Latest news with #GeneSimmons
Perth Now
5 days ago
- Entertainment
- Perth Now
Ghost rocker Tobias Forge offers view of the 'rock is dead' debate
Ghost's Tobias Forge is hopeful that there will be more "headlining" rock bands in the future in response to the "rock is dead" debate. The phrase has been thrown around for decades now with Kiss rocker Gene Simmons, 75, having said it several times over, but the 44-year-old Swedish singer has a more positive outlook. In an interview with Consequence, he said: 'I think it was Gene Simmons that said it most times, but I mean a lot of people have said that rock 'n' roll is dead and there will be no new headliners. I understand that it's been sparse, but I think that with the unfortunate disappearance of a lot of bands that I like — Kiss being one of them — I do believe that with time I think that there will be more [headlining rock] bands.' The Call Me Little Sunshine singer - whose band formed in 2006 and achieved their first Billboard number one album with sixth studio album, Skeletá, in May - insists it's an "age thing" where music veterans mourn the way rock music used to be. Praising the rise of his peers, he said: 'There are a few examples of fairly new bands who've risen to great statures, faster than we did. 'I think that there's this strange time phenomenon that happened somewhere in the 2000s where everything that was sort of old was old, and everything that came after was new, and just keeps on being labelled as new — especially by people who at the time were in their twenties or thirties or forties and now are in their forties, fifties, sixties. Which I think is an age thing.' Tobias continued: 'If you ask a lot of our fans who are 15 years old now, just the fact that our band has been around for 15 years — do you think that they think that we are a new band? No. And that's how it should be. I think they are right in the sense that we're an old established band. If our first album came out in 1980, and it's now 1995, that's an old band.' Gene went as far as blaming music fans for killing rock 'n' roll. He told Us Weekly: 'The people that killed it are fans. Fans killed the thing they loved by downloading and file sharing for free."
Newsweek
6 days ago
- Entertainment
- Newsweek
Kiss' Gene Simmons Doesn't Care What You Think of Him
Kiss' Gene Simmons is a man of many opinions. "I can't wait for the hate mail. Really, pardon my French, I don't give a f***," he tells Newsweek. And that's all part of the persona he's created through business ventures, films, TV, books and, of course, music. An immigrant to the U.S., he modeled his off-stage persona after TV newscasters—"the best dressed, the most respected people. I wanted to be that. I didn't want to talk or come off like the person next door. I dress like your boss." About work, he says, "almost everybody goes to work for one thing: to make money. The idea that you have to love your job is lunacy." And that take-it-or-leave-it attitude extends to his family. "First and foremost is to be kind. No drugs, no alcohol, no smoking. It's not allowed." Simmons credits his success and even his attitude to the power of the American dream. "I'm just thrilled, and I appreciate Americans allowing me to live in this country, because America has given me riches and rewards beyond anything I could or anyone could ever expect." You've got a few films in the works for your production company, right? We have the Simmons/Hamilton film venture. The first one is called Deep Water, and it's got [Madeleine] West, Aaron Eckhart, Sir Ben Kingsley, the director [Renny Harlin]—really well known who's done action films, including Die Hard [2]. There's another one with Mel Gibson and a very fine actress [Priya Jain]—you'll hear about her because most people know about her only through her modeling and all that—called The Canyon, coming out afterwards. Gene Simmons photographed at his home, Beverly Hills, CA. Gene Simmons photographed at his home, Beverly Hills, CA. Robert Gallagher/Contour by Getty You've done TV shows and films before, but this is a major step for you. This is a big deal. No, I don't look at it as a big deal. I look at it as something I enjoy doing. I've always been a film fan. Fact: I learned how to speak English through movies and television. What can people expect at a show for the Gene Simmons Band? This is decidedly a more fun, more informal gathering than Kiss events, which are spectacles. There's no road manager. It's like rock and roll gypsies out there. I bring my guitar pick and that's it. No trucks, no roadies, no nothing. [We] do your favorite Kiss songs, but also do obscure stuff and even stuff that has never been recorded before, as well as doing covers of some of my favorite songs. The most fun is putting on the house lights and having the back and forth with the fans who show up.
The Sun
27-06-2025
- Entertainment
- The Sun
Rock icon, 73, looks worlds away from 70s superstardom as he grabs coffee in LA
A ROCK icon looked worlds away from his 1970s heyday as he stepped out in Los Angeles. The popular performer left fans stunned as he went for a coffee in a rare public outing. 5 5 5 Aged 73, the rocker was part of a hugely popular band that had a string of popular albums among rock music fans - but do you recognise him? Paul Stanley co-founded the band Kiss with Gene Simmons in the 70s with the group becoming known for their raucous and outlandish antics on the stage. The performer kept it casual for his low-key outing as he was spotted without his trademark Kiss make-up that the band became well known for. He opted for a simple patterned shirt and a pair of light blue denim jeans as he made his way to Starbucks for his regular coffee order. Paul flashed a smile as he made his way back to his car carrying his drinks. You'd be forgiven for not recognising Paul thanks to the star usually sporting heavy theatrical make-up for Kiss. The star and his bandmates previously explained how in the early 70s New York, the glam rock trend was prevalent with many male rock stars choosing to wear make-up to mirror their female counterparts. However, Kiss decided to create their own unique looks after confessing it was "unconvincing" that they could don regular make-up. Speaking of their unique look, Paul's bandmate Gene Simmons recalled: "At the same time that we were forming in New York, there was a very big glitter scene, where boys were basically acting like girls and putting on makeup. "Well, we were more like football players — all of us were over 6 feet tall — and it just wasn't convincing!" DWTS guest judge Gene Simmons slammed for 'creepy' and 'uncomfortable' behavior toward women on live TV Paul is a father-of-four and shares three children with his wife Erin Sutton. Paul and Erin wed in 2005 and shared children Sarah, 15, Colin, 18, and Emily, 13, with her. He also has a son, 30-year-old Evan Stanley, from his failed marriage to first wife, actress Pamela Bowen. Pamela divorced him in 2001 after nine years of marriage. Paul Stanley's career AS well as his time in KISS, Paul has enjoyed some ventures away from the band. Over the course of his career, he has released two solo albums. His first was a self-titled record in 1978 whilst still a member of the rock band and marketed under the look he became famous for in the group. It wasn't until 2006 that he went on to release a second solo record. In 1999, he became a stage performer for the first time when he began appearing in a production of The Phantom of the Opera throughout 1999 in which he closed the show's ten-year run in Toronto, Canada. In 2012, he and bandmate Gene headed into business when, along with the help of three investors, they launched the restaurant chain, Rock & Brews. Paul published his autobiography, Face the Music: A Life exposed, in 2014. 5 5
Daily Mail
26-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
Iconic '80s lead singer who was born without an ear looks unrecognizable in rare outing... can you guess who?
Fans of one of the most iconic bands of the '70s and '80s were in for a surprise when the group's legendary frontman stepped out for a rare sighting in Los Angeles on Thursday. The rocker, now 73, kept it low-key in a casual polo shirt and faded jeans, a far cry from the wild makeup and outlandish costumes he once wore as the face of KISS. The icon, who, alongside Gene Simmons, co-founded the groundbreaking band in the 1970s, was spotted flashing a giant smile while picking up a to-go order from Starbucks — a much more subdued moment compared to his onstage antics, which famously included sticking out his tongue and smashing guitars. Longtime followers, however, quickly recognized his signature black, flowing hair — which he has previously admitted he keeps lengthy to cover a congenital deformity. 'I pursued fame as a way to compensate for a lot of insecurities,' he revealed in 2019. 'I was born deaf on my right side and I had a birth defect. I had what's called microtia, which is basically not having an ear — just a crumpled mass of cartilage.' Can you guess the famous rocker? If you said Paul Stanley, you're absolutely right! When KISS burst onto the scene in the 1970s, they weren't just another rock band—they were a spectacle. Their theatrical makeup and larger-than-life personas set them apart from the era's other glam and hard rock acts. 'At the same time that we were forming in New York, there was a very big glitter scene, where boys were basically acting like girls and putting on makeup,' Simmons recalled in a 1996 interview with Porkchops & Applesauce, per Far Out. 'Well, we were more like football players — all of us were over 6 feet tall — and it just wasn't convincing!' Instead of following the glam trend, KISS carved out their own lane, using face paint to create striking, otherworldly alter egos. Simmons became The Demon, Stanley transformed into Starchild, Ace Frehley took on the role of Spaceman, and Peter Criss embodied Catman. The formula was a resounding success: Across four decades and 44 albums, KISS shattered records, selling over 100 million copies worldwide and etching their name into rock history. Their legacy reached an official milestone in 2014 when they earned a coveted spot in the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. But their signature style wasn't always polished. 'The very first pictures we took when the band first got together, we looked like drag queens,' Simmons admitted. 'But we knew we wanted to get outlandish.' 'Getting up onstage was almost a holy place for us, like church, so being onstage looking like a bum wasn't my idea of respect,' Simmons explained. 'That's where the makeup and dressing up came in. It would have obviously been a lot easier to get up onstage in jeans and t-shirts and go, 'Okay, here we are — we're the Ramones!' And that would have been just as valid, but it would not have been honest.' The band's signature looks weren't meticulously planned—they were born from instinct. 'I just remember being in a loft in downtown New York and looking in the mirror and just starting to draw,' Simmons recalled. 'It was very stream-of-consciousness. What you see is really what just happened... Nobody else was involved.' While the makeup became their signature, KISS stunned the world in 1983 by appearing in an MTV interview completely unmasked. 'To me, it doesn't feel all that different because I've seen these guys more often without makeup than I have with makeup,' Stanley said at the time. 'Everybody hated it,' Simmons later admitted, according to Yahoo. 'People didn't want the paint to come off, but you know what? Tough. It had to happen.' Their grand return to makeup and full costume came on February 28, 1996, when the original four members made a surprise appearance at the Grammys—fully decked out for the first time in 17 years. Despite decades of speculation about who first introduced the idea of the makeup, Simmons recently reflected on the band's evolution in a June 2024 appearance on Steve-O's Wild Ride! podcast. 'Nobody who was ever in KISS can ever lay claim to saying, "I've got a brilliant idea, everybody should put on makeup. Let's wear more makeup and higher heels than your mommy ever did." Nobody did, it just happened,' Simmons explained. Stanley shares Sarah with his wife Erin Sutton, whom he married in 2005, and together they also have two younger children, 13-year-old Emily and 18-year-old Colin. He is also father to Evan Stanley, 30, from his previous marriage to actress Pamela Bowen.
CTV News
13-06-2025
- Entertainment
- CTV News
Randy Bachman, Burton Cummings to perform as Guess Who for 1st time in over 20 years
Randy Bachman, left, and Burton Cummings of The Guess Who perform during the halftime show at the 88th Grey Cup game in Calgary on November 26, 2000. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Aaron Harris Founding members Burton Cummings and Randy Bachman are set to perform as the Guess Who for the first time in over 20 years. The pair is setting sail next year as part of the Rock Legends Cruise XIII, along with other musical guests including Gene Simmons, Eric Burdon and The Animals, and Kevin Cronin. According to an Instagram post from the band, this cruise is the first time in 23 years Cummings and Bachman will reunite as The Guess Who. Since the band's split, the musicians have performed solo, as Bachman Cummings and as Bachman-Turner Overdrive. This news comes several months after Cummings and Bachman settled a lawsuit with original members Jim Kale and Garry Peterson over the Guess Who name. In 2023, Bachman and Cummings sued their former bandmates, alleging they assembled a 'cover band' to perform and release albums under the Guess Who name, while misleading fans into thinking Bachman and Cummings were involved. As part of the agreement, Bachman and Cummings have acquired the trademark for the band's name. The Rock Legends Cruise XIII will travel from Fort Lauderdale to Jamaica from Feb. 23 to 27, 2026. • With files from The Canadian Press.
