The Current Music Blog: August 25, 2009 Archive

Tuesday Coffee Break: Gene Simmons is 60

Posted at 8:42 AM on August 25, 2009 by Steve Seel (5 Comments)
Filed under: 9:30 Coffee Break

(updated below with your requests)
Love him or hate him, you can't ignore him - and he wouldn't have it any other way. Gene Simmons of Kiss is 60 years old today.

He's said incredibly offensive things. He's proven a master entertainer, promoter, and marketer. He claims to have never taken drugs, drank or smoked in his entire life. He's socially very liberal but strongly supported the military objectives of the Bush administration. He has achieved exactly what he set out to do as a young man: become a multi-millionare rock star, by knowing exactly how to manipulate the message and the medium. He's really quite gross, but that's all part of the marketing strategy, isn't it?

So help us wish Gene Simmons a happy birthday today, with a set of songs that communicate your own special fondness or antipathy toward the guy. Whatever you say, we're sure he'll take it as a compliment.

Update: your requests we played:

1) Carly Simon, "You're So Vain"
2) The Beach Boys, "Hold On To Your Ego"
3) The Who, "You Better You Bet" (why? Because of this - explained in the first entry under "Controversies")
4) KISS, "Ladies Room" (so chosen because It's a classically offensive KISS title, and Gene sings it)

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