Billy Corgan and Bill Burr address “Half Brother” rumors

Billy Corgan and Bill Burr were in their most recent appearance in the US television series ” Howie Mandel does stuff.

The Smashing Pumpkins frontman and the comedian were thrilled by a surprise meeting organized by Mandel, where the two discussed their uncanny resemblance and suggested they might share a father.

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The saga began back in November when Corgan appeared on the podcast and, in a mixup, Mandel’s production team showed a photo of Burr during his segment. This prompted Corgan to share a bizarre anecdote about his stepmother, who had once suspected that Burr might be one of his father’s illegitimate children.

“About ten years ago one of my brothers had 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 recalled at the time. “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.”

He continued, “She said, ‘Well, he’s this comedian.’ And I think I even kind of pulled up a picture on the phone and I immediately noticed, “Man, he kind of looks like my dad.” Bill Burr looks more like my dad than Bill Burr looks like me or I look like Bill Burr. So I said to my mother, ‘Why are you asking me that?'”

“She says, ‘I think it might be one of your father’s illegitimate children.’ “Bill Burr could be one of the children your father fathered during his time as a traveling musician,” he said.

Fast forward to January, when Mandel arranged a surprise reunion between Corgan and Burr, bringing them together for the first time. Burr greeted the rocker with a casual “What’s going on?” before turning to Mandel with mock annoyance and quipping, “You’re an a–.” The conversation quickly turned into comedic gold as the two discussed their alleged familial relationship connection gossiped.

“Have you ever thought that maybe you shouldn’t do it because I never told that story?” Burr joked with Corgan. “It’s not that I don’t like (Corgan), it reminds me of all that…”

Corgan chimed in, dismissing the idea that their similarity could mean they were related. “The fact that he said he couldn’t sing, I think, belies our relationship because I’m not funny,” he noted. “So… it goes both ways.” At one point, Mandel even suggested that Burr join the Smashing Pumpkins as drummer.

Burr then asked Mandel, “What was going to happen?” Shall we go play catch? We’re both in our fifties.”

While the attempted family reunion may not have been successful, Corgan’s career with the Smashing Pumpkins continues to thrive, with the band’s legacy cemented by hits like “1979,” which peaked at No. 12 on the Billboard Hot 100, and “Bullet with Butterfly Wings.” “, which reached number 22. Your double album Mellon Collie and the infinite sadness debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 and earned critical acclaim and commercial success as one of the defining records of the 1990s. The album has since received Diamond certification and sold over 10 million copies worldwide.

In 2024, The Smashing Pumpkins released their 13th studio album, Aghori Mhori Meiwhich saw a return to their early 90s sound with original members Billy Corgan, Jimmy Chamberlin and James Iha.

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