Who was Billy Corgan's father? Facts about William Corgan Sr. and his influence on the singer

Billy Corgan's father, William Corgan Sr., was a blues-rock guitarist and the greatest influence on his musical career. The father-son duo had a contentious relationship during his childhood, but he later became his biggest fan. While commemorating him after he died in 2021, Billy said:

I had a very long, crazy, complicated relationship with my father... On the bright side of it all, he inspired me to be the musician that I am.

Key takeaways

• William Corgan Sr. travelled a lot as a professional blues-rock guitarist, and Billy wanted to follow in his footsteps.
• Billy has claimed his dad was abusive when he was a child and was a harsh critic of his early music, but later became a supporter and frequent collaborator.
• William Sr. reportedly had several kids out of wedlock when he was a travelling musician, which has led to speculation that Billy Corgan and Bill Burr might be related.

Billy Corgan Sr.'s profile summary

What did Billy Corgan's dad do?

William Sr. was a talented jazz and blues-rock guitarist from Chicago. In the 1960s, he was in a band called The Puppets. He regularly performed alongside his son, Billy and The Smashing Pumpkins from the late 1990s.

His music career exposed Billy to the industry at an early age. When Billy formed The Smashing Pumpkins in 1988 alongside guitarist James Iha and bassist D'arcy Wretzky, they held their first recording sessions at William Sr.'s house.  

Billy went on to have a more successful career than his father. During his March 2025 appearance on the Joe Rogan Experience podcast, Corgan said surpassing his dad's success made their situation weird.

Truly great musician. He's the classic guy that should have made it and didn't. So, when I made it, it made the whole thing really weird. He looked at me and said 'How did my schlubby kid make it, and I didn't?'

Did Billy Corgan's dad have multiple families?

William Corgan Sr. had numerous relationships. He was married to Billy Corgan's mother, Martha Louise, in the late 1960s. They welcomed two children, including the Smashing Pumpkins frontman and his younger brother.

Billy Corgan's parents divorced in 1970 when he was about three years old. His dad remarried a flight attendant and settled in Glendale Heights, Chicago. They welcomed a son called Jesse before splitting when Billy was nine years old. The singer and his brothers went to live with his stepmother.

Corgan's dad reportedly had several kids whom he never met. During his March 2025 appearance on the Joe Rogan Experience podcast, he said that his stepmother told him William Sr. had around 12 other kids. When Bill asked his dad, he promised to reveal their identities before he died.

He once told me he had been with a thousand women, so 12 out of a thousand is normal odds... He promised that he would write down the names of the illegitimate children on a piece of paper so I could find them after he died... He's dead, and there is no paper.

Are Bill Burr and Billy Corgan actually related?

Billy Corgan and Bill Burr have a striking resemblance but have no confirmed blood relation. Speculations started when The Smashing Pumpkins frontman shared on the Howie Mendel Does Stuff podcast in November 2024 that his stepmom once said that the comedian might be one of his dad's illegitimate kids from his days as a travelling musician. 

Burr responded to the claim during a January 2025 appearance on the same podcast when Mendel surprised him by bringing Corgan on as a guest. The stand-up comedian playfully said, "he had two kids this close together and gave them the same name?" Corgan quipped,

The fact that [Burr] said he can't sing, I think, disproves that we're related, 'cause I'm not funny. So, it goes both ways.

Billy Corgan's complex relationship with William Corgan Sr.

Corgan and his dad, William Sr., did not always have a warm relationship. The Smashing Pumpkins' frontman has shared that he was an abusive father when he was young.

Billy started playing the guitar to impress his dad, who became a tough critic of the early his music. In a January 2024 episode of the Reinvented with Jen Eckhart podcast, he said that William Sr. once told him that what he went through as a child was good because it "made him a better rock star."

The father-son duo had a better relationship when Billy found success in music. In the 2000 Full Circle special, Corgan said his father was his hero, adding:

I wanted to be like my father... I think anybody can understand that to make your father proud and to have your father be one of your admirers is like one of the greatest things in life.

William Corgan Sr.'s death

Billy Corgan's dad passed away on December 17, 2021, at the age of 74. He reportedly suffered a heart attack at his home in Illinois after battling health issues for several years.

William Sr.'s death came about 25 years after the death of Billy's mother, Martha Louise, who passed away on December 10, 1996, at the age of 49 from cancer. The Smashing Pumpkins' 1998 song 'For Martha' from the album Adore was released in her honour.

What does Billy Corgan say about being a dad?

Billy Corgan has three children with his wife, Chloe Mendel, whom he married in September 2023 after over a decade of dating. Their kids are son Augustus Juppiter and daughters Philomena Clementine and Juno Delphine.

The Smashing Pumpkins' lead singer has mentioned that being a dad helped him reconnect with his own childhood. In a November 2022 interview with The Guardian, Billy, who is actively involved in his kids' lives, said he does not want them "growing up with a has-been father."

Final word

Billy Corgan's father, William Corgan Sr., played a crucial role in his journey to becoming one of alternative rock's most distinctive voices. While his fame eclipsed his father's, Billy still considers him the greatest guitarist and will carry on his legacy through music despite their complex history.

READ MORE: Meet Wendy Rossmeyer and Tim Van Patten, Grace Van Patten's parents

Briefly.co.za highlighted facts about Grace Van Patten's relationship with her parents. Her mother, Wendy Rossmeyer, is a former model with ties to a biker family, while her dad, Tim Van Patten, is an Emmy-winning filmmaker.

Wendy and Tim have been married since the 1990s. They welcomed three daughters, including actresses Grace and Anna Van Patten.

Source: Briefly News