Billy Corgan Claims He and Potential Half-Brother Bill Berr “Discovered Something Greater Than We Expected”

New Connections with Bill Berr

Billy Corgan shared that he and Bill Berr, hinting at a potential familial bond, felt they had “stumbled upon something greater than ourselves.”

• Read more: Billy Corgan on his new podcast “Magnificent Others”: “I would like to celebrate people in culture that are incorrectly understood”
  

Memorable Encounters and Reflections

The revelation that linked Breaking Pumpkin frontman to comedian/actor Bill Berr first surfaced last year when Corgan guest-starred on Howie Mandel’s Howie Mandel Makes Things podcast. He reminisced about how his stepmother once mentioned, “Do you know who Bill Berr is? He could be one of your father’s children from his days as a traveling musician.”

Things heated up when Mandel surprised Berr during his podcast appearance by inviting Corgan onto the show. During their encounter, Berr jokingly asked, “What’s supposed to happen? Are we going to fall into a trap? We’re both over 50.”

In another conversation, The Mandalorian actor expressed his dissatisfaction with the unexpected “reunion” orchestrated by Mandel. “I didn’t appreciate what Howie did. Not at all,” he said, further questioning Mandel’s intentions.

A Surreal Experience

Reflecting on their connection, Billy Corgan noted that the initial comments appeared to lead to something beyond what he anticipated. “It was quite surreal. First of all, I had never met Bill Berr. Secondly, he really resembles my father, personally,” he recounted while discussing their meeting on the Mandel show in a new interview with GQ.

“It was surreal to shake hands with someone to whom you feel such a physical resemblance. Amid all these questions, one ends up in a situation where cameras are rolling,” he explained. “It was a rather awkward exchange: ‘Okay, what do we do with this information?’ Bill’s mind was racing, and he looked annoyed… it was a fascinating dynamic.”

Corgan added, “He was very kind throughout this. He essentially left the door open for us to meet again, acknowledging that he welcomed me into his world. You could sense that this realization led us to discover something deeper than ourselves.”

In other news, Billy Corgan recently spoke with NME about his new podcast and his impending role in what is billed as the final Black Sabbath show.

“Black Sabbath has always been my favorite band. I loved them growing up. I collaborated with Tony (Iommi) on a solo album and had numerous encounters with Ozzy. Being part of this experience is truly magical,” he expressed about the upcoming show. “There’s a profound love for Ozzy, and it all comes together for this extraordinary night. This is what rock ‘n’ roll is meant to be.”

He also touched on his participation, stating that he would be performing alongside Tom Morello and Adam Jones. “See, Adam, Tom, and I all came from similar backgrounds. Tom had this concept he calls the ‘Boys from Illinois’—the idea that guys from Illinois should come together and jam; it’s a fantastic notion. I’ve known Tom for approximately 30 years, so this is pretty cool.”