Melissa Auf der Maur | The Magnificent Others with Billy Corgan
3/11/20261 hr 31 min
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 gutted the band, the rise of grunge, and how a single moment of pure rock-and-roll intensity changed both of their lives.
Learn more about your ad choices. Vi...
Clips
Transcript preview
First 90 secondsMelissa Auf der Maur· Guest0:00
The bass is the instrument that is unnoticed, but no one can live without As I was playing, a beer bottle smashed against my guitar. Yes.
Billy Corgan· Host0:09
So even though I'm in the crowd choking Bruce to the ground- Mm-hmm [laughs] ... like, like this- The best ... I got back on stage, picked up a guitar, and finished the song.
Melissa Auf der Maur· Guest0:18
Yes, that is when- I- ... you captured my heart. I remember. [laughs] [laughs] You said, "Wow, one day maybe you'll play in my band."
Billy Corgan· Host0:27
Okay, here we go. We're gonna get to the tough- [laughs] I've been waiting 25 years to ask you these questions.
Melissa Auf der Maur· Guest0:35
[laughs] Yeah.
Billy Corgan· Host0:36
And, uh, here's your new book. I have lots of, um- Oh, my goodness ... deeply penetrating, um- Mm-hmm ... uh, questions and, uh, and, uh, concern- Your spirit is squeezed- ... concerns ...
Melissa Auf der Maur· Guest0:48
into those pages ...
Billy Corgan· Host0:49
concerns.
Melissa Auf der Maur· Guest0:50
It's the origin story of me and you.
Billy Corgan· Host0:51
It is the o- Like- All right. So let's, uh, let's, an origin story.
Melissa Auf der Maur· Guest0:54
Okay.
Billy Corgan· Host0:55
So we'll start with Nick and Linda.
Melissa Auf der Maur· Guest0:56
Oh, yes. Thank you.
Billy Corgan· Host0:58
Take, take me to Nick and Linda.
Melissa Auf der Maur· Guest0:59
My parents, um, I love that you remember that, yeah, they, they're... Without, you know, I always say that you and Courtney were my grunge parents- [laughs] ... and that my parents, I live in omnipresent shadows of my cool Montreal parents, both music journalists, culture journalists, activists. Like, everything good '70s, '60s counterculture raised me with the idea that the golden thread to purpose in life is just to know what you, Melissa, loves, needs to do.