The music world is still coming to grips with the death of Prince. His influence touched anyone that was alive in the ’80s, and while his official cause of death hasn’t been released yet, there have been reports in the media that he might have struggled with addiction to painkillers. KISS bassist Gene Simmons, however, is barely waiting for the body to get cold before condemning him. Speaking to Newsweek about the passing of Prince and David Bowie, he calls Bowie’s death “tragic, because it was a real sickness.” He blames drugs for Prince’s death, however:
His drugs killed him. What do you think, he died from a cold? I think Prince was heads, hands and feet above all the rest of them. I thought he left [Michael] Jackson in the dust. Prince was way beyond that. But how pathetic that he killed himself. Don’t kid yourself, that’s what he did. Slowly, I’ll grant you… but that’s what drugs and alcohol is: a slow death.”
At this point, Simmons is pretty much trotted out to create soundbites. Even he kind of realizes that later in the interview when he’s asked to clarify his stance that he’s looking forward to the day rap dies. “I’ve got to watch my words,” he says, adding that it wasn’t meant to be mean-spirited. He goes on to state that he likes EDM because it’s honest, and he appreciates the studio craft of pop music, even though he says it’s dishonest live. And in case you were wondering what his thoughts are on the Presidential election, as someone that’s been on Apprentice, it seems like he’s in the bag for Trump.
The Donald Trump that was on The Apprentice is the same one you see in front of everybody. He doesn’t read cue cards, nobody writes his speeches for him… if you see the animal and see the stripes on the animal, it’s a true description of the animal. If you like it you’ll vote for it, if you don’t you won’t. Hillary Clinton is a humanist, she cares about people, but don’t kid yourself—she’s a politician. Politicians will lie to their mothers about anything. Trump, good, bad or otherwise, will tell anybody to fuck off because he uses his own money and doesn’t need your money to run. I think more business people are needed in government. The better off they are, the less you can buy them off. How many politicians have been bought off with cash?
You would think for someone that breathes fire that he might be feeling the Bern, but apparently not. The interview is pretty interesting whether you love Simmons or hate him, but we’re pretty sure what side most people are on.
