I’ve talked about a lot of the feuds both sharon osbourne and billy corgan have had
but today i want to talk about the feud involving both osborne and corgan.
Stay tuned for the full story.
The Smashing Pumpkins by 1996 would be one of the biggest bands in the world having released
their monumental album melancholy and the infinite sadness.
THe tour was marred by fan deaths in ireland during the tour which was followed by the
overdose death of keyboardist johnathan melvoin and firing of drummer jimmy chamberlin.
I’ve done a whole video on that incident the link is down below.
In 1998 the Pumpkins returned with the electronically influenced album Adore which sold far less
than it’s predecessors.
Corgan took responsibility for the album’s shortfalls saying he shouldn’t have told
people it was a techno record.
THe foflowing year in October of 1999 it was revealed that Billy Corgan and company had
left longtime managers Q Prime who manages after being unhappy with their handling of
their last album Adore according to MTV.
the band would go on a nearly year long search and hired Ozzy’s wife and manger Sharon
Osbourne would be managing the smashing pumpkins.
Sharon Osboune would tell the LA Times “Billy talked to every manager in the industry, I
think, and he liked me best,” “And I can’t blame him.”
“There’s going to be some bruised egos, I’m sure,” t.
“I think [Corgan] wanted someone who would be hands-on, someone who doesn’t have a
whole roster of superstars, somebody who has been around a long time.
. . . Nobody has the history I do.”
She was right Sharon’s father Don Arden established a reputation as one of the most
unorthodox promoters in the music business in Britain and for Sharon she spent much of
her childhood on tour buses and near musical stages telling the Times
“My first memory is being on the road with Sam Cooke, and Gene Vincent taught me how
to swim,” “Jerry Lee Lewis, Chuck Berry, I met all of them.
I never went to school, I grew up on the road and in this business.
It’s the only thing I know.”d.
“Billy is a huge talent, and the band is hugely talented.”
Sharon would begin helping her father with his business at age 15 and her father would
serve as the manager to Black Sabbath during the 70’s dudring which she met her future
husband Ozzy.
Osbourne was pretty busy at the time with a’ new album from the pumpkins due in February
of 2000 and a world tour will follow.
” How did Ozzy feel about his wife managing
the Pumpkins well according to Sharon who told the times “He was so happy,” “He
called Billy up and welcomed him to the family.”
Fastfoward three months into the job Sharon osbourne would leave the band as their manager
releasing a short statement on january 12, 2000 that read ""It was with great pride and
enthusiasm that I took on management of the Pumpkins back in October,"I must resign today,
due to medical reasons — Billy Corgan was making me sick!!!"
A spokesman for the manager didn’t elaborate on what happened behind the scenes when the
statement went out.
About a week after he announcement came out Sharon spoke to MTV where she put the blame
on Billy Corgan’s behavior including his and i quote ‘schoolboy’ intimidation tactics
which included the silent treatment and nasty stares.
She would add and i quote "I mean, all artists and managers have tiffs.
That's part of a relationship that means nothing," "You argue, you say what you haveto say, and
it's over with.
Tomorrow's a new day, you start all over again.
But with Billy…
Billy's sort of very much like a sissy, where he lets things build and build and instead
of being confrontational he won't talk to you, and he'll play mind games, f*** with
your mind."
[] About a week later Osbourne spoke to Reuters who reported the final straw for Osbourne
was over the video for the band’s forthcoming single ‘Stand Inside Your Love’, the first
from their forthcoming album later that year titled ‘MACHINA/the machines of God’.
Osbourne claimed for the video that Corgan insisted on wearing a dress in the promo film,
something she was against called it and i quote a “try-hard” move.
Corgan who was upset with Osbourne’s opinion reportedly gave her the silent treatment for
several days to which Osbourne told Reuters T– “I was basically bored with it,”
“If he thought I was a naughty girl, he’d give you the silent treatment.
I don’t need games in my life.
I don’t need stupid little boys making faces at me.”
It was around this time Osbourne talked to Q Magazine giving some more background on
what went down saying "Billy Corgan's got an ego bigger than my arse,
the sad thing is, he's a nice person underneath all the bullshit.
Unfortunately he's surrounded himself with arse-lickers and it's a long time since anyone
pointed out a few home truths.
I feel sorry for the other band members because he doesn't treat people well.
He's also extremely competitive and that's a bit sad.
I thought their last album, Adore, was a great record but as soon as it wasn't a massive
commercial success, he blamed the record company, sacked his previous management and ignored
the fact that it wasn't a particularly commercial record."
In addition to feuding with Corgan over his clothing she revealed a trip to Scandanvaia
contributed to her decision to leave the group telling Q that during that trip COrgan wanted
to sign a Guns N’ Roses style contract over any media interviewing him giving him control
and copyright over their works.
Sharon would tell Q "The journalists were unionised; it was illegal for them to agree
to a deal like that," reveals Osbourne.
"Billy's reaction was, "Fuck them, the unions mean nothing to me.
I'm Billy Corgan."
He won't accept anyone else's opinion.
He's got no problems in his life except that he's a six foot baldy twat in a dress."
Fast forward nearly six weeks later and it was announced that the band was suing Sharon.
Osbourne would quit her job nearly two months before the band’s next album Machina/the
machines of God was due out.
The band’s lawsuit would content she breached her contract and i quote "This timing portrays
a calculated, vindictive attempt to damage the group both emotionally and professionally,"
The band sought $150,000 to recoup the advance they had paid Osbourne.
Osbourne would file her own countersuit and by the summer of 2000 it appeared the two
were still feuding with it being reported that despite their differences Corgan would
be appearing on Tony Iommi’s solo album that was being put out on a label owned by
the Osbournes.
In 2002 daugher Kelly osbourne appeared to reignite the feud when her then boyfriend
Bert Mackracken of the Used who was at the kroq almost acoustic christmas along with
billy corgan who was performing with his band zwan tried to trip the frontman to which corgan
responded by kicking mackracken in the stomach.
Then five days later at Klaus Fest in New York Kelly Osbourne told teh crowd that night
that Corgan performed sexual favors on the program director of the New York radio station
sponsoring the festival to secure a spot on the bill.
According to idobi it was at the same show that the radio station listed ozzy’s name
on the bill only to find out ozzy only came out to the stage to introduce his daughter
and not perform.
The crowd visibly upset booed and kelly left the stage after only three songs.
In 2014 Sharon Osbourne appeared with Julie Chen on howard stern’s show to promote their
show the talk and coming in after them were the smashing pumpkins.
Stern brought up the feud and Osbourne mentioned that it was all water under the bridge and
both parties have mellowed out in their older age and hung out since.