#2283 - Billy Corgan

Joe Rogan (0:01)

Joe Rogan Podcast, check it out.

Billy Corgan (0:03)

The Joe Rogan Experience.

Joe Rogan (0:06)

Trained by day, Joe Rogan Podcast by night, all day.

Joe Rogan (0:13)

What's happening, man? Good to see you.

Billy Corgan (0:14)

Thank you for having me back.

Joe Rogan (0:15)

My pleasure. How many times a day do you get bombarded by the whole Bill Burr thing?

Billy Corgan (0:21)

When it gets into the family, and people I haven't talked to for 20 years.

Joe Rogan (0:27)

Then do you have to break character and tell the truth?

Billy Corgan (0:30)

No. The thing is, this is what's crazy. Okay. You want the whole setup story? I could be quick about it. Sure. So where I take my podcast is in one of Howie Mandel's buildings, and he has another building in this area. So I was working on something, and I was supposed to go on Howie's show that day. They said, Howie will meet you out in the street or something for whatever reason. So I go out in the street, and the first thing Howie says to me when he sees me, he goes, Here comes Bill Burr. And I go, You too? Like do you know this story? And he said, No, I don't know about it. And I said, You know what? Heck with it. I'm just going to tell it on your show. So don't ask me anymore. And I went on the show, and I told this story about how 10 years ago, my stepmother came to me and said, Do you know who Bill Burr is? I never heard of Bill. I didn't know who he was because I don't really consume much popular culture. I had no idea he was a famous comedian. He could have been the lawnmower guy. Looked up Bill, first thing I saw was like, Oh my God, he looks just like daddy. When I was 18 years old, at my 18th birthday, my father told me, You have a half brother that I sired at the same time as you, whose name is Bill. So suddenly these facts come together, my mother telling me these stories. I talked to my dad subsequently about it and he was very cagey about it. And when I said, Why won't you tell me where this person is or who this person is? He said, I'm trying to protect you.

So when my stepmother had told me, it kind of made sense, like, well, if my half brother is the super famous comedian, my dad in a way wouldn't want me to know because he wouldn't want me to feel like I was number two because Bill is so famous. I know it sounds crazy, right?

Joe Rogan (2:08)

You think that's why he's trying to protect you?

Billy Corgan (2:10)

Well, I don't know. So fast forward to how he's saying something on the street. So I was like, You know what? I'm just going to say something. And I swear to God, hand in my heart, last time I was with you in California, I almost pulled you aside after we were on. And I was going to tell you the story because I knew you knew Bill. And I was going to back channel, see if there was anything to the story from Bill's side. Wow. So imagine seven, I think six or seven years since we talked on your show.

Joe Rogan (2:33)

Yeah, I don't even know.

Billy Corgan (2:34)

2018, somebody said to me today. But so anyway, it's hard to talk about. But the point is, is so here I am fast forward. I'm just sick of seeing memes of my face with Bill's. And so I just decide on a spur of the moment, you know? So Howie, of course, loves it. But I said on Howie's show that first time, I don't think Bill's my half brother. I don't think there's anything there other than an uncanny resemblance.

Fast forward, the thing comes out. It gets a little bit of social media and then it goes away. And I think, good. And Bill didn't say anything, so I figured Bill was kind of like whatever. It was a mild amusement. He could have made a joke out of the whole thing and he didn't. So then Howie calls me and I'm in LA working recently. And Howie's like, we've come on the show, Bill's gonna be on. And I said, is Bill cool with it? Oh yeah, no problem. So then I go there and it's like, it turns into this thing that you see happening on camera. It's like, it's weirdness times. It's like a skit, but it's real. And Bill's on me, then Bill's on Howie and it gets just, okay. So I just told you basically everything I know, okay. I have people I've known for 20, 30 years coming up to me going, what do you think? And I said, I don't think we're related. I mean, yeah, there's a resemblance, but I don't think we're related. Well, did you get a DNA test? And I'm like, no, I don't, there's nothing to get a DNA test for. Well, I think he's your brother. So people that know me and I'm telling him, I don't think he's my brother. Now they want a DNA test to prove it. That's how much it's taken out of life.