Billy Corgan remembered his friend Sinead O'Connor

In an interview given to the Irish newspaper The Irish Times Billy Corgan he talked about his friendship with Sinéad O'Connorwho passed away in July last year at the age of 56, calling her “a truly incredible talent”.

The frontman of Smashing Pumpkins revealed that O'Connor was living in Chicago with the mutual friend and drummer MattWalker who met the Irish musician while playing with Morrissey. From then on, O'Connor lived in Walker's attic.

Remembering the singer

Billy Corgan he said: “I met Sinéad once at a show. We talked a little, but I can't say I met her. Then she lived at my friend's house, where I go to dinner on Sundays. Four or five, six times I went for Sunday Ham and Sinéad was having dinner. I finally got to know her as a person. We talked a lot about her kids, her relationships and her struggles.”

Corgan continued his speech by saying: “An honesty that bares your soul. Truly beautiful woman, truly incredible talent, I was just in awe of her talent. Naturally, my friends would call me to ask for advice on what to do with the rock star who lived in their attic. They loved her and were trying to support her through a very difficult time.”

Billy Corgan he also recalled when O'Connor disappeared in May 2016. The singer went for a bike ride at 6 in the morning and only returned in the evening, causing the police to intervene. “My friends call me, crazy, because they don't know what to do… I got an interesting inside perspective at this critical moment in her life. It was hard to watch because her struggles were real. Sinéad was honest. And if you can to learn something from her passing, it was to see this incredible wave of love and respect for her. Sometimes it's sad that people need a passing to get in touch with what they feel that he probably should have received more attention and support when he was here. Because his gift was truly rare. And his gift had a lot to do with his pathos. His incredible gift of singing had a direct line to his heart. It's really rare among singers. Most singers are actors.

When he died, July 26, 2023, Billy Corgan he called her “fiercely honest, sweet and funny,” adding: “She was talented in a way that I'm not sure she fully understood. But Sinead is a unique figure of our generation, always faithful to her penetrating voice inside and outside of her. And for this I will always admire and respect her. Never forget that she was once boycotted for an act of simple resistance. Her crime? Having torn a photo.”