Nikki Sixx Calls Gene Simmons an ‘Overrated, Lucky Guy That Dresses Like a Clown’
Gene Simmons has apologized for calling Prince's death "pathetic," but Nikki Sixx isn't willing to forgive and forget. As previously reported, Sixx entered the fray over Simmons' remarks last week via Twitter, telling followers that the Kiss co-founder's characterization of Prince's death was "heartless and uneducated" and saying the whole mess "shows why he’s not my hero anymore or anybody’s." But even after venting on social media, Sixx had more to say.
WENN reports that Sixx continued to weigh in on the controversy during a subsequent episode of his radio show, telling listeners that at this point, "Nothing that Gene Simmons says resonates with me."
Offering examples of the ways in which Simmons has disappointed him in recent years, Sixx continued, "When you're in Gene's position, you should have a little bit more than a narrow-minded, bullying sense of what's happening on the Earth. He said that if you're depressed, kill yourself. He's pro-Trump, he's pro a lot of things that I think are negative."
Sixx's issues with Simmons aren't just social — he went on to argue that he's lost his way creatively too. Calling him "overrated" and a "lucky guy that dresses like a clown," he continued, "He wrote some good songs — hasn't in a long time. ... I like my heroes to be humble. I like my heroes to have compassion. And I like my heroes to be open to change. I don't like my heroes to be egotistical a--holes. Gene Simmons, you're no longer my hero."
Classic Rock Magazine reports that Sixx doubled down on his remarks in a separate interview, claiming that "nobody in rock" respects Simmons and suggesting that he "call it a day." "If you wanna compare Prince to Kiss ... there's no comparison," said Sixx. "Prince has been an amazing artist. He's kept his standard high over the years and was never just about money and ego – it was about music."
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