GeneSimmons.com - Fan Stories

Archive 886

Hi, Gene!

I have been a Kiss fan for only seven months, but it feels longer than that. My name is Michael and I'm from Sweden. I just wanted to tell you that I too have never been drunk, high or anything in my life and I am 17 years old.

I didn't imitate you or anything, it's just that I've never been interested in alcohol, drugs and cigarettes/cigars. Why waste money and health when you can just be yourself? I hope to hear from you soon!

Take care!

/Michael

Not a question. I used to work for The Press Office, West Coast as a publicist for KISS. Gene was always a good business man, but what people never saw was how normal and funny he was. My son (who never met Gene) grew up rockin to KISS, while I was working for them. My grandson is now surrounded by KISS memorablia, so into the 3rd generation. We LOVE the Family Jewels and sorry Genie your evil act doesn't quite wash when you see the kids and Shannon. Great role model and the funniest rock expose yet. Thanks for letting everyone see the normal, funny guy behind the make-up we all saw years ago.

Steve Ramsbacher

Hey Gene,

I work as a photographer, photographing families in their churches for pictorial directories. One Saturday last month, an older couple came in for their sitting, two grandkids they were watching in tow. The girl, wearing a blue windbreaker with something ebrodered on her upper left side, was about 9; her brother was younger. The kids waited to the side as I photographed their grandparents.

The kids were quiet and well-behaved during the 10 minute photo session. I thanked the grandparents for coming in, and instructed them to wait outside and we'll blahblahblah show them their blahblahblah photos in just a few minutes. I then turned to the young girl, who had a sweet smile. I leaned over and pointed at her stitching, which read, "Shandi."

"Shandi," I read aloud. "What's that, honey?"

"That's my name," the girl replied proudly. "I'm named after a song by KISS!"

I chuckled. "Really?! We'll, I'm a KISS fan, and I'm sorry to say that I never heard of that song! It must be one of their later releases. I'll have to check that out on the internet." I went on to say, "I saw KISS back in 1978, at the Philadelphia Spectrum. It was really neat." Gesturing along my lower legs, "You shoulda seen it. Gene Simmons had these braces that came up out of the floor to support his legs," I continued, standing straight up, "And he went waaaaaay up into the air! And he was playing his bass, and he had these bat wings, and..."

The girl became unleashed. Her eyes bugged out, and she flapped her hands excitedly as she stepped wildly in place, "Ooooh! Oooooh! And he's got this tongue that goes La-la-la-la-la-la-laaa! La-la-la-la--la-la-la-laaa! And he spits blood, Pwtt! Pwtt-pwtt Pwtt!"

I damn near peed my pants, I was laughing so proudly at her! "That's real cool, heh?" I asked her.

"YEAHHH!!" she replied, still wide-eyed, beaming as if she had just witnessed the second coming. I tapped her on the shoulder and commented, "Well, it looks as if someone's raising *you* right!" The girl nodded, as she smiled back.

After a quarter century of prominence in the rock world, it's wonderful to see such young people ignited by KISS!

Bil Sullivan
Seguin, Texas

Hey Gene,

Just letting you know that "Gene Simmons Family Jewels" is FINALLY going to be shown on a Free-To-Air channel here in New Zealand starting this coming Thursday at 9.30pm! Can't wait!!!

http://www.primetv.co.nz/default.asp?t=0&dayId=4

A brief clip of you at the XBox 360 Guitar Hero II promo was also shown on late news recently too... with the 2 lovely ladies currently on your home page!

Annnndddd... my partner ripped out a page of the current (April 16, 2007 (NZ Edition)) issue of Woman's Day for me, which has 2 pics of you with the following caption...

"KISS frontman Gene Simmons could use some of his old face paint after emerging from nine hours of cosmetic surgery. Gene, 57, and his 50-year-old girlfriend Shannon Tweed had his 'n' her's facelifts as part of a reality TV show."

All the best

Regards to Miss Shannon, Nick and Miss Sophie

Take care

Philip Gilmer
Auckland, NZ

Hi gene

i really think i am your long lost daughter no really im kidding but look at my tongue it looks just like yours but i hope all is well and i love your show keep up the good work bye hun

Hi Gene

I thought might enjoy this Peta cover I made (no copyright infringement to worry about) which has Snippy sitting in your Chain Mail Chair.

Have a good one!
Peter

Gene,

I just watched a video posting on the You Tube web site from the show "American Journal" where former lead guitarist Ace Frehley is destroying a hotel room. I have a couple of questions for you: Were you and Paul aware of this juvenile behavior when he was a member of the band?( Please tell me you and Paul never were accomplices on Ace's mission of destruction.Truthfully Gene, I'd be shocked if you and Paul were ever involved). Secondly I'm sure there is an accountability factor for this act of vandalism. Did the band (KISS) pay for repairs or did the juvenile perpetrator Mr.Frehley pay the bill? I'm certain the repair charges were not cheap, and for the life of me Gene, what kind of positive accomplishment did he get out of this? I do not understand the concept. I don't know about Ace, but me I want to inflate my pocket book not deflate it! You and Paul must have had the patience of Jobe to have tolerated this type of behavior for as long as you did.Incidentally, I love your show Gene Simmons family jewels, and your children, they are very respectable, loving and obedient kids. I'm a firm believer that children are a reflection of their parents. You and Shannon should be very proud Gene.

Kindest regards and continued blessings to you and your family
a PROUD KISS fan for 32 years and counting....

A.Sahaid
Lakewood,CA.

Response from Gene:

What do you think.

Hello, Mr. Simmons-

(I am a little long-winded, but please, stick with reading this letter-for a fan's sake...jeez, that sounds stupid! but please, read this)
My name is Jennifer. I have known my husband, Steven, for twenty-seven years, together twenty-two of those, married seventeen of those. During all this time, I have been completely inundated with KISS! I know more about the group than probably many of your fans. I am not a fan. Not that I hate KISS, it's just not my thing. Besides, I like to tease Steven by hating KISS Anyway, the man that I gave my heart to loves KISS. So...

The point (let me rephrase....) One of the points of this letter is that I just wanted to say that I have been watching your show and it has reinforced many of my impressions of you...full of yourself, obsessed with sex and KISS and money, and whacked! in your ideas of marriage. But, it also, refreshingly, surprised me by the normality of your home life, your devotion and love you have for your children (beautiful, by the way!) and for Shannon Tweed. I am so impressed by the values that you keep in your life and family, despite the fact that you could do anything you want. My children have grown up sticking out their tongues and knowing the names Gene, Paul, Ace and Peter practically before they could say "Mommy". But just because we love rock and roll does not mean that a family can just run amok. I am so glad that you and your family have the courage to go on television and show that rock and roll families are not synonymous with cussing and drugs.

I can see that "marriage" can be seen as a contract and that a businessman like yourself who, I assume, would find that binding in more ways than one would not want to enter into such a contract. However, I applaude your commitment to Shannon Tweed and only wish that all the men who do get married could be so honest and true to the women they profess to love and honor 'til death....or until they start thinking with their...well, I don't believe that men just get a hard-on and forget their wives. Men always get hard-ons--that doesn't mean they don't love the woman they are with. I believe men get a fear of death and are trying to recapture the youth they have lost. Like in 'Moonstruck', "why does a man need more than one woman?" "...they fear death". I think you are showing men that it is not a piece of paper that makes or break a "marriage", but that if a man has found a woman that he loves, that he desires and that makes him happy, he should be honest enough and have the balls to honor that woman by treating her the best way possible.... I also think, and I may be wrong (it has happened once or twice before- ha, ha), but I think that if you ever felt like leaving the relationship, you would have the decency to talk to Shannon before you humiliated her by cheating on her. Because you are a lover of women. You honor women (dubiously in some eyes, I guess). You are a thinker and you seem to always think things through before making a move that would cause you and those you love harm. So, as much as I hate to admit it, especially to my husband! I have come to respect you in many ways..... I still hate the blood spitting! :) AND, applause to Shannon Tweed for sticking it to you every chance she gets!! And for keeping things straight in your lives.

To both of you--your children seem wonderful and I hope my four (and I had to say No! to the Kiss names every time!) turn out as well.

One final thing...a favor to ask...guess you knew that would be coming...My husband's name is Steven. He is a drummer and has played in bands for about 17 years. He almost joined a KISS tribute band once--actually I think you have had that band at some of your KISS shows or something...Anyway, he had a screwed up childhood which included his mother dying of cancer when he was almost 13. Things went completely downhill from there. Steven cut his musical teeth on Steppenwolf, Deep Purple, Grand Funk...but KISS was his refuge. That sums it up. He is now 40 years old and their is rarely a day that he does not wear at least one KISS shirt. And, although he loves the music, it was the concept that really captured him. The whole idea of having a superhero-type persona to escape to. And the 'Demon' was his favorite, next was Ace's Spaceman. This obsession, as I like to call it in my more menstrual moments, was good for him and maybe a little bad. But, as a woman who loves him, I just wanted to tell you what you and the band meant and mean to him. He got to go back stage once and see y'all. That was with Eric Carr. And that was huge for him! So, the favor I am asking is that maybe sometime you could just give him a call or send him a note or something...I have always dreamed of having a birthday party for him with a surprise guest (possibly you??). His birthday is August 27 (yes, I know, two days after yours). Maybe a birthday card?? So, that's the question. Of course, with all the letters you get, I know you will probably never see this, but Steven is worth a try...

Thank you so much for your time!! Take care of yourself, your family and your mother. You seem to already have the best, so I will just wish you the continuation of such....
Jennifer Barrett Hodges

Gene,

I was watching your show when you were talking about the bikini car wash idea. I've got a real good twist to that which I believe would blow that idea away. I've done a lot of research on it and I know you would really find it to be a HUGH money maker! Interested? Let me know.

Bill Hiner

Response from Gene:

Thanks, Bill. Prefer YOU implement your idea. Go get em.

Dear Gene,

My name is Bari and yea I am a girl..LOL!! I admire your relationship with your kids. It seemed like my family a very long time ago. My father died when I was 14 and I will be 30 in August. The episode when you came home from the Hospital from getting a facelift, and Sophie was really upset about what you looked like really touched me. My father was everything to me and it seems like yesterday that he died. It will be 15 years July 3rd. I am some what afraid of having kids because I don't want them to go threw what I did at such a young age.Any way You have a great family and you all are so close. I really miss that. Anyway thank you for your time and keep rockin . Me and my hubby watch you every Sunday.

Bari Stager

Hi Gene,

That face-lift looked painful Sunday night. When you got home, it freaked your kids out. You said you weren't in any pain, but were you on any kind of pain medication during the process? Knowing how you feel about drugs, I was kind of wondering your stance on prescription drugs for pain?

Frank
NJ

Response from Gene:

No pain medication.

Well, you did the surgery. Not sure why. You and Shannon were/are gorgeous just as you were/are. But who can tell someone what to do or not what to do? I hope you feel it was worth it. I could almost feel the pain Shannon was feeling, and you looked so different, I felt I was watching a different show. Sophie's and Nick's reactions to seeing you when you came home mirrored my feelings. You and Shannon are perfect. Why mess with perfection?

I am 48 years old and dyed my hair for years. I am now going natural and I don't look at my strands of gray as gray; I feel they are a beautiful silver. I call it "antique highlights"! I'm done with trying to look like I'm ten years younger. I just want to 'be'.

Lorelei.
LG LIMOS