Smashing Pumpkins
An American teenager's dream has come true after he was officially inducted into The Smashing Pumpkins as their new drummer.
Frontman Billy Corgan plucked 19-year-old Mike Byrne from obscurity to play with the band earlier this year after the departure of percussionist Jimmy Chamberlin.
But the Oregon teen was forced to prove his worth before joining the group - he wrote on his MySpace.com page that he'd been brushing up his skills "at Pumpkin camp", while Corgan took to his own blog to reveal plans to "work with him some more before it comes official".
Now Byrne is ecstatic after being officially invited to become a Pumpkin and make his debut with the group on their next album. He says, "I'm super excited to be playing with the band. Dream come true, man... I've always thought that Billy's interpretation of music was a real fresh one."
And Corgan is confident he picked the right man for the job, adding, "I'm excited to work with him moving forward - he truly deserves this opportunity. I believe in my heart he will push me to be a better musician."
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