KISS’ Gene Simmons recently opened up about his regrets regarding his former bandmates, Ace Frehley and Peter Criss. In a candid interview with Backstage Pass, Simmons reflected on the band’s long history and expressed sorrow over how he managed the issues that led to Frehley and Criss’s departures.
Simmons admitted that he wishes he had been stricter with Frehley and Criss, particularly concerning their substance abuse problems. “Looking back, I feel sad. Hindsight is always 20/20,” he remarked. “I regret not being tougher on Ace and Peter, the original guitarist and drummer of KISS,” he added, emphasizing that he has always abstained from drugs and alcohol.
“I’ve always felt like an outsider in that respect,” Simmons continued. “The rest of the world seemed to be driven by drugs.” Despite their personal issues, Simmons acknowledged the significant contributions Frehley and Criss made to the band’s early success. “There’s no denying it was the chemistry between us. They had unique voices and personalities,” he said. “They should have been here with us, celebrating 50 or 55 years of hard work. But unfortunately, they’re not.”
Simmons also discussed the repeated departures of Frehley and Criss from the band. “It was their own doing,” he stated. “They were in and out of the band three different times, each time for the same reasons.”
The interview sheds light on the internal struggles that have plagued KISS over the years. Simmons’s reflections offer a glimpse into the challenges of maintaining a successful band while dealing with personal issues among its members.
