Gene Simmons says his family helped him make it to the conclusion of Kiss’ final tour.
In an emotional live interview on pay-per-view TV soon after the band completed their End of the Road farewell road trip on Dec. 2, he admitted he was “lost for words” for one of the few times in his life.
Asked to comment on the idea that his late mom had been there with him during the show, Simmons’ voice wavered as he spoke. “When Paul [Stanley] said she was on the side of the stage …”
Between long reflective silences, he added: “I would probably not be alive if my little daughter ….” He gestured for 31-year-old Sophie to join him. “I wouldn’t have been alive without them,” he said.
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Sophie told Simmons: “We’re so proud of you. … It was a great show – one of the best,” and told interviewer Allison Hagendorf: “I’m so proud of him but I’m also excited to get more time together.”
Simmons joked about being about to pass a kidney stone and plans to sell it on eBay for profit, but more seriously reflected on “the darkness, the self-destructive behavior, I was on the road to that. … My family is my Jesus – and that’s a lot for a Jew to say!” Simmons agreed that Sophie, his son Nick and his wife Shannon had been his “messiah.”
He also asked his daughter if she’d seen the announcement about plans for a virtual version of Kiss to take over from the real members: “That’s the next part. We’re gonna live in fantasy stuff!”
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Guitarist Tommy Thayer later took over the mic: “I thought it was a fantastic night. I felt really good about it. This is a celebration, but most importantly, this is Gene and Paul’s night. This has been their baby for 50 years, and I think everybody was really feeling that. I mean, it’s Kiss and everything too, of course – but this is their encore and their night.”
Simmons had earlier argued it wasn’t really about him at all. “It needs to be said – without the fans, we’re just asking the next person in line, ‘Would you like some fries with that?’”
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