Billy Corgan is a rock legend in his own right, but even legends have idols and during a recent interview the Smashing Pumpkins frontman recalled the life-changing moment he heard Black Sabbath for the first time, at the young age of 8.

“My uncle was a drummer,” Corgan explained. “He passed away very young, but he had this cool stereo and a bunch of progressive rock records like Yes and Jethro Tull. And the first record in the pile was Black Sabbath, Master of Reality.”

He asked his grandma if he could listen to the LP, and she hesitated but eventually gave in. “She gave me that look like, ‘I’m gonna get into big trouble from your uncle,’” Corgan said. “And I talked her into it.”

“The first song was ‘Sweet Leaf,’” he continued. “You know, you hear the Ozzy cough or whatever, and then that sound comes in. And I was just like, it made me feel as if I was staring into the cosmos or something. I don’t know how else to explain other than I felt this kinda sense of agape. Like, ‘Wow, this is what God sounds like.’ So it’s the 8-year-old version of what God sounds like, but I’ve never found anything cooler.”

This isn't the first time Corgan has gushed over Black Sabbath. In another recent interview he referred to guitarist Tony Iommi as his "hero."

August Burns Red