The Magnificent Others with Billy Corgan

Billy Corgan welcomes legendary manager Freddy DeMann, the architect behind Michael Jackson and Madonna’s rise to global dominance. He breaks down the exact moment he knew Michael was different, the fight to pair him with Quincy Jones, and how one bold call turned “Shake Your Body” into a global smash. He reveals how MTV was forced to finally play newly transcendent artists, what it took to push past la...

Billy Corgan welcomes guitar virtuoso Jeff "Skunk" Baxter for a journey through music history starting with the guitar he didn't even want. Baxter shares incredible stories from his early days in Mexico City, from writing fan letters to his heroes The Ventures to eventually producing their records. He reflects on playing alongside Jimi Hendrix and what made the legends truly magnetic: joy, not just skill. Along the way, he...

Billy Corgan sits down with Disturbed frontman David Draiman for an unfiltered conversation about music, identity, and what happens when an artist steps into the political firestorm. What starts as a reflection on a surreal Black Sabbath/Ozzy tribute quickly turns into something deeper. Draiman shares how the October 7 attacks reshaped his worldview, why he felt compelled to go public, and the personal toll it’s taken, fro...

Billy Corgan sits down with icons Billy Idol and Steve Stevens for a conversation about how a genre gets built from scratch—and what it really takes to make something last. Idol and Stevens trace their origin story from a chance meeting in New York to a 40+ year creative partnership that fused punk, dance, and rock before anyone thought it could work. Corgan pushes deeper into the creative decisions behind it all—rejecting...

In this long-awaited conversation, Billy Corgan sits down with Courtney Love. Courtney reflects on her fractured childhood, counterculture upbringing, and complicated family history—growing up around drugs, instability, and radical independence. From juvenile hall to early psychedelics, she traces the shift from feeling like a victim to becoming a force. Together, they take direct aim at the myths: the ...

Billy Corgan sits down with Jesse Rutherford for a candid look at fame, creative identity, and the unexpected journey from child actor to frontman of his ground-shifting band, The Neighbourhood. Jesse reflects on being ‘discovered’ at just five years old, growing up in Hollywood, and the moment everything clicked—picking up drums to a Nirvana track. The conversation dives into how the industry has shifted—from the raw ind...

Billy Corgan sits down with Oscar-nominated documentary filmmaker Leslie Iwerks, granddaughter of Disney animation pioneer Ub Iwerks, for a fascinating conversation about family legacy, creative ambition, and the stories history almost forgot.

Leslie traces her journey from USC film school to becoming one of Hollywood’s most respected documentarians, with credits including The Pixar Story, Industrial Light & Magic, and...

In this deeply personal conversation, Billy Corgan and Melissa Auf der Maur reunite after 25 years to unpack the full story: how a $1 Tuesday night show sparked one of rock's most unlikely friendships, how Billy secretly recommended Melissa to Courtney Love, and why she almost said no — twice. The two dive into the early days of the Smashing Pumpkins, the chaos of underground rock clubs, Courtney's Hollywood pivot that gu...

Rockabilly legend Slim Jim Phantom sits down with Billy Corgan for a fascinating look into the birth of the Stray Cats and the unlikely road from Long Island bars to global rock stardom. Phantom traces his musical roots from studying under jazz drummer Mousey Alexander to discovering the raw power of Elvis Presley, Gene Vincent, and Eddie Cochran. What followed was pure rock-and-roll mythology: three young musicians chasin...

On this provocative episode, Billy Corgan sits down with returning guest Conrad Flynn to explore the uneasy intersection of fame, power, the occult, and modern celebrity culture. Their conversation moves beyond headlines into the architecture of influence, the blurred lines between entertainment and politics, and the deeper question of who actually shapes the cultural narrative. They debate whether the surge of occult symb...

In this deeply personal conversation with Billy Corgan, Jack Osbourne reflects on growing up in the spotlight, getting sober at 17, and carving out his own path beyond the shadow of rock royalty. He revisits the reality TV phenomenon that reshaped pop culture and the pressures of teenage fame, shares intimate stories about his parents’ relationship, the gentleness and laughter behind the chaos, and what it was like watchin...

In this candid conversation with Billy Corgan, legendary Heart co-founder Nancy Wilson reflects on a nomadic childhood shaped by military life, seeing The Beatles on Ed Sullivan, and falling in love with the guitar. She revisits the Vancouver club grind, the rare alchemy of sibling harmony, and earning credibility in a male-dominated rock world. Nancy also looks back on the 80s era of big hair, outside songwriters, and cre...

Join Billy Corgan for an intimate, funny, and surprisingly revealing conversation with legendary designer Gilles Mendel—founder of J. Mendel and House of Gilles, and yes, Billy’s father-in-law. Gilles traces his journey from postwar Paris and a fifth-generation fashion legacy to haute couture, dressing icons like Sarah Jessica Parker, Michelle Obama, and Taylor Swift—while pulling back the curtain on fashion’s punishing, n...

There are artists who make the art—and then there are artists who are the art. On this episode of The Magnificent Others, Billy Corgan sits down with Kommunity FK frontman and goth pioneer Patrik Mata. In this rare, unguarded conversation, Patrik talks about his early fascination with Dadaism, surrealism, and David Bowie, arriving in Los Angeles in 1975 with fifty dollars and no plan, enduring hostile crowds, and turning d...

REO Speedwagon frontman Kevin Cronin joins Billy Corgan for an intimate conversation about Midwest rock, a shared Catholic upbringing, and five decades inside one of America’s defining bands. Cronin shares the real story behind writing “Keep On Loving You,” his getting fired in the early days—and later rehired—by REO, and the creative partnership with guitarist Gary Richrath that led to the diamond-selling Hi Infidelity. F...

Billy Corgan sits down with Penn Jillette for a sprawling, razor-sharp conversation that moves from magic to morality. What begins as a discussion about deception quickly becomes something deeper: why consent turns lying into art, and why Penn proudly calls himself an “honest liar.” Penn traces his path from a strict Christian upbringing to agnosticism and atheism, shaped by mentors like James Randi, a teenage crisis of fa...

Stephen Pearcy, founder and frontman of Ratt, joins Billy Corgan for a conversation that swings from the near-fatal accident that first pushed him toward music to the creative vision that shaped Ratt’s distinctive sound alongside guitarist Robbin Crosby. They trace Pearcy’s all-out hustle through the LA club circuit, following Van Halen’s blueprint while drawing from unexpected influences like David Bowie, Blue Öyster Cult...

In this wide-ranging conversation, Billy Corgan sits down with writer and cultural commentator Conrad Flynn for a deep dive into the shadowy intersections of rock music, occult influences, and Hollywood's secret history. Conrad, grandson of legendary actor Robert Conrad and press agent Harry Flynn, shares unique insider perspectives on Old Hollywood's hidden dynamics—from Mercury Records' satanic marketing gimmicks with th...

Billy Corgan talks with filmmaker Dan Farah about The Age of Disclosure and the explosive claims from 34 military and intelligence insiders who say UAP activity—including over Area 51—is real and long concealed. They dig into the alleged 80-year cover-up, a hidden Legacy Program tied to crash retrievals and reverse engineering, the rebranding from UFO to UAP, and why disclosure is happening now—touching on nuclear sites, g...