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Aside from their ages, their success in the entertainment industry, and their hairstyles (or lack thereof), there was a time when it looked like Billy Corgan and Bill Burr didn’t have much in common.
After all, one is a rock icon best known for his brooding anthems of adolescent angst, and the other a standup comedian who brilliantly gives voice to the complaints of middle age.
But now, the internet is abuzz with the rumor that Bill and Billy are brothers. And the rumor was started by none other than Corgan himself.
Billy Corgan Blindsides Bill Burr
During a recent interview on Howie Mandel’s podcast, Burr was caught off guard by an unexpected appearance from Corgan.
And the Smashing Pumpkins frontman doubled down on the element of surprise with some shocking speculation:
Corgan revealed that his own mother believes he and Burr might be half-brothers.
“Do you know who Bill Burr is? Bill Burr might be one of the children that your father sired in his days being a traveling musician,” Corgan recalled his mother saying (via Entertainment Weekly).
It’s not the kind of moment that one typically encounters on a comedy podcast, and Burr, understandably, was less than thrilled.
The Blowback
The second that Corgan appeared, Burr called Mandel an “a–hole.” It was then that Corgan also turned on the host.
“He told me you were cool with me coming,” Corgan said.
“That’s what he does,” said an irritated Burr.
“What was supposed to happen? Are we going to go play catch? We’re both in our 50s,” Burr added.
“This is some Dr. Phil s— you got going on,” Corgan joked.
“I think we’re kind of on the same page in thinking you’re kind of a d— right now,” Burr said to Mandel.
Burr’s Last Word
Earlier this week, Burr sat down for a wide-ranging discussion with sports journalist Rich Eisen.
The two discussed everything from the allegations that the NFL is rigged to the stunt that Mandel pulled.
“Howie did what he did because he is a Hollywood whore and he doesn’t care what happens. He could’ve said something and he just brings up all that weirdness,” Burr told Eisen.
“Billy’s fine. That’s the first time I ever met him and it was fine or whatever, but I did not appreciate what Howie did. Not at all.”
Asked if he was still angry at Mandel, Burr gave his final comic some grace.
“He’s Howie, so he’s sorta hard to hate,” Burr admitted.
“How do you hate a germaphobe? He’s like, not threatening. He just walks with his arms in so he doesn’t rub against curtains that he owns… He’s a strange man.”
That might wind up being Burr’s final word on the matter. We’re fine with that, but we also wouldn’t object to a special episode of Maury where both Bills take DNA tests.
Bill Burr & Billy Corgan: Are They Really Brothers? (And What’s Howie Mandel … was originally published on The Hollywood Gossip.