Smashing Pumpkins frontman Billy Corgan has been through a rough childhood until he responded to his calling of becoming a musician. He was and still is appreciated by so many people around the world, and his success paid off, making him one of the prominent names in the rock world. However, there was one person, his father, who didn’t see him as the rest of the world did.
Billy Corgan’s childhood passed with some sad moments, like his parents’ divorce, the abuse that came later on by his stepmother, and unaffectionate actions from his hero, his father. William Corgan Sr. was Billy Corgan’s father, and he was also a musician, but he didn’t make much of a career out of it. He was arrested three times in different decades and didn’t lead a wealthy life. While growing up, Billy was affected by his father’s actions emotionally.
In a recent interview, Billy spoke about how William reacted to his son’s success, and it wasn’t like he expected at all. Despite having high hopes of getting his father’s approval after a successful album, he faced a reaction where his father doubted his career. The singer stated that William thought he only got lucky and was in disbelief at how Billy was capable of making such music.
He said:
“He got really jealous. I was shocked because, in my mind, I watched too many Disney movies, but I thought he would pat me on the head and say, ‘Good job, kid, I’m so proud of you.’ It was the exact opposite. He acted like I played some weird magic trick and I got lucky. He was using words like ‘lucky’ and ‘save your money because you’re gonna need it,’ and ‘snug a knuckle in the last’ it was all this doomed talk. He put that vibe on me.
It was the album ‘Siamese Dream’; he listened to the album and called me afterward and said, ‘I don’t know who this person is singing this album. I wanna know, is that you in there?’ He gave me this weird talk like, ‘Is that who you really are?’ And I was like, ‘Yes, it’s me, I’ve been here the whole time, hello, it’s your son Billy, hello!’ He acted like I was a total stranger, and he tried to tell me weird shit like, ‘You were so quiet as a kid,’ and I said, ‘No because every time I opened my mouth, you told me to shut the f*ck up.‘”
This would have been a good time for William to state how proud he is of his son. However, that didn’t happen, and discouraging words were spoken by him. Today, we are thankful that Billy Corgan did not listen to him and shape himself around these comments. William Corgan Sr. passed away last year, and the father and son had a good relationship in the late years of William’s life.
