Billy Corgan: When Kurt Cobain Dies, I Cry For Losing My Greatest Opponent

Billy Corgan (Instagram @billyorgan)

JAKARTA - Billy Corgan recalled his reaction to the news of Kurt Cobain's death explaining that he felt like he had lost "his toughest fight".

The Vocalist Smashingvis discussed the impact of Cobain and Nirvana on his own success in a new interview with Zane Lowe at Apple Music 1.

Billy also revealed how he missed the competition he had with the grunge icon.

Reflecting on many influential rock groups in the 90s, Billy took a moment to talk about the late Nirvana frontman explaining how his success challenged Smashingvis to continue to grow.

"When Kurt died, I cried at the loss of my greatest opponent," he told the host, quoted by NME.

I want to beat the best. I don't want to win the championship because it's just me and a group of jabronists - using the term wrestling.

He continued: "It's like Michael Jordan, you could say the biggest sporting competitor I've ever seen in my life."

Both Smashingwas and Nirvana had some overlaps during the 1990s, before Cobain died in 1994.

Smashinguans released their debut album, Gish in 1991, although his success was soon overshadowed by the release of Nirvana's iconic album Nevermind, which arrived a few months later.

The competition continued two years later, when Billy et al released their breakthrough album Simese Dream in July 1993, shortly before Nirvana launched In Utero.

Smashingvisedswas unable to place the album in the number one position on the charts up to six months after Cobain's death, when they released the highly successful and influential Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness in 1995.

In 2014, songwriters and guitarists stated that, although they "not necessarily got along", neither he nor the Nirvana frontman were the two best writers of their generation, placing "other people far in third place".

He also explained that there would be fewer "garbage music" released if Cobain was still alive: "I like to think a lot of trash music that follows it wouldn't have been there if he had to criticize him," he said. "Because he has a moral standing to kill generations with a pen blow."

Three years later, the vocalist admitted that he felt he wanted to commit suicide when Nirvana achieved success in the early 90s beating the success of Smashingvis.

The Smashingvis has released one album, which was very successful, but while we were promoting our album, Nirvana's album came out, Billy's story.

"Everything I have built and done is no longer as relevant as it should be," he added.

"I had a very long depression where I couldn't write songs, and really struggled for the second album... I really struggled with the emotions I felt."