1993 'What's Up' Singer Linda Perry Only Had One Thing to Say to Billy Corgan
When Linda Perry walked into the recording studio that day, she had no patience for bad vibes.
The 4 Non Blondes frontwoman, whose 1993 smash "What's Up" is currently experiencing a viral renaissance on TikTok, just revealed she tossed Smashing Pumpkins frontman Billy Corgan out of a studio session while working with Courtney Love. And she didn't pull any punches about why.
"Courtney Love is an incredibly intelligent woman. We were working on a record once when Billy Corgan came in and he was a ‘Debbie Downer' and ruining the vibe," Perry told NME in a candid new interview.
What happened next is pure Linda Perry.
"Courtney and Billy have incredible history together, but my band said, 'We can't continue with this guy,'" Perry recalled. "Finally, I went into the control room, looked at Billy and said: 'You gotta go, man.' As Courtney's eyes bulged, I said: 'You're walking around like you're God's gift to f***ing rock and roll. You've got bad energy. I want you out of my studio.' Billy was shocked and left."
Standing up for herself is nothing new for Perry. It's just who she is.
Years earlier, while touring in Paris, Whitesnake called Perry and her bandmates "dykes." She didn't walk away.
"I confronted them: 'Excuse me, what did you just say?'" Perry recalled. "They muttered, 'We didn't say anything.' I said, 'You did say something, and I'm so sorry a bunch of dykes are playing a stadium while you guys are down the street playing a small theatre.'"
She walked away and didn't look back.
The Woman Behind the Legend
Love's reaction was everything.
"Courtney couldn't believe I'd kicked him out of my studio and thought it was ballsy," Perry said. Then she described Love in a way nobody expected. "She's a power bottom. She wants to be kind and wants a hug and she's very gentle, but she has an armour she puts up. I love her and have had amazing experiences with her. The world needs Courtney Love back and I can't wait for her new record because there isn't anyone else like her."
Perry has worked with Love on multiple projects, co-writing songs on Love's 2004 solo album America's Sweetheart and Hole's 2010 album Nobody's Daughter. Their creative relationship runs deep.
So does Perry's willingness to go scorched earth when she has to.
When Green Day reached out asking Perry to produce their follow-up to American Idiot, she cleared her entire schedule to make it happen. Then, Courtney Love mentioned it publicly before it was announced and the backlash from Green Day's fanbase came fast. The band stopped returning her calls entirely.
"I lost six months of scheduled work," Perry said flatly. "That was f***ed up."
She's moved on. Her new album Let It Die Here is out now, and "What's Up" is everywhere again. A viral mash-up with Nicki Minaj's "Beez In The Trap" exploded on TikTok last year with everyone from Madonna to Dolly Parton joining in. Perry had just reunited with 4 Non Blondes at BottleRock festival in May 2025, right before the trend hit.
"We couldn't have planned that," she said. "It took it to another level."
Thirty years later the message of "What's Up" is exactly the same as the woman who wrote it: call out what's wrong, stand your ground and don't let anyone steal your joy or ruin your vibe.
Billy Corgan found that out the hard way.
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This story was originally published June 1, 2026 at 7:00 AM.