In a new interview with Marci Wiser of the 95.5 KLOS radio station, gene Simmons confirmed KISS didn’t kick out David Lee Roth off the tour.
Here’s what he said (Transcribed by Blabbermouth):
“The point was if a truck runs you over, it doesn’t matter if the guy says, ‘I’m sorry I ran you over,’ because what’s the difference? You’ve been run over. So Dave‘s feelings were hurt. I’m profoundly sorry I hurt his feelings. That was certainly not my intention.”
When asked whether David was kicked out of the KISS tour, Gene said:
“Neither. The tour ended because of COVID — we all went home — and then we all made different plans. We didn’t know when we were gonna go out on tour [again], and so we decided this time to go back out with [David] Garibaldi, who’s a painter.”
Earlier Gene Simmons has clarified his original statement, telling US Weekly that his words were misconstrued.
Here’s what he said (Transcribed by Blabbermouth):
“I am so sorry and ashamed, actually, that I hurt David‘s feelings”
“I’m the guy, actually, that saw [VAN HALEN] at a club [in the 1970s], signed them to my production company, flew them to New York, produced their first 24-track 15-song demo and championed the band. And, actually, we took David out as our opening act on the [KISS ‘End Of The Road’] tour. And in the course of an interview… You hear me talking — I just sort of stream of consciousness… I don’t mean to hurt people’s feelings, and every once in a while, diarrhea of the mouth comes out.”
He continued:
“I read that quote, and somehow the way they put it together… I think I said something like, ‘Nobody touched David in his prime — not Robert Plant, not Jagger, not anybody… He was the king.’ And then somehow there was a segue to Elvis bloated on the ground and fat and naked and I don’t wanna see that. I wasn’t talking about David, but that doesn’t matter. What matters is I hurt David‘s feelings, and that’s more important than the intent. So I sincerely apologize for that. I didn’t mean to hurt his feelings. It reminds me of the guy that gets out of a truck and says, ‘Hey, I’m sorry, buddy. I didn’t mean to run you over.’ Well, what the f*ck’s the difference? You’ve been run over.”
Asked if he thinks the reason Roth felt so slighted by his comments is the fact that he respects Gene and values his opinion, Simmons responded:
“I don’t know. Nah. I don’t think anybody gives two sh*ts about what I think, and that’s the way it should be — treat everybody sort of on an equal plane. This is gonna get me in trouble too — even the Pope p*ops every day. You know, this kind of the humanity of it all. I’m not better than you; you’re not better than me. And feelings — that includes the Pope, who’s a good guy and everything — feelings are human. And anybody can hurt your feelings. I mean, you can be the king of anything, and a kid can come over and say, ‘Eh, you stink,’ in front of everybody else, and it can hurt your feeelings.
“So, for that I’m really sorry about. I never meant to hurt his feelings. But in the way the words came out, yeah, I could see where that was the impression. Not my intention.”
Earlier Van Halen legend David Lee Roth has fired back at Gene Simmons for his recent comments.
Roth shared a black-and-white photo of a little kid wearing sunglasses and sticking his tongue out with his middle finger extended, and he superimposed the text “Roth to Simmons:”
Have a look at the post below.
Earlier Gene Simmons had revealed KISS has dropped David Lee Roth as a support act KISS‘s rescheduled U.S. leg of the farewell tour.
This was confirmed by Gene Simmons in a new interview with Rolling Stone.
Here’s what Gene said:
“It bears noting that during Dave‘s heyday, nobody did what he did. He was the ultimate frontman. Not [Robert] Plant, not Rod Stewart, nobody. He took being a frontman way beyond anything. And then, I don’t know what happened to him… something. And you get modern-day Dave.
He concluded:
“I prefer to remember Elvis Presley in his prime. Sneering lips, back in Memphis, you know, doing all that. I don’t want to think of bloated naked Elvis on the bathroom floor.”