Gene Simmons from Kiss.....

James William · Post by **James William** » June 30, 2004 12:05 pm

Now I know there are some pholks in here that are fans of some good ole R N R. I don't know if some of you are Kiss fans or not, but I am a huge fan of theirs and have been since I was 5 or 6.
I visit Gene Simmons site on a regular bases and it's because of the letters that are sent to Gene via e-mail. The subject range from political views, sex, Rock N Roll,Money etc..... you would be amazed to find out how intelligent Mr. Simmons really is.
The one thing that impresses me is that HE actually reads and replies to his e-mail and post everything on the site. He actually takes the time to read and respond. He mentions often and never forgets how valuable his fans are too him and he will not let them forget no matter how big the success of KISS. If you get a chance go to http://www.genesimmons.com the letters are VERY entertaining. Even if you are not a fan take the time to look them over. Just thought it was pretty cool and it's not often you find any entertainer/star who takes the time to respond as much as Gene does.
Here is an example of a letter and the dedication to his fans.

Gene,

Im sorry to say there will be 2 empty seats in the front row (sec 4) at tonights show in Minneapolis (Somerset, WI).

My husband has been over in Iraq and Egypt for the past 13 months. He was heart broken when he missed the Kiss/Aero tour last year. It was the first tour he has missed since the Asylum tour. When I found out that he would finally be home on June 25, I knew KISS would be less than 200 miles away, the very next day...i ran and got the amazing tickets. I was looking forward to seeing him get off that plane at the airport, but I was also looking forward to seeing the look on his face when he saw the tickets.
I got a call this last Thursday, that the USAF delayed the return of the unit for 2 days. So here I sit, just over an hour away from showtime and without my husband and without KISS. Tommorow, he will be home...but KISS wont be here.
The point of this letter will probably go unheard but I need to ask you as a KISS fan and the wife of a man that literally has KISS inked in his body and is a part of his soul............please, please, please come back to Minnesota or Iowa before the end of this tour. Dan has very few heros he looks up to......Gene Simmons and Eric Singer are 2 of them. Hes given up so much over the last year, I just wanted to start paying him back for how proud he has made me.

Thank You Gene
Shurie G

Response from Gene:

Please tell your husband that I will be proud to fly you both in to an upcoming KISS concert. And believe me, it's my pleasure.

jbfinscj · Post by **jbfinscj** » June 30, 2004 12:14 pm

JIMMY BUFFETT DISCUSSION JIMMY BUFFETT DISCUSSION

As always just kidding, that is very cool of Gene Simmons. I am not a huge Kiss fan, but I do respect the fact that he takes the time to respond to his fan's e-mails. It's nice to know that there are still artists out there who appreciate the fans...must be the reason why I appreciate Jimmy Buffett.

phjrsaunt · Post by **phjrsaunt** » June 30, 2004 12:19 pm

That's really cool!

Pascagoula Runner · Post by **Pascagoula Runner** » June 30, 2004 12:35 pm

"Don't try and describe a Kiss concert if you've never seen it..." Kiss was the first concert I ever went to (1978). In good 'ol Nashville TN of all places (at least to see Kiss). I've always been amazed at the number of Buffett fans who are also Kiss fans.

prrthd1987 · Post by **prrthd1987** » June 30, 2004 12:39 pm

Being a youngin, I have never really listened to KISS, but that is a really cool thing of Gene to do! You will have to tell us when you go to the concert!

12vmanRick · Post by **12vmanRick** » June 30, 2004 12:44 pm

I'd be willing to bet it took him years to get to that level of respect for his fans. Whether so or not, it would be nice if other artists realized how they are who they are and made efforts to be more personable, give true fans better seats, backstage passes, private parties, etc.. just my 2 cents probably worth less these days

Jahfin · Post by **Jahfin** » June 30, 2004 1:42 pm

I was a hardcore Kiss fan as a teenager back in the 70s and theirs was also one of the first concerts I ever went to (Rock n' Roll Over Tour 1977) but their music just hasn't aged well with me. Gene Simmons is a hard one to figure out. Obviously what he's done here is very nice but there's another side of him I absolutely detest, and that's the side that is downright disrespectful towards women (as evidenced by last year's Terry Gross interview on Fresh Air). It would be nice to know if that's just a persona or is it the real Gene Simmons.

job41475 · Post by **job41475** » June 30, 2004 1:59 pm

I haev had several interactions with Gene through work and they usually haven't been pleasant but that shouldn't take away from what he is doing here. I applaud him for taking care of this parrothead and her husband.

tejas · Post by **tejas** » June 30, 2004 2:06 pm

thats way cool!!! not a big fan of kiss, but did see them last year open for aerosmith, wild show, got a little foggy. and if you ain't ever seen it, theres no way you could desrcibe it.

job41475 · Post by **job41475** » June 30, 2004 3:14 pm

[quote="tejas"]thats way cool!!! not a big fan of kiss, but did see them last year open for aerosmith, wild show, got a little foggy. and if you ain't ever seen it, theres no way you could desrcibe it.[/quote]

haha. good one.

PirateJeff · Post by **PirateJeff** » June 30, 2004 4:39 pm

I've been to a few KISS concerts myself. I think Gene was like (I think still is) a professor of English at some college. Although with KISS' recent concert tours I don't how often he gets to class.

bubbagump · Post by **bubbagump** » July 1, 2004 12:10 pm

If my memeory serves me correctly he was a sixth grade social studies teacher

jollymon345 · Post by **jollymon345** » July 1, 2004 12:20 pm

I heard the English teacher thing several years ago. It was probably 10 years ago so I am not quite sure if he is an English teacher or has a degree in English Lit or something like that.

Jahfin · Post by **Jahfin** » July 1, 2004 12:57 pm

I hope this helps clear up the Gene Simmons teaching thing. From his bio at allmusic.com:

http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=am ... 7uaknk5m3z

Born August 25, 1949, and named Chaim Witz, he and his mother left Israel by the late '50s, relocating to the United States (New York City, to be exact). Witz's name was then changed to Gene Klein, as he discovered comic books and rock & roll soon after (he was even being groomed to be a rabbi at one point). As a teenager, he played bass in a number of New York-area bands (Long Island Sounds, etc.), and while in his early 20s, even tried his hand at teaching grade school. His teaching career was short-lived, as he meet another young rock & roll hopeful around this time: Stanley Eisen (Paul Stanley).