Annie Reuter of Radio.com reports:
Gene Simmons of KISS has some heated words for drug addicts and people dealing with depression in a new interview with Songfacts.com.
When asked if he keeps in touch with the original players of KISS he answered with a resounding “no.”
Why’s that? Simple: they’re either drug addicts or just downers.
“I don’t get along with anybody who’s a drug addict and has a dark cloud over their head and sees themselves as a victim,” Simmons said. “Drug addicts and alcoholics are always: ‘The world is a harsh place.’ My mother was in a concentration camp in Nazi Germany. I don’t want to hear f–k all about ‘the world as a harsh place.’ She gets up every day, smells the roses and loves life.
And for a putz, 20-year-old kid to say, ‘I’m depressed, I live in Seattle.’ F–k you, then kill yourself.”
He added “I never understand, because I always call them on their bluff. I’m the guy who says ‘Jump!’ when there’s a guy on top of a building who says, ‘That’s it, I can’t take it anymore, I’m going to jump.’ Are you kidding? Why are you announcing it? Shut the f–k up, have some dignity and jump! You’ve got the crowd.”
While Simmons said KISS has new songs ready, there are no plans to record anytime soon. But, there is one artist he’d love to record with in the future: Lady Gaga.
“I think Lady Gaga is the only new rock star, although she’s not a rocker,” he said. “I would like her to throw away all the disco stuff and get a band. Don’t use tapes, come out with a real live band and guitars. She’s a bona fide musical artist. She did a duet with Tony Bennett, real great pipes. She can sit at a piano all by herself. She’s a legitimate artist. A lot of the other pop divas who are really talented are not artists.”
Simmons said KISS and Gaga tried to collaborate on their last record but both were too busy.
“We got close. She got busy, we got busy. We would have done it.”
additional source: radio.com
245 Responses
I love Kiss and respect Gene. I can agree with the addiction commentary. If you don’t start you will never have to stop. There are people that hide behind the “addiction is a disease” mantra. But how can a disease be triggered by your actions solely? We all have theoretical chances of developing cancer or MS or other diseases no matter what we may do or how clean we may live. But I will never end up an addict unless I pick the stuff up. That’s no disease. If you’ve never used you simply don’t wake up one morning craving crack. That’s why I can’t buy into drug abuse as a disease. You choose that route and change your brain chemistry along the way, a totally self inflicted condition no matter how many addicts you may have had in your family history. Again if you don’t start you will never be an addict but you could end up with a brain tumor tomorrow at no doing of your own. As for his comments on depression, they are deplorable. Totally out of line and totally off base. There are people that truly have a clinical bio chemical situation they deal with. There is also situational depression but there are people that have measurable chemical imbalances at no fault of their own. That’s where I have to part company with Mr. Simmons. His statements regarding depression are cruel and insensitive and he should be ashamed…
I do want to weigh in my two cents on this. However, based on the mail reaction including several compelling stories of clinical depression and suicide, Gene’s remarks are definitely the equivalent of Stephen A. Smith’s remarks incorrectly thinking that spousal or girlfriend abuse is “provoked” even though he vehemently did not condone such abuse under any circumstance. In this world and in a way rightfully so Stephen A. like Gene was vilified due to misunderstandings of spousal abuse in Stephen A.’s case and clinical depression in Gene’s case.
Getting back to Gene’s remarks, there is also something I see which may be far fetched. If you recall the question posted was does he keep in touch with original KISS members (read Ace and Peter). That’s when he went on the rant on not associating people with substance abuse problems and people who attempt or commit suicide which he believes is equivalent to “whiners” and compares their “minor” problems to his mother’s experience in a concentration camp during World War II. First I see that this is not just about Ace and Peter. I know they had substance abuse problems but there were no known reports of either of them having clinical depression or suicide attempts and they are doing fine today (clean and sober and in good health). However, when he segued into depression and suicide and even mentioned the remark pertaining to a potential suicide victim “I’m from Seattle”. That can easily be interpreted to a at best of criticism of Kurt Cobain. It is obvious that Gene is insanely jealous of Nirvana being that KISS had to wait 15 years of eligibility until induction while Nirvana who had a far shorter career span was inducted in it’s first year of eligibility and is far more celebrated. He is so pissed that someone who committed suicide is being honored more than him who was far more successful. Again this is a far fetched theory on my part but I read between the lines.
Lastly Gene’s reasoning for that people should not commit suicide and deal with the problems comparing to his mother’s stay at a Nazi concentration camp and why she did not suffer from depression or tried suicide (although she may have had nightmares of this). We all agree that what she went through was at best horrific and nobody deserves this. However, there was one positive that came out of this, she had a support system. She was not there alone and everyone at the concentration camp was in the same predicament. When she and everyone else were liberated at the end of World War II not only did they all felt relief but a sense of empowerment. She is confident that she has other to depend on. On the other hand people who have clinical depression are often alone and don’t know where to go for help. Suicide may be for them the only solution because they cannot depend on people who believe them.
I hope Gene issues an apology and I definitely like to hear what he has to say about Kurt Cobain.
Rich C,
I read you post and wanted to point out a few things–
Peter Criss, according to his bio, did try to kill himself. Ace Frehley admits to Gene saving his life when he nearly drowned in a bathtub at a hotel after drinking all night. He would have died if Gene had not saved him. I think this happened twice in fact.
Now, in regard to Gene’s mother having a support system in the concentration camp–I am not too sure about that…Gene’s bio says most of her family were killed before the war was over. Imagine trying to find comfort with those in the same predicament knowing at any moment, one of them could be escorted to a gas chamber.
I am not excusing Gene’s comments. His comments were uncompromising and alienating to people who suffer from depression. You have to remember that Gene’s mother spoiled him to the point where he believes he is the center of the universe. He truly does not understand the disease. He should learn about it before commenting on it because he is alienating people who suffer from genuine illnesses that cause depression.
I think Gene liked Kurt Cobain and wanted him to perform on the tribute album way back when, but Kurt… Well, its in the past now, but I don’t think it was about jealousy. The reason I think this is because he was stated that he thought Guns N Roses would have been the biggest band in the world if not for the turmoil, drugs, alcohol and other contributing factors to GNR’s downfall. I think its more about him hating successful people destroying their careers, and not jealousy. Of course, everyone gets jealous once in a while.
Mike,
I stand corrected about Peter. As for Ace I don’t think drowning in the bathtub was a suicide attempt but more like him being so wasted he did not know what he was doing and almost accidentally killed himself.
As for Gene’s mother maybe she lost all of her family but again she was in the same predicament as the rest of the people there. She must have made friends there and shared their hopes and dreams of making it out alive which they did. People who commit suicide usually do not share their problems or fears with anyone because others don’t understand or don’t have empathy. Gene’s mother was never in that position.
As for Kurt Cobain maybe when he was alive Gene was a fan of Nirvana and wanted to work with him on a side project. However, with twenty years after his death, Gene probably thinks that Nirvana was as flash in a pan while KISS had longevity. Moreover, his mentioning of Seattle in his remarks that Seattle is somehow the suicide capital of America or the world. I don’t know the exact statistics but anyone can commit suicide anywhere. Of course Seattle is the home base for Nirvana which is why I connected the two.
As for Guns N’ Roses, they WERE the biggest band in the world from 1988 through 1992. However, while there have been substance abuse issues that plagued the band, the ultimate downfall was Axl wanting total control of the band which led to a falling out between other members including Slash followed by taking too much time to record a new album. By the mid to late 90s people forgot about them and moved on.
Rich,
I know Ace didn’t, but my point is about drugs, alcohol, and depression. Axl suffered a great deal from depression. Peter almost pulled the trigger–I am so glad he didn’t. Ace had addictions for years, and I am glad he’s sober now. Kurt Cobain died. These examples have touched Gene personally I believe and consequently, he lashes out like this. I am not justifying his statements, just providing my perspective based on what I know about Gene. He is clueless about these issues. All he knows is four talented people have had one of these issues (addiction/depression) and he can’t grasp it because his mother taught he was number ONE. I dare say he has NO CLUE what Axl has been through!
Mike B – Just one more question out of curiosity. How did you know how Gene’s mother raised him? Gene’s mother is nobody famous and I never met or have known them personally.
@Rich C
I have read his bio and heard him talk about it in interviews .
Good point about the sex…it can be addicting also..to the point that it almost ruined his relationship w/shannon…power is also an addiction…a good example would be that german douchebag adolf hitler…im sure genes mom would attest to that…
Gene has an addiction too. It’s called money. I will give him credit though for being able to sell the fans the b.s. on how much they mean to him. Of course when the fans want to see a reunion onstage for a few songs at the R&R hall of fame he couldn’t care less about them. Oh and by the way Gene, depression is a real illness but you are too selfish to care because it’s always about you!
Gene’s lack of human compassion is despicable. How would he feel if Sophie or Nick for whatever reason or circumstance, were standing on top of a roof contemplating suicide? Would he himself scream at them, or want somebody else to be screaming at them to jump? Yes, MOST people who are in that headspace don’t talk about it, unfortunately, they just do it. But there are some who do talk about it because they are trying to reach out, crying for help, and the LAST thing in the world they need is somebody telling them “FUCK YOU, KILL YOURSELF”. With that kind of advice Gene, if you want to call somebody’s bluff, you better hope if you’re ever in that situation that they’re really bluffing, because you would probably feel pretty F’N bad if they weren’t. God help everybody who’s depressed and down & out if Gene ever gets his own advice column, that’s all I have to say.
Perhaps if his off spring were on the roof he could line the street with a KISS themed anti-suicide balloon! What a jerk!
Yep, if he can make a buck off of it, he’ll do it, no matter how tasteless.
Gene Simmons I use to like but let’s be real.. Gene was depressed when he went and got a face lift. Why? Cause he was unhappy about aging [and] he was able to afford it, unlike most dealing with age. Well Shuve your money up your ass and your wife should of left you when you couldn’t be a man and marry the women of your children. Your a selfish person who loves himself and his money more than his own family. BTW gene you have your money or at least a large part of it from the people u want dead. Next time think things through not every 1 depressed is 20 and from Seattle and if so u didn’t walk in that 20 year old shoes. You say your mother was in a concentration camp, learn about depression cause we don’t escape that camp it’s in our head all the time let’s see if mom can deal with that.
He won’t feel bad unless some blood stains his crocs, then he’ll probably sue the person’s family.