KISS cemented their status as Rock & Roll Hall Of Famers with decades of influential hard rock and imagery that went on to inspire generations of rock and metal stars. However, the band also developed a reputation of being greedy, repeatedly going back on their word with countless farewell tours, and monetizing and merchandizing just about every aspect under the sun related to the band.
From Kiss Kaskets to ‘air guitar strings’ and more, there’s few avenues the band didn’t slap their name on. Even since their December 02nd, 2023 farewell show, the band have returned to the stage, despite selling off their likeness, brand royalties and masters in a deal said to be worth $300 million. The group also intend to continue on as digital avatars in as part of their ‘retirement’.
The band’s bassist/vocalist Gene Simmons has previously brushed off accusations of being money-hungry. When a social media user asked Simmons this past April if Gene had enough money yet, Simmons fired back:
“This is a loser’s question. Warren Buffet, Jeff Bezos, Elon Musk all get up every day and try to make more. No matter how much they’ve got. Get out of your losers’s mentality, and try to win in life, every day.”
In a new interview on ‘Talkin’ Rock With Meltdown‘ of WRIF, Simmons spoke of his approach to wealth and how the goalposts for him have continued to move when it comes to financial aspirations[transcribed by Blabbermouth.net]:
“…When I was first starting out with the band 50 years ago, actually closer to 55 now, all I ever wanted was to be in a band that went in the studio and recorded one album. One. I just wanted to be able to go into a store, record store — they used to have those in those days — and that’s all I ever wanted to do. And then that day came. That day came when I walked next to Electric Lady Studios in New York where we did our first record, went next door and actually bought the first record. $3.39.
Then they got more expensive and all that. And then after that, I think it’s analogous to when you’re a kid and you never made a penny in your life, you walk down the street, you look on the floor, and you go, ‘Oh my God. There’s a penny on the floor. I can pick it up and it’s mine.’ Then when you find the second penny, whatever, ‘That’s good. I did that.’
Then you find a dime. ‘Oh my God, there’s a dime.’ And you pick it up and you go, ‘Wow.’ And then later on you find a dollar, and you go, ‘Oh, wow, I found a dollar. I’m rich.’ So, how we look at life is all relative. When you climb on top of a mountain, you go, ‘Wow, I made it.’ Then you look around and there are taller mountains, and you go, ‘Okay.’ Roll up your sleeves and keep going. That’s really the idea. Keep going.”
When Meltdown responded that going onstage repeatedly to perform might be an addiction for some, Simmons responded:
“I don’t like that word. I think it infers negativity — drug addicts, alcohol and so on. But when you love doing something, I wonder why that’s an addiction. Like you’re a workaholic. Losers say that. You know who the starving people in India and other places in the world who don’t have jobs and are trying to figure out how to feed their families, they can’t imagine anybody would come up with a phrase like, ‘You’re a workaholic. You’re working too much.’ Too much? Please let me work too much. I’ll give you my firstborn.”
Simmons continued on, once again sharing his admiration for some of the world’s richest men:
“We are entitled and spoiled, and I think I’ve had about enough of that. The most impressive people to me are Buffett and Elon Musk and Bezos. Elon’s worth — I don’t know — about a trillion and a half, something like that. What does he do every day? He gets up. He’s planning, he’s doing. He’s planning, for goodness sakes, cities on Mars while the rest of us are complaining about the traffic jam. We’re doing nothing.
These are people who have higher intellect and a grander vision of life, that you can do big things. And for me, the big thing is — look, imagine you write a book and you’re really proud of it. You worked hard and then once you’re finished, you put it on a shelf and nobody reads it. Well, you don’t get anything out of it.
The joy is to have other people read it and comment. Some love it. You’re a painter and you do this amazing painting that you’re really proud of — and I’ve done some of that myself — well, if nobody sees it, where’s the joy in that? So writing songs is the same thing, or being in a band. There can’t be a party without you. If you’re alone at home spinning your favorite record and you have potato chips and Diet Coke, that ain’t much of a party.”
