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I know most don't like Gene Simmons.
- Thread starter Noseferatu
- Start date
Yes, he was. I had the honor of seeing him perform many,many times. There is a documentary on Netflicks about him that's pretty good. When he died, I lost interest in seeing the band or buying their records for a long time. It just didn't seem right.
Gene did Eric wrong in the end, and I think he knows and regrets it.
I've been a KISS fan since before they actually made it big. Seen them so many times, I've lost count.
I think Gene is a damn good bassist, not the best, but far from the worst.
Granted, he's all about business now, but so are the Stones. Go figure...
Ya dig?
Nuff said.
olds_cool63
I bass, therefore I am!
I think Gene is a damn good bassist, not the best, but far from the worst.
Granted, he's all about business now, but so are the Stones. Go figure...
Ya dig?
Nuff said.
olds_cool63
I bass, therefore I am!
Alvaro Martín Gómez A.
TalkBass' resident Bongo + cowbell player
Don't know anything about this and haven't found any info. What did Gene do to Eric?
Alvaro Martín Gómez A.;9845433 said:
It was obvious Eric wasn't going to be able to go on tour due to his hospitalization, and they needed a replacement. That was understandable.
Gene called him up and instead of just telling him they had a fill-in until he got better, Gene fired him completely from Kiss, and discontinued his health coverage effective immediately.
Eric was very heartbroken over this and died shortly after from the cancer.
This paints Gene as pretty cold hearted, but he's been visibly upset about Eric's death on film before, so I don't know if he was so busy and caught up with getting the tour going that he didn't realize just how sick Eric was or what. That has been the implication from the Kiss side of things.
On Eric's family's side (on the Netfilcks doc I already mentioned), it is pretty clear that they believe Gene knew exactly what he was doing. It's a pretty sad film. Eric didn't make that much money(compared), and he really loved the band.
Eitherway, Gene made a huge mistake by cutting off such a loyal and talented band member. Remember, he was actually in Kiss longer than Peter Criss, and would still be there if he hadn't gotten cancer. It's very sad to know that such a cool guy died probably feeling betrayed by what he thought were his friends, and worried about how his family would pay the bills since he no longer had insurance.
It was obvious Eric wasn't going to be able to go on tour due to his hospitalization, and they needed a replacement. That was understandable.
Gene called him up and instead of just telling him they had a fill-in until he got better, Gene fired him completely from Kiss, and discontinued his health coverage effective immediately.
Eric was very heartbroken over this and died shortly after from the cancer.
This paints Gene as pretty cold hearted, but he's been visibly upset about Eric's death on film before, so I don't know if he was so busy and caught up with getting the tour going that he didn't realize just how sick Eric was or what. That has been the implication from the Kiss side of things.
On Eric's family's side (on the Netfilcks doc I already mentioned), it is pretty clear that they believe Gene knew exactly what he was doing. It's a pretty sad film. Eric didn't make that much money(compared), and he really loved the band.
Eitherway, Gene made a huge mistake by cutting off such a loyal and talented band member. Remember, he was actually in Kiss longer than Peter Criss, and would still be there if he hadn't gotten cancer. It's very sad to know that such a cool guy died probably feeling betrayed by what he thought were his friends, and worried about how his family would pay the bills since he no longer had insurance.
Wow, that is just sad.
It was obvious Eric wasn't going to be able to go on tour due to his hospitalization, and they needed a replacement. That was understandable.
Gene called him up and instead of just telling him they had a fill-in until he got better, Gene fired him completely from Kiss, and discontinued his health coverage effective immediately.
Eric was very heartbroken over this and died shortly after from the cancer.
This paints Gene as pretty cold hearted, but he's been visibly upset about Eric's death on film before, so I don't know if he was so busy and caught up with getting the tour going that he didn't realize just how sick Eric was or what. That has been the implication from the Kiss side of things.
On Eric's family's side (on the Netfilcks doc I already mentioned), it is pretty clear that they believe Gene knew exactly what he was doing. It's a pretty sad film. Eric didn't make that much money(compared), and he really loved the band.
Eitherway, Gene made a huge mistake by cutting off such a loyal and talented band member. Remember, he was actually in Kiss longer than Peter Criss, and would still be there if he hadn't gotten cancer. It's very sad to know that such a cool guy died probably feeling betrayed by what he thought were his friends, and worried about how his family would pay the bills since he no longer had insurance.
This is indeed sad. However, as you said, I have seen Gene get choked up quite a bit when discussing Eric's death.
wow i didnt know anything about that,i thought peter was allways in the band and they just got a new guitarist or something,didnt know all that drama,wow thats stone cold right there
Jimmy, the Kiss side is in several interviews from around the time Revenge came out. I've seen some video's on Youtube too, but don't have the links. Nosferatu may be able to help, since he's seen them too.
The Eric Carr family side is well documented on a Documentary on Netflicks. You can watch it online. Pretty interesting stuff in it too, like his father wasn't allowed to tell anyone his son was in Kiss during the makeup days..
IMO, Gene made a mistake. A thoughtless, maybe ill-informed, harmful mistake, but still a mistake none-the less. I believe he regrets it. Despite all his efforts, Gene remains just as human as all of us, and just as prone to do something stupid and hurting the people closest to us.
EDIT:
If you don't have Netflicks, here is one place where you can download the Documentary with a preview: "Inside the Tale of the Fox: The Eric Carr Story" . You can probably find it through Amazon too. Invalid Link Removed
I think most musicians, bassist especially, hate Gene not for his mediocre chops.. but because of his marketing genius really.. I mean the guy has the kiss name on everything from 7-11 cups to guitar straps... not to mention the cold hearted way Gene and Paul abandon members when they're needed most and just move on as if no big deal..
Don't get me wrong, I love kiss' music, I love the make-up years the most and Gene does have some good chops and you can hear them in the early records before 1980.. he is a great in the pocket bassist and really isn't that whats its all about if you break it down? A bassist main job is staying in the pocket and thowing cool chops out the whene he can..
You surely can't compare Gene Simmons to Flea, Jaco or Vic Wooten.. these guys are all different animals in thier own respect.. but Gene is a great rock bassist, simply put.
Don't get me wrong, I love kiss' music, I love the make-up years the most and Gene does have some good chops and you can hear them in the early records before 1980.. he is a great in the pocket bassist and really isn't that whats its all about if you break it down? A bassist main job is staying in the pocket and thowing cool chops out the whene he can..
You surely can't compare Gene Simmons to Flea, Jaco or Vic Wooten.. these guys are all different animals in thier own respect.. but Gene is a great rock bassist, simply put.
I really don't see where he was being a jerk at all. He made Gross look ill prepared and foolish, IMO.
Even so, one bad interview does not throw away somebody's credibility.
Alvaro Martín Gómez A.
TalkBass' resident Bongo + cowbell player
Direct link doesn't work here either. I had to go Invalid Link Removed first and then click on the link in that page. After doing that, the direct link to the audio file seems to work fine.
I googled the link and was able to find a working one. Listened to the whole thing. Wow, he was such a jerk to Terry Gross! When he wasn't insulting her Jewishness or her job he was assailing her womanhood and clumsily trying to insinuate that they were going to knock boots later. Truly repulsive.
Doesn't really change my opinion of Gene as a musician and as a phenomenon. But much like I enjoy, say, Woody Allen's movies but find the man himself to both boring and contemptible, I think I feel the same way about Gene.
What a misogynist!
Doesn't really change my opinion of Gene as a musician and as a phenomenon. But much like I enjoy, say, Woody Allen's movies but find the man himself to both boring and contemptible, I think I feel the same way about Gene.
What a misogynist!
I love Gene's music.. but after listening to this, my opinion of him as a man is that he is way too forward, too arrogant, and just a wacked out dip ****.. the radio personality actually started his attitude by asking if he hides behind his true nationality and lineage through his makeup.. one thing Gene is sensitive on is his family history.. but he did not have to be a fat prick..
Gee, I didn't come away thinking he was ashamed of being Israeli and/or Jewish, nor did I think the makeup was intended to hide those things. I just thought he was an arrogant pr**k who would make most women (except for about 5,000 or so, apparently) run the other way.
Also, what are all these women thinking when they go, say, to a KISS concert or to a party where the band is hanging out and leave with a guy like Gene? Is money and fame so alluring that you would consent to a one-night stand with a hoser like that? And then let him take a Polaroid of you for this perverted "collection"? I realize the 70s were before the AIDS scare, but really. Serial monogamy I can understand. Having several girlfriends, sure. Even never getting married is fine (although I guess he does have children, so what's up with that?). But this kind of Magic Johnson/Wilt Chamberlain level of promiscuity is difficult to fathom.
