Gene Simmons was asked if David Lee Roth, who has since been replaced by performance painter Garibaldi, is still the opening act for KISS’ End Of The Road tour in a recent interview with Rolling Stone.
Simmons said: “No. It’s important to remember that no one did what Dave did in his prime. He was the best frontman ever. No one—not Rod Stewart, nor Plant. He went above and beyond what was expected of a frontman. I’m not sure what happened to him after that. And you get Dave of today. I would rather think of Elvis Presley when he was at his best. You know, sneering lips, doing all that back in Memphis. Elvis on the bathroom floor, obese and nude, is not something I want to imagine.
Roth responded to Simmons’ remarks by taking to social media to share the image below
Gene says: “I really apologize and feel guilty that I offended David. Actually, it was me who spotted Van Halen in a club, signed them to my production business, Man Of A Thousand Faces, flew them to New York, made their first 24-track demo, which consisted of 15 songs, and supported the band. In fact, we brought David on as our tour’s opening act. During an interview, you may hear me rambling incoherently. I don’t wish to offend anyone, but occasionally I have a case of diarrhea of the mouth.
“I came upon that quotation, and the way they put it together somehow… “Nobody touched David in his prime, not Robert Plant, not Jagger, not anybody,” I believe I said. He ruled as king. Somehow, there was a cut to Elvis nude, fat, and bloated on the ground, and I don’t want to witness that. It doesn’t matter that I wasn’t referring to David. The fact that I offended David is more significant than the intention. For that, I genuinely apologize. I didn’t intend to offend him. It makes me think of the person who says, “Hey, buddy, I’m sorry,” after getting out of a truck. I didn’t intend to collide with you. What the fuck is the difference, then? You’ve been run over The interviewer then poses the following question to Gene: “Do you believe—and this is just my conjecture—that his anger might have resulted from how much he respects and values your… as you mentioned, you signed up for all those demos? That you discovered that was the impetus behind it before he became a rock star and before he became who he is now. Do you believe that the level of respect and admiration you receive could be that high?
Gene: “No. I don’t think anyone cares about my opinions, and that’s how it should be—everyone should be treated fairly. I’m going to go into trouble for this too. The Pope even sucks. daily. This is the humanity of it all, you know. Neither you nor I are superior to one another. The Pope is a good man, but that doesn’t change the fact that everyone has feelings, and anyone may harm them. Even if you are the king of everything, it can still hurt your feelings when a child approaches you and says, “Eh, you stink,” in front of everyone else. Therefore, I really apologize for that. I didn’t intend to offend him. However, I could see where that notion arose from the manner the sentences were spoken. It wasn’t my goal.