Billy Corgan and Bill Burr Address ‘Half-Brother’ Rumors

Billy Corgan and Bill Burr found themselves at the center of an unexpected family mystery during their recent appearance on Howie Mandel Does Stuff.

The Smashing Pumpkins frontman and the comedian were sprung with a surprise meeting organised by Mandel, during which the pair discussed their uncanny resemblance, along with the suggestion they might share a father.

The saga began back in November when Corgan appeared on the podcast and a mix-up by Mandel’s production team displayed a photo of Burr during his segment. This prompted Corgan to share a bizarre anecdote involving his stepmother, who had once suggested Burr might be one of his father’s illegitimate children.

“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 recalled at the time. “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.”

He continued, “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 traveling musician,’” he said.

Fast-forward to January, when Mandel orchestrated a surprise reunion between Corgan and Burr, bringing them together for the first time. Burr greeted the rocker with a casual “What’s up?” before turning to Mandel with mock irritation, quipping, “You’re an a——.” The conversation quickly turned into comedic gold as the two riffed on their supposed familial connection.

“Did you ever think the fact that I never told that story, that maybe you shouldn’t?” Burr joked to Corgan. “It’s not that I don’t like [Corgan], it reminds me of all of that s—.”

Corgan joined in, dismissing the idea that their resemblance could mean they’re related. “The fact that he said he can’t sing, I think, disproves that we’re related, ’cause I’m not funny,” he remarked. “So… it goes both ways.” At one point, Mandel even suggested that Burr should join the Smashing Pumpkins as a drummer.

Burr then asked Mandel, “What was supposed to happen? Are we gonna 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 No. 22. Their double album Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200, earning critical acclaim and commercial success as one of the defining records of the 1990s.The album has since achieved Diamond certification, selling over 10 million copies worldwide.

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