Jimmy Chamberlin

James Joseph Chamberlin (born June 10, 1964) is an American drummer and record producer.

Described as "one of the most powerful drummers in rock," he is best known as the drummer for the alternative rock band the Smashing Pumpkins.

During the recording of 1993's Siamese Dream in Marietta, Georgia, Chamberlin often disappeared for days at a time into the drug underworld of Atlanta, while the rest of the band feared for his life.

He later said of his drug addiction that "It's pretty textbook [...] Guy makes it in rock band, gets very full of himself, starts thinking he's indestructible, and all of a sudden he destroys himself."

In 1994, Chamberlin revealed that he had been estranged from his father for seven years.

After three years with the show band JP and the Cats, Chamberlin, wearied by the touring schedule, quit and got a job building custom homes with his brother-in-law.

Before long, he joined the Smashing Pumpkins.

The Smashing Pumpkins were looking for a live drummer to open a show at the Metro, a Chicago club.

Chamberlin and Billy Corgan met through a mutual friend, and Chamberlin expressed cautious interest, later recalling:

"So I went out and saw the band – Billy, James, and D'arcy – playing at Avalon with a drum machine. Man, did they sound horrible! They were atrocious. But the thing I noticed was that not only were the song structures good, but Billy's voice had a lot of drive to it, like he was dying to succeed. So I ended up driving from work every Wednesday to rehearse with them."

Corgan had his own concerns:

He was wearing a pink t-shirt, stonewashed jeans, he had a mullet haircut, and he was driving a 280Z, and had yellow drums.

We were sort of looking each other in the eye thinking, 'This ain't gonna happen, this is not the guy.' [But] he'd learned all our songs, as only Jimmy can, off the top of his head, and, within one practice, we were ready to play.

It was amazing.

We just knew right away.

He's that good.

Chamberlin made "tons of cash" as a carpenter, before giving up the job to move to Chicago and devote himself to the band.

Chamberlin's entry quickly pushed the band toward a more powerful, intense sound.

During this period Chamberlin struggled with substance abuse.

In the midst of the lengthy world tour supporting 1995's multi-platinum Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness, Chamberlin's father died, and his substance abuse hit a fever pitch.

Of this period, Chamberlin later said, "I learned that escapism was better than emotion, and that's where I hid... It got to the point that I really didn't care. Life was scary for me."

Prior to shows scheduled July 12, 1996 at Madison Square Garden in New York City, Chamberlin and touring keyboardist Jonathan Melvoin overdosed on heroin; Melvoin subsequently died, and Chamberlin was kicked out of the band, ostensibly to protect his health.

Corgan later told MTV News that Chamberlin had already overdosed on two different occasions during the Mellon Collie tour prior to the July 1996 event, but that the band had managed to keep those situations private.

In October 1998, Corgan convened a band meeting in which Chamberlin was reinstated as the group's drummer, and the band decided to break up after one more album and tour.

Following the 2000 breakup of the band, Chamberlin joined Pumpkins frontman Billy Corgan in the supergroup Zwan and also formed his own group, the Jimmy Chamberlin Complex, of which he is still currently active.

The band yielded two albums in 2000, Machina/The Machines of God and the freely distributed Machina II/The Friends & Enemies of Modern Music, before performing a farewell show in Chicago on December 2, 2000.

Chamberlin went on to form Zwan in 2001 with Corgan.

In late 2005, Chamberlin joined Corgan in reforming Smashing Pumpkins; he eventually left the group in March 2009, though he returned again in 2015 for a summer tour, and has officially performed with the band since then.

Following guitarist Jeff Schroeder's departure in October 2023, Chamberlin is the band's second-longest serving member.

In 2008, Gigwise named Chamberlin the 5th best drummer of all time.

He also performed in the group Skysaw until 2012 and joined Chicago jazz saxophonist Frank Catalano for a string of 2013–15 performances in the Chicago area.

An EP by Catalano and Chamberlin Love Supreme Collective was released on July 29, 2014.

Chamberlin, who originally trained as a jazz drummer, cites jazz musicians Benny Goodman, Duke Ellington, Gene Krupa, and Buddy Rich, as well as rock drummers Keith Moon, Ian Paice, and John Bonham as major influences on his technique, and primarily strives for emotionally communicative playing.

In 2016, Rolling Stone ranked Jimmy Chamberlin 53 on their list of "100 Greatest Drummers Of All Time".

Chamberlin was born in Joliet, Illinois, one of six children, and is of English and Hungarian ancestry.

His father and his older brother Paul Were both active in jazz bands, playing clarinet and drums respectively, and his brother Paul is still an active rock drummer, with a local cover band, Chasing Amy.

Chamberlin began drumming at age 9.

His early instruction included Latin, Brazilian, and big band techniques, but focused on jazz, under the tutelage of future Yanni drummer, Charlie Adams.

Chamberlin left home at age 15 and joined a series of local bands.

Although his early music career proved profitable, Chamberlin's father pressured him into going to college.