The Magnificent Others with Billy Corgan

The Magnificent Others with Billy Corgan

Welcome to The Magnificent Others, the podcast where host Billy Corgan engages in profound conversations with extraordinary individuals who have reached the pinnacle of success in their respective fields. In each episode, Billy delves into the stories and insights of high achievers, exploring the multifaceted journey that leads to greatness.

Episodes

October 29, 2025 67 mins
In this emotional continuation, Rudy Sarzo opens up to BillyCorgan about the heartbreaking moment he lost his bandmate and friend Randy Rhoads in a tragic plane crash, and why Ozzy had to keep moving to survive. They revisit the origins of Metal Health, Quiet Riot’s groundbreaking album that became the first debut heavy metal record to hit #1, tracing its roots to Rhoads’ influence, Slade covers, and LA’s Sunset Strip and how succe...
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Billy Corgan sits down with legendary bassist Rudy Sarzo for Part 1 of a sweeping, emotional journey from Havana to Hollywood, escaping Castro’s Cuba, discovering the Beatles, and finding identity through rock. Sarzo recounts his path from Miami and New Jersey club bands to Chicago glam dreams and, finally, Los Angeles, where Quiet Riot, Randy Rhoads, and a fateful call from Sharon and Ozzy Osbourne led to a whirlwind “Crazy Train”...
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Billy Corgan sits down with screen icon Malcolm McDowell for a masterclass on craft and legacy—from Lindsay Anderson’s “If” to becoming Stanley Kubrick’s Alex in “A Clockwork Orange”. McDowell shares the real casting story, Kubrick’s process, why “2001” still stuns, and how a single “trance” look became an era-defining image. They dig into Shakespeare and Olivier lore, Eric Burdon, the redemption of “Caligula”, the charm of “Time A...
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Billy Corgan sits down with guitar virtuoso John 5 for a charged conversation about music, mastery, and survival. John opens up about his private KISS museum, the TV-music desert that shaped his Telecaster tone, and a grind honed through Rudy Sarzo, Bob Marlette, Rob Halford, and David Lee Roth. He gets raw about grief, discipline, and the ritual of running full Mötley Crüe sets at dawn—how stepping into that legendary band pushed ...
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Billy Corgan sits down with Yungblud (Dom Harrison) at a pivotal career moment to unpack one of the rarest moves in music: crossing over from pop to rock and making it stick. From storming America’s legendary stages like the Fillmore and Palladium to earning Ozzy & Sharon Osbourne’s blessing in Birmingham, Yungblud reflects on why authenticity can’t be faked, why community matters more than clout, and how rock is finding new life w...
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Billy Corgan continues his deep dive with Daryl Hall in Part 2, where Daryl opens up about his hitmaking philosophy (“don’t think about it”), the unexpected re-release of She’s Gone, and sharing the stage with icons like David Bowie and Stevie Wonder. He reflects on the creation of Rich Girl, the pressures from Tommy Mottola and Atlantic Records, and the turning point that led Hall & Oates into their legendary 80s run. The conversa...
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Billy Corgan joins Daryl Hall at home for Part 1 of an expansive conversation on the craft of collaboration, the roots that shaped him, and the long road to “Sara Smile.” Daryl retraces his path from doo-wop street corners and Philly R&B to early sessions with Gamble & Huff and Thom Bell, the Atlantic years with the legendary Ahmet Ertegun and Arif Mardin, a left-turn album with Todd Rundgren, and the creative pivot that set the st...
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Recorded live at Madame Zuzu’s Tea Shop and Art Studio in Chicago, Billy Corgan trades stories with DEVO for a lively in-person taping: the ’78 SNL shocker, how de-evolution sprang from art-school mischief, Kent State, and ’60s politics; Neil Young and Human Highway; legendary manager Elliot Roberts; Eno/Bowie studio friction; MTV, “Whip It,” and the corporate machine; General Boy stories; plus AI—the most DEVO tool yet—and why the...
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Billy Corgan sits down with John Cowsill (The Cowsills) for a deep-cut tour through ’60s pop history, from kitchen-table harmonies and four-set club nights as grade-schoolers to drumming as a nine-year-old on Ed Sullivan. He shares what really happened in the studio on “The Rain, the Park & Other Things” and “Hair,” and the family dynamics that fueled and fractured a once-in-a-generation vocal blend. They also trace John’s path fro...
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Chicago meets Chicago as Billy Corgan sits down with Marilu Henner to unpack her highly superior autobiographical memory (H.S.A.M.) that can turn a Tuesday from 1972 into a living scene and why her story is bigger than a party trick. From her Logan Square roots (beauty shop in the kitchen, dance school in the backyard), the champions who changed her path, Taxi’s 112 episodes, 112 Friday parties, open-door table reads, and Andy Kauf...
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In what may be one of his final interviews, soul legend Sam Moore (of Sam & Dave) sits down with Billy Corgan for a candid, career-spanning conversation—covering church-born vocals, the Stax vs. Motown divide, and why real bands beat backing tracks. He revisits the accidental origins of Sam & Dave, the studio alchemy with Isaac Hayes and David Porter, and sessions behind “Hold On, I’m Comin’” and the iconic “Play it, Steve!” on “So...
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Billy Corgan sits down with Steve Vai for a wild ride through arenas, rehearsal rooms, and beehives. They swap stories about outlandish ’80s stage antics, the “gunslinger” spirit of guitar duels, and how obsession, not discipline, fuels mastery. Vai breaks down his early passion for composing, his years with Frank Zappa, the hire wire act of replacing Yngwie Malmsteen and following Eddie Van Halen, plus how to survive the smoky Zen...
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In this episode Billy Corgan sits down with musical visionary Danny Elfman. Together they trace his journey from the underground theatrics of the Mystic Knights to fronting Oingo Boingo, and on to scoring over 100 iconic films including Batman, Beetlejuice, and The Nightmare Before Christmas. Danny opens up about his unconventional path into composing, the challenges of being underestimated in both rock and classical circles, worki...
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In this conversation, I sit down with Elliot Mintz, the man who became John Lennon and Yoko Ono’s closest confidant during their most radical and reclusive years. Elliot shares how a single radio interview turned into hundreds of late-night calls, secret meetings in Ojai, and a front-row seat to Lennon’s life after the Beatles. We talk about government surveillance, artistic risk, and the quiet cost of fame. Elliot reflects on John...
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In this episode of TMO, Billy Corgan sits down with songwriting legend Paul Williams for a free‑wheeling conversation that spans astrology, Williams’ nomadic childhood and early hormone therapy, his breakthrough at A&M Records, and the creation of “We’ve Only Just Begun”, sessions with the Wrecking Crew, trading quips with Johnny Carson on The Tonight Show, Williams’ roles in Battle for the Planet of the Apes and Brian De Palma’s c...
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Billy Corgan welcomes Grammy‑winner Rick Springfield for an unfiltered tour through five decades of reinvention: the bubble‑gum‑pink days in the Aussie psych outfit Zoot to Rick’s audacious spin on “Eleanor Rigby,” the labyrinth of visa nightmares and fine‑print contracts that nearly derailed him, his detour into acting that stretched from The Six Million Dollar Man cameos to his star‑making turn as Dr. Noah Drake on General Hospit...
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Billy Corgan welcomes Micky Dolenz for a conversation that peels back the curtain on a lifetime in show business. Dolenz explains why he always kept “Micky the TV drummer” separate from the real man, explains how the Monkees were a cast before they were a band, surviving the show’s cancelation and watching the Monkees phenomenon roar back when MTV picked up the reruns. Along the way he revisits his Circus Boy childhood, Boyce & Har...
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Billy Corgan sits down with Joe Mantegna to trace his journey from singing Beatles tunes in his Chicago high-school band The Weasels, playing clubs with acts like Neil Diamond and Chicago, to dodging mob-run venues, goth “Judas” cult fans, and finally finding his groove in theatrical productions of West Side Story, Hair and Godspell. He recalls tiny residual checks, eight-shows-a-week stamina, and how that grind led to a Tony Award...
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Billy Corgan sits down with Bush frontman Gavin Rossdale about Rossdale’s transition from a quiet London childhood and Kings Road punk scene to forging Bush’s blues-free, down-tuned sound. They trace the Pixies’ and Steve Albini’s influence on the breakout album Sixteen Stone, the grunge-era label hurdles, and the craft of matching raw lyrics with arena-sized guitars. Rossdale also reflects on Bush’s upcoming album “I Beat Loneline...
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In Part 2 of this candid conversation, Paul Stanley reflects on 50 years of KISS. Together they dig into the legacy, the criticism, the creativity, and the brotherhood behind the band. From the idea of a KISS biopic and their unmasked Vegas shows to Paul's Soul Station, songwriting, and his admiration for icons like Robert Plant and Steve Marriott. Watch The Magnificent Others on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@BillyCorganTMO ...
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