In an exclusive for WrestlingNews.co, Steve Fall interviewed the lead singer of The Smashing Pumpkins and NWA owner Billy Corgan. Corgan will be putting on an event called “HP Cares for Cooper” on July 8 in Highland Park, IL. The event will benefit an 8-year-old boy named Cooper Roberts, who was shot during the devastating mass shooting at the Fourth of July parade at Highland Park last year. Seven people were killed and Cooper has been going through intense physical rehab and multiple surgeries. Admission to the show is free but if you make a minimum donation of $75 then you will get VIP seats in the first or second rows. The charity event is scheduled for July 8 and the NWA will hold a TV taping there on July 9. Visit NWATix.com for more information.
Billy Corgan on helping Highland Park after the shooting:
“I was here for the shooting last year, but I wasn’t actually at the parade. I was about a mile away. The aftermath of the shooting, which you can imagine in a community as small and vibrant as Highland Park was immense from people coming to the vigils to the speculation about what had happened to conversations of course about the law and what had happened with this young person who was a member of our community that opened fire and I think shot 57 people in under a minute.”
“Cooper was the youngest victim and miraculously survived but is, I believe, paralyzed from the waist down, but it’s a miracle he’s survived. So last year, I did a concert in my tea house, Madame Zuzu’s in Highland Park, which was closed down by the FBI because it was literally part of the overall crime scene. We raised about $300,000 with a charity concert. We had a lot of big donors step up to the plate and people watched the concert online and donated. So that was incredible, but that was into a general fund.”
“Now a year later, we’re into more of the specifics of cake, who still needs help and support. So the Roberts family in particular, you know, is one that comes to mind, and we had some third-party communication to the mother whose name is Keely Roberts. We didn’t want to bother them directly because obviously, they were going through a very intense time, but we did communicate through other people to let them know that we were there to be supportive. That promise has come true a year later now. We’re trying to raise some money for Cooper and I think it’ll be a longer relationship. I don’t think this is a one-and-done thing.”
“We’re starting with the NWA doing a free event, which sounds counter-intuitive to a charity, but this is the type of community where we have a lot of people here who don’t have a lot of money and we have a lot of people here who have a lot of money, and so we want to create an event where everybody feels welcome to support the Roberts family and then we’re encouraging donations. Like last year, we have donors already stepping up to the plate and adding money just to be part of the event. So I think that shows you that sort of the right mind for it to be an inclusive event for everyone.”
Click below for the entire interview where Corgan clarifies the quote he gave about Tyrus that went viral, Hulk Hogan showing support to the NWA, Mark Zuckerberg vs. Elon Musk, and more.
This interview is exclusive to WrestlingNews.co. If you use these quotes, please include a link back to this page.
