Paul Stanley said there was a rare quality behind Gene Simmons’ public persona.
The pair have been bandmates in Kiss for 50 years, so there’s been more than enough time and interaction for the guitarist to come to know the bassist very well.
“Gene is a team player, and he loves the band, and wants what’s best for it, even if it’s not always what’s best for him,” Stanley recently told Classic Rock. “I love Gene’s ability to put his own advantages and possibilities within the band by the side, to do whatever is best for the collective. I admire that quality because you don’t find it that often in people.”
He added, “Underneath all the bravado and all the Gene Simmons schtick is a very caring and very kind and giving person who takes care of a lot of people, far outside and beyond his family. I respect that very much.”
This isn’t the first time Stanley has discussed the pair’s relationship. In 2014 he admitted he felt betrayed when Simmons appeared to be more interested in his solo projects in the ‘80s. “There was a lot of anger and resentment at everybody’s lack of focus,” the guitarist said. “But ultimately I felt a sense of betrayal by Gene. The other people I could understand, but Gene was the person I depended on for ethics and commitments. … His sense of entitlement was bullshit, and it was beyond annoying to me. … It was such a slap in the face.”
More lightheartedly, Stanley noted in 2012 that “Gene lives about five minutes from me – I can see his ego from my house! … Gene enjoys being out there saying ‘me, me, me’ when it’s actually ‘we, we, we.’ We’re partners, and part of the dynamic of a successful partnership is knowing its limitations. Friends come and go. We’re family, which is more important.”
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