Billy Corgan Reflects on Family Before Meeting Wife Chloe: "One in a Gazillion"

Billy Corgan, the lead vocalist of The Smashing Pumpkins, shares personal insights about family. He always desired a family, but he first needed to find his wife, Chloe Mendel.

At 57, Corgan spoke with PEOPLE about his journey toward becoming a family man. He had dreamed of raising children for years but faced a cycle of difficult relationships. "I wanted kids pretty much since my late 20s, but I kept being in one bad relationship after another. When I met my wife, I’d pretty much given up on the idea. Not that I didn’t want children, but I thought, ‘I’m not made for this,’" he explains.

Corgan married Chloe, 32, in September 2023 after 11 years of dating. They're now parents to son Augustus, 9, and daughter Philomena, 6, with a third child on the way. He emphasizes Chloe's extraordinary qualities, stating, "She’s a one in a gazillion. She’s just an unbelievable person. Me and the children, we all recognize that everything runs off mom for sure."

While he describes family life as sometimes "chaotic," Corgan focuses on spending quality time together. "Our thing is just to try to be together as much as we can," he remarks, referencing a spontaneous visit from Chloe while he was on tour. "I can’t tell you how many times I’m away, but then she calls me and says, ‘We’re flying in tomorrow to see you.’ And she’ll just show up for like, two days."

Living in Illinois, the family also runs a local tea shop named Madame Zuzu’s. They prioritize adaptability in their routines. "We kind of make it up as we go along," he shares. "Somehow it works, but we don’t really have an overriding expectation that things need to be a certain way."

Corgan even humorously mentions the possibility of having Chloe on his new podcast, "The Magnificent Others." He knows she wouldn’t hold back with challenging questions. "She said she’s really going to put me on the spot in a way that made me uncomfortable. Not to embarrass me, but to show people the person that she knows," he explains.

So far, his podcast has hosted notable guests, including Tom Morello and Sharon Osbourne. Corgan offers insights in meaningful conversations, wanting authenticity rather than just clickbait. "I really don’t talk to my guests any different than I would talk to them if they were sitting at the kitchen table," he adds. "I want that feeling."

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