Gene Simmons has apologized to David Lee Roth after making some insulting comments about founding Van Halen frontman during a recent Rolling Stone interview while discussing why Roth, who was KISS‘ 2020 support act, wasn’t opening for them on the band’s 2021 U.S. tour.
In the Rolling Stone interview, Simmons seemingly negatively compared Roth’s career to the late Elvis Presley‘s. Iin response, Diamond Dave posted a photo on his social media sites of a boy holding up his middle finger with the caption “Roth to Simmons.”
Now, in a new video interview with US Weekly, Simmons says, “I am so sorry and ashamed…that I hurt David’s feelings,” adding, “I don’t mean to hurt people’s feelings, and every once in a while, diarrhea of the mouth comes out.”
In the Rolling Stone interview, Simmons began by saying that during Roth’s heyday he was “the ultimate frontman,” but then said, “I don’t know what happened to him…I prefer to remember Elvis Presley in his prime. Sneering lips, back in Memphis…I don’t want to think of bloated naked Elvis on the bathroom floor.”
Simmons tells US Weekly, “I read that quote, and somehow the way they put it together…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.”
Simmons also discussed with US Weekly how he signed Van Halen to his production company early in their career, then “produced their first 24-track 15-song demo and championed the band.”
KISS continues its End of the Road farewell tour tonight with a show in Toledo, Ohio.
(Video contains censored profanity.)
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