One of the more unexpected revelations of last year was Billy Corgan's claim that he may have a long-lost half brother in the form of comedian Bill Burr. However, it seems that we can now put that one to bed.
Appearing on Howie Mandel Does Stuff podcast, Burr was brought face to face with the Smashing Pumpkins guitarist and singer for the first time, and finally got to tell his side of the story.
“What was supposed to happen? Are we gonna go play catch? We’re both in our fifties!” exclaims an off-guard Burr, when Corgan crashes the interview, clearly rattled that Mandel had used his show as a vehicle to bring the ‘lost siblings’ together.
O brother, where art thou?
The curious story of Corgan’s ‘lost half brother’ began when Corgan first appeared on Mandel’s podcast back in November 2024. Due to a supposed mix up (but more likely a simple gag), Burr’s picture was used rather than Corgan’s.
However, rather than simply laugh along, the event prompted Corgan to expound his theory that the two look and sound so alike due to them probably being real-life half brothers.
“About 10 years ago, one of my brothers was having a birthday party, and my stepmother was there, who was obviously married to my father. And my stepmother said to me, ‘Do you know who Bill Burr is?,’” Corgan explained. “Now at that point, I had never heard of Bill Burr. I didn’t know who he was. I didn’t know he was a comedian or anything. He could have been the guy down the street.
“She said, ‘Well, he’s this comedian.’ And I think I even somehow called up a picture on the phone, and I kind of noticed right away, ‘Gee, he kind of looks like my father.’ Bill Burr looks more like my father than Bill Burr looks like me or I look like Bill Burr. So I said to my mother, ‘Why are you asking me this?’”
“She goes, ‘I think it might be one of your father’s illegitimate children. Bill Burr might be one of the children that your father sired in his days being a travelling musician,’” he said.
Thus history and mystery were born.
And, ever eager to amp up the 'hits' and stoke the fire, Mandel invited both Burr and surprise guest Corgan back on the show to run through the story one more time.
“I have something that I have planned for you. Bring in the surprise…” teases Mandel, before a bewildered looking Corgan interrupts the in-progress interview with Burr.
“What’s up?” Burr asks Corgan casually, before turning to Mandel and succinctly offering: “You’re an asshole”.
“He told me you were totally cool with me coming,” says Corgan. “That's what he does,” sighs Burr…
“Alright. [eff] it. I’ll do it. Did you ever think the fact that I never told that story, that maybe you shouldn’t?” Burr quizzes Corgan. “The emails and crap that I got. It’s not that I don’t like him,” he tells Mandel. “It just reminds me of all of that s…”
However, after exchanging banter it seems that even Corgan might be having a change of heart. Seemingly reneging on his theory once faced with Burr in the flesh, Corgan, backpedalling, chimes in his agreement. “The fact that he said he can’t sing, I think, disproves that we’re related, ’cause I’m not funny,” he agrees.
Case closed, we reckon. And come to think of it, what kind of father would name both of his sons Bill anyway?
Looks like we can safely write this one off as a bizarre Corgan anecdote gone awry.
But what about Alice Cooper and Steve Carell? Lars Ulrich and Micheal Keaton? Are you trying to tell us they’re not related?
And isn’t it about time someone gave those Will Ferrell and Chad Smith rumours another prod?
