Kiss sold an estimated amount of more than 100 million records worldwide and was on the road for 50 years but there are many Rock and Roll fans who don’t like the band and some of them especially Gene Simmons. Usually it’s because of the way he talks about money like it was the most important thing for him in life. In an interview with Kara Mayer Robinson (Transcribed by Blabbermouth), the bassist and singer shared answered about people who call him an “assh*le”.
Gene Simmons’ response to those who don’t like him
“I would say there are some — could be a large number, could not — who think I’m an asshole. In fact, I named my second solo album ‘Asshole’, which, I thought, was akin to black people taking possession of the ‘n’ word. And fat people, overweight people, obese people, taking possession of that, so that you lessen the impact of that.
“I’m okay with being labeled or thought of as an asshole, because I know who I am,” he continued. “And there are other people who think, ‘You only do this for money.’ And my response is — of course. Why am I not salt of the earth when almost all the jobs on the face of the planet are performed by people who don’t like the job they have, and the only reason they’re doing that is to be able to earn money to feed their families and put a roof over their head? Only for money.”
He continued:
“Nobody wants to dig ditches on a highway. The building we’re in, somebody had to put up. They do that every day. They go to work, do the same thing every day, nine to five, five days a week. Join the union or not, and break their backs and never get rich, just to be able… ‘That’s the salt of the earth.’ Why can’t I be salt of the [earth]?”
“The fact that I make more money? But I also give to philanthropy. And by the way, it’s none of your fucking business who or what or where. I’m not trying to impress you or not. I know who I am. And maybe that’s the best thing to do in life, is to just be comfortable in your own skin, ’cause not everybody likes Jesus either,” Gene Simmons said.