Gene Simmons on Why He Had to Be The Demon

Video Description

If Gene Simmons’ hard exterior scared you off, it did its job. As a founding member of the band KISS, Gene has spent decades putting on what he calls a persona, and today it comes off — at least a little. We talk about Gene’s journey, including being raised by a single, adoring mother, the origins of KISS, and why Ozzy Osbourne’s down-to-earth demeanor had such an impact on Gene. The man in the chair across from me seems to fluctuate between Gene — a father, husband, and son — and The Demon — a protective layer for the public eye. It’s perhaps in the brief moments of switching from one to the other that the real magic happens, when we get to see all the ways that they connect. 🔗 Listen to more episodes! 🎧 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/5P9SJGolq3Nh0MQYEfcmkv?si=29801419ed1c489f 🍎 Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/fail-better-with-david-duchovny/id1742253720 🌐 All platforms: https://lemonada.lnk.to/failbetterYT 📺 Subscribe for new videos every Tuesday: https://www.youtube.com/@FailBetterwithDavidDuchovny 📬 Join our newsletter for Fail Better news and updates: https://lemonadamedia.com/newsletter/ 📲 Follow Lemonada on social media @lemonadamedia 📲 Follow David on Instagram @davidduchovny For a list of current sponsors and discount codes for this and every other Lemonada show, go to lemonadamedia.com/sponsors. 00:00 Intro 01:26 Reinvention and the inception of KISS 05:08 The death of Wicked Lester 08:48 First time trying the makeup 10:36 Gene is a music encyclopedia 12:37 The origins of the iconic KISS personas 17:48 Black music vs White music 19:55 Working with Jerry Leiber 21:44 Writing with Bob Dylan 23:45 Non-KISS songwriting 25:18 Learning humility from Ozzy Osbourne 27:58 Future of KISS / Pophouse 30:37 KISS Army and Live Shows 33:00 Success of Alive! 35:26 Can people recognize Gene without makeup? 39:30 Gene’s mother’s influence 43:34 Money is the salve 45:00 Benevolent psychopath 48:08 The appeal of The Demon 52:07 What’s next for Gene? 53:40 Gene does an impression of David's acting 56:57 Wrap-up