10 Most Outspoken Men In Rock And Metal History
3. Gene Simmons
Comic book supervillains aren't real, but in the eyes of many modern rock fans Gene Simmons is about as close as you can get. The 72-year-old Israeli born bassist is most well known through the legendary rock band, KISS, but has been gaining attention for other reasons in recent years. Although, landing himself in hot water for hot takes is hardly a new pastime for Gene.
Simmons can sometimes be in the good books, much like the time he defended the band's imagery and denied that they were Satanists (see video), but he generally has a habit of making an antagonist of himself. In 2002, he was slammed for sexist remarks in an interview with Terry Gross, when he claimed "if you want to welcome me with open arms, I’m afraid you’re also going to have to welcome me with open legs". He made matters worse for himself further down the line by saying "men don’t care about women’s jobs. They care if she has a big set of jugs and a nice ass."
His controversies continued years later when in response to an interview question about depression, he said "F*ck you, then kill yourself". Amazingly though, the comment he received the most backlash for from the rock community was his infamous "rock is dead" statement, to the anthem of universal uproar. But you have to wonder why Simmons gets more heat for saying rock is dead than telling depressed people to kill themselves.