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 wonder if gene ever said to paul “hey, my moms a holocaust survivor, and you’re bitching about an ear deformity?! Shut up and sing!”..
Dana, I hope ur theory on his statements is correct…I had a relative that took his life also…its sad someone would end their life on purpose, but its also tough sledding for the ones left behind that are forced to pick up the pieces and move on….its sad that gene didnt convey that in his rant…but its becoming more apparent that he isnt as smart as he thinks he is…but on a lighter note, I have 2 reasons why gene should shut his mouth and just focus on the band: 1) sonic boom 2) monster..
And while I don’t support or agree with what Gene said, once you get past the “F Gene” assholes (who are no better than him in their own way, except way less famous) we’ve got about 10 or 12 posts here that DO tell the seriousness and scope of the conditions he was talking about. So rather than silence him, why not take the opportunity to combat his misinformation with the correct information, so perhaps maybe people – even one! – can get the help they need!
I was married to someone who was/is clinically depressed, and one of my old bandmates decided he didn’t want to live anymore, so I understand the severity of this situation. But like it or not, there is no right not to be offended. Sometimes subjects are painful and that isn’t on Gene, that’s on us, the listeners. We should be able to talk about this stuff.
Oh, and the comparison to Ted Nugent is way off base.
obvious if someone is an addict have it alcohol or drugs and knows all to well its an addiction needs help period.. the problem i see with gene and paul is when it comes to this issue they are first to say how bad it is and lay out their own prescription for success as their worried about it social and personal as well as the professional impact it could have on one. but i do not hear any positive message coming from them on the issue. and that bothers me because you would think a group as big as kiss is and the impact they have and the message they can deliver, it would be to get help and save themselves .but again all i hear is bashing , for a couple of guys who tend to be positive about most things, their simply not here on this issue…a zero tolerance …again as guys that claim to have never drink nor do drugs, i can see how they can easily lash out against it . but i don’t think you have to experience everything in life personally to know its impact , you can learn from others and that to is a problem , some people just might not see it , i don’t have to get hit by a car to know what it’s going to do to me..putting it plain its an addiction if your abusing it and needs to be treated because going untreated leads to all things we might not wanna hear..i just wish they would try in see goodness in helping one when there most down.
Wow, This is serious that he would say this stuff. How heartless can he be? I am in shock that he was quoted as saying this. Very uncool, whoever is on twitter should blow his up and complain so that he doesn’t hurt more people.
Regardless old kiss fan, new kiss fan, this line-up kiss fan, old line-up kiss fan. Read his words and take them in. How could you still respect a human being that says this stuff?
Complete moron, A guy like this won’t learn until someone he loves or cares about suffers from or falls victom to depression. This is ignorance X 10 and is actually offensive. This is a real illness and has much to do with genetics as it does with circumstance, strength and character… as to the horrors of the holocaust… no argument that that experience must have been truly horrific, but I don’t think it’s a valid argument decrying the validity of depression as an illness. A lot of the damage done to these people is done when they are in the critical periods of their development and are growing up with a parent or parents who are mentally ill. On a side note – a guy with that hairstyle should pretty much just stfu. Wanna face reality bozo? quit the comb over – sad old man.