D’arcy Wretzky is an American singer known as the former bassist of the alternative rock band Smashing Pumpkins, which was founded in 1988 in Chicago, Illinois by Billy Corgan, the lead singer. Other members of the band included James Iha and Jimmy Chamberlin.
After being in the band for a decade, Wretzky left in 1999 with the intention of pursuing an acting career. What happened after that; was she able to fulfill her acting dreams? Scroll down to find out more.
D’arcy Wretzky Biography
Wretzky was born on May 1, 1968, in South Haven, Michigan, as D’arcy Elizabeth Wretzky by Vikki Anderson and Jerry Wretzky. Her father was a pipe maker, while her mother was a lounge singer who had a great influence on Wretzky and her sister by encouraging them to play music.
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As a result, little Wretzky loved music and developed an interest in it. It was only natural that she started to learn to play the guitar early in life. Besides the guitar, she also played the violin and oboe and performed in choirs. At the age of ten, she had already decided to pursue a musical career, although she had severe stage fright as a child. However, her passion for music was stronger. It did not take long before she learned to deal with her fears and to overcome them.
D’arcy is a graduate of L.C. Mohr High School in South Haven. During high school, she developed an interest in post-punk and even played in cover bands.
When she finished high school, she moved to France to join a band that she found had broken up upon arrival. D’Arcy returned to the US – to Chicago, to be exact, and spent an entire summer attending concerts while squatting with friends; during this time she learned to play bass. Wretzky encourages learning to play the bass guitar without being taught.
After a concert at a local rock club, she heard Billy Corgan criticizing the band that performed, an argument ensued, followed by a discussion, and before the day was out, Wretzky got herself a job with the Smashing Pumpkins, making her a recognized bass player in the band group.
She left the band in 1999 to pursue an acting career. During her time with the group, the Smashing Pumpkins recorded five studio albums, including Siamese Dream, Gish, Adore, Mellon Collie and the Infinite, and Machina/The Machines of God. After she left the band, she was arrested for cocaine possession. At that time Corgan revealed that she hadn’t actually left the band, but was fired for being a drug addict and refusing to be helped.
After leaving Smashing Pumpkins, D’arcy became the second vocalist with the Catherine band for their album Hot Saki and Bedtime Stories. She also appeared in the video for Four Leaf Clover and worked on the songs of several artists before she disappeared into thin air for many years.
After many years outside of Limelight, D’arcy Wretzky reappeared in 2009 when she unexpectedly appeared with Ryan Manno on Q101 FM in Chicago. During the short interview, she stated that she was physically not ready to become a musician. She also said that she was living on a farm in Michigan at the time, but that she lived briefly in Austin, Texas during her off-peak time.
In February 2011, she was sent to jail for six days for missing four court dates related to a ticket she had received for lack of control over her horses. Later that same month, she was also arrested in South Haven, Michigan, on a drunken-driving charge.
D’arcy Wretzky Net Worth
D’arcy Wretzky is said to have an estimated net worth of $7 million, derived from her music career and income from her private business and income. She reportedly owns three antique stores in Michigan.
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Family Life
When she talked about her childhood and her relationship with her family members, D’Arcy said that she grew up as a tomboy and had a very contentious relationship with her sister. She described her father as a strange man.
She was married to Kerry Brown from 1993 to 1999. During her interview in Chicago’s Q101 FM, she also mentioned that her former fiancé Wendell Green had died.
In an interview with Loudwire in 2016, filter lead singer Richard Patrick revealed that he had a romantic relationship with Wretzky and that his song Miss Blue was about her.
Other Important Facts About D’arcy Wretzky
D’arcy Wretzky was recently in the news for not being invited to the Smashing Pumpkins meeting. When she granted her first interview in almost two decades in February 2018, she was very bitter and critical of Corgan and his past. She described Corgan as a self-centered man who did not have her interests at heart either during her time at the Pumpkins or after she left the group.
She also addressed Corgan’s allegations that after her expulsion from the band in 1999, he reached out to her and invited her to reunite the band, which she declined. Wretzky replied that she had only heard about the Pumpkins’ alleged reunion in 2005 on the news.