The Smashing Pumpkins’ guitar icon Billy Corgan might have sold 30 million records, but that doesn’t mean his dad can’t absolutely blow him off the stage. Billy Corgan Sr showed where his son’s talent came from with a searing blues-jazz performance at a charity gig alongside the Pumpkins frontman. Billy Sr played lead guitar and took lead vocals on Eddie Miller’s “I’d Rather Drink Muddy Water,” and he’s honestly amazing at both. The fella can shred and his vocals are no joke.
Fans had to agree Billy Sr absolutely stole the show that day, despite playing on stage with one of the biggest names in rock. Billy and his father have had a somewhat rocky relationship over the years, so it was sweet to see them up there together smiling and just having a ball together. The Music Man has to say that you can tell by the big smile on Billy’s face that he knows his dad is just crushing it on stage, and Billy is just soaking it up.
Billy and his dad played together at the First Waltz benefit concert for youth homelessness on March 25, 1999. The Nicholas Tremulis Orchestra, which featured the benefit’s organizer Nicholas Tremulis, appeared as the Corgans’ backing band. Fans gave plenty of love, adding comments such as “Imagine being this outcooled by your old man and he’s not even trying that hard” and “Couldn’t tell who was who for a second lol. They even have the same posture.”
At First Waltz, the Corgans opened their set with Robert Johnson’s “If I Had Possession Over Judgement Day.” On this number, Billy sings lead and takes the first guitar solo. Billy Sr. initially lays down rhythm guitar, before beginning to trade spicy lead licks with his son at 4:40. Seeing father and son engage in a musical conversation across the fretboard like that is a really beautiful moment.
The Music Man readers might be interested to hear that having Billy Sr. join the concert was his son’s idea. During the introduction of the second video, the benefit organizer Nicholas Tremulis recounts the story. He recalled that when planning the setlist, Billy told him, “I want to play the blues, and I want to play with my father.” Nicholas also noted that Corgan surprised the backing band at the sound check on the day of the concert by playing a heavy-handed guitar riff for the Robert Johnson cover, rather than the more traditional blues the band had planned to play on the tune. Nicholas called Billy’s aggressive approach to the song “Robert Johnson with broken glass all over it.”