musical genres, not just purely electronic music...
. Wretzky accepted, and Jimmy Chamberlin
Jimmy Chamberlin
Jimmy Chamberlin is an American drummer, songwriter, and producer. He is best known as the former drummer for the alternative rock band The Smashing Pumpkins. After a drug-related incident with touring keyboardist Jonathan Melvoin in 1996, Chamberlin was fired from the band and joined The Last...
completed the lineup a few months later, after Joe Shanahan encouraged Corgan to add a live drummer.
Wretzky is the credited bassist on the Smashing Pumpkins' first five studio albums: Gish
Gish
Gish is the debut album by American alternative rock band The Smashing Pumpkins, released in May 1991 through Caroline Records. Frontman Billy Corgan described Gish as a "very spiritual album"...
, Siamese Dream
Siamese Dream
Siamese Dream is the second album by the American alternative rock band The Smashing Pumpkins, released on July 27, 1993 on Virgin Records. The album fused diverse influences such as shoegazing, dream pop, grunge, classic rock, heavy metal, and progressive rock.Despite recording sessions fraught...
, Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness
Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness
Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness is the third album by American alternative rock band The Smashing Pumpkins, released October 24, 1995 on Virgin Records. Produced by frontman Billy Corgan with Flood and Alan Moulder, the twenty-eight-track album was released as a two-disc CD and triple LP...
, Adore, and Machina/The Machines of God
MACHINA/The Machines of God
Machina/The Machines of God is the fifth album by American alternative rock band The Smashing Pumpkins, released on February 29, 2000 by Virgin Records. A concept album, it marked the return of drummer Jimmy Chamberlin and was intended to be the band's final official LP release prior to their first...
. It was confirmed by both her and Corgan, however, that Corgan played the bass tracks for Siamese Dream because he could complete them in far fewer takes. Wretzky often contributed backing vocals in concert, and on studio albums. She contributes vocally in some Smashing Pumpkins songs including "Daydream" from Gish, many songs on Siamese Dream, "1979
1979 (song)
"1979" is a song by American alternative rock band The Smashing Pumpkins. Released in 1996 as the second single from their third studio album, Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness, "1979" was written by frontman Billy Corgan, and features loops and samples that were uncharacteristic of previous...
", "Cupid De Locke", "Farewell and Goodnight", "Beautiful"; "Where Boys Fear To Tread" from Mellon Collie, and "Dreaming
Dreaming (Blondie song)
"Dreaming" is a song by the American punk/new wave band Blondie. Released in 1979, it was the lead single from their fourth album Eat to the Beat...
" and "The Bells" from The Aeroplane Flies High
The Aeroplane Flies High
The Aeroplane Flies High is a five-disc box set released by American alternative rock band The Smashing Pumpkins in 1996. It contains expanded versions of the five singles from their album Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness and also included a 44-page booklet with pictures and writings by the...
. Wretzky also co-wrote one Smashing Pumpkins song, "Daughter".
Wretzky's time in the band was marked by alternating periods of happiness and discomfort. Corgan considered her the "moral authority" and "moral conscience" of the band. In the aftermath of the success of 1995's Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness
Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness
Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness is the third album by American alternative rock band The Smashing Pumpkins, released October 24, 1995 on Virgin Records. Produced by frontman Billy Corgan with Flood and Alan Moulder, the twenty-eight-track album was released as a two-disc CD and triple LP...
, Corgan said she began an "apparent slow descent into insanity and/or drugs (take your pick)." In 1999, Wretzky left the band to pursue an acting career. Shortly after leaving the group, she was arrested for possession of crack cocaine
Crack cocaine
Crack cocaine is the freebase form of cocaine that can be smoked. It may also be termed rock, hard, iron, cavvy, base, or just crack; it is the most addictive form of cocaine. Crack rocks offer a short but intense high to smokers...
. Corgan later said she was "fired for being a mean spirited drug addict who refused to get help." She was replaced on 2000's Machina tour by former Hole
Hole (band)
Hole is an American alternative rock band that originally formed in Los Angeles in 1989. The band is fronted by vocalist/songwriter and rhythm guitarist Courtney Love, who co-founded Hole with former songwriter/lead guitarist Eric Erlandson...
bassist Melissa Auf der Maur
Melissa Auf der Maur
Melissa Auf der Maur is a Canadian rock musician from Montreal, Quebec, Canada. Her career has included 5 years as bassist with the band Hole and she later toured with The Smashing Pumpkins for their 2000 tour. Her second solo album, Out of Our Minds, was released on March 30, 2010. She is also a...
.
Other musical work
Wretzky joined the band CatherineCatherine (alternative rock band)
Catherine was an alternative rock band from Chicago, Illinois that was active from 1985 to 1998. They were signed to TVT Records.-Early years:...
as a second vocalist for their final album Hot Saki and Bedtime Stories
Hot Saki and Bedtime Stories
Hot Saki & Bedtime Stories is the fourth and final studio album by American alternative rock band Catherine. It was released in 1996. D'arcy Wretzky, drummer Kerry Brown's wife at the time, contributed vocals on this record....
. She also appeared in the video for Four Leaf Clover. At the time, Wretzky was married to Catherine member Kerry Brown
Kerry Brown (musician)
Kerry Brown is a record producer, movie soundtrack producer and a musician. He was the drummer in Chicago alternative rock band Catherine in the 1990s. He was married to D'arcy Wretzky of The Smashing Pumpkins at that time, and is now married to Stacey Sher...
.
Wretzky contributed vocals to the track "One and Two" on James Iha's 1998 solo album, Let It Come Down.
In 1999, she contributed vocals on two Filter
Filter (band)
Filter is a rock group formed in 1993 in Cleveland by singer Richard Patrick and guitarist/programmer Brian Liesegang. Filter has released five studio albums, the most recent being The Trouble with Angels, which was released on August 17, 2010....
songs, "Cancer" and "Take A Picture". During this time, she worked with cellist Eric Remschneider
Eric Remschneider
Eric Remschneider is a cellist. He is perhaps best known for contributing to The Smashing Pumpkins' 1993 release, Siamese Dream, and appearing in the subsequent tour and "Disarm" music video. Eric also plays cello on the song, "The Bells" which appears on The Aeroplane Flies High box set...
, whom she had worked with when he had recorded with the Smashing Pumpkins.
Post-Smashing Pumpkins
Wretzky did not participate in the Smashing Pumpkins' reunion. In 2008, she and her former bandmate James IhaJames Iha
James Yoshinobu Iha b. March 26, 1968 in Chicago, Illinois) is a Japanese American rock musician. He is best known as having been a guitarist and co-founder of the alternative rock band The Smashing Pumpkins and for his eclectic musical projects of recent years, most notably being a permanent...
filed a lawsuit against Virgin Records
Virgin Records
Virgin Records is a British record label founded by English entrepreneur Richard Branson, Simon Draper, and Nik Powell in 1972. The company grew to be a worldwide music phenomenon, with platinum performers such as Roy Orbison, Devo, Genesis, Keith Richards, Janet Jackson, Culture Club, Lenny...
for selling ringtones of Smashing Pumpkins songs without their consent.
After many years out of the spotlight, Wretzky resurfaced in July 2009 by calling in unexpectedly on Chicago's Q101 FM with Ryan Manno. During the interview, she stated that she wasn't "healthy" enough to be a musician, and repeatedly professed her admiration for Monkees frontman Davy Jones
Davy Jones (actor)
David Thomas "Davy" Jones is an English rock singer-songwriter and actor best known as a member of the Monkees.-Early life:...
, as well as discussed the Silversun Pickups
Silversun Pickups
Silversun Pickups is an alternative rock band from Los Angeles, California, formed in 2002. The band comprises Brian Aubert, Nikki Monninger, Christopher Guanlao, and Joe Lester....
and Marilyn Manson
Marilyn Manson
Marilyn Manson may refer to:* Marilyn Manson , an American rock musician* Marilyn Manson , the American rock band led by the singer of the same name...
's family. In addition, she also mentioned that she now lives on a farm in Michigan, had briefly lived in Austin, Texas
Austin, Texas
Austin is the capital city of the U.S. state of :Texas and the seat of Travis County. Located in Central Texas on the eastern edge of the American Southwest, it is the fourth-largest city in Texas and the 14th most populous city in the United States. It was the third-fastest-growing large city in...
sometime during the previous decade, and that former fiancé Wendell Green had died.
Several other articles on the internet have stated that Wretzky owns three antique stores.
Wretzky was jailed in February 2011 for missing four court dates related to a ticket she received for failing to control her horses. She spent six days in jail. She was also arrested on February 7, 2011, on a misdemeanor drunken-driving charge.