Gene Simmons

You know, they looked like they were having a conniption. Outside of New York City, you think it's a connish. No, it's not. They were like having seizures. I never saw anything like that. And then I figured, that's probably not a bad job to have. And then right after that, by about 14, I joined a band. I couldn't play an instrument then. And I started to talk like that, you know.

Yeah, you know, I started to put on an accent, and I got the response. You know, the girls were saying, oh, you're not from here. No, not from here. And they go, oh, and all of a sudden you get more attention. Basically, Ben, dress British, think Yiddish. See what I did there? And the Beatles changed my life because I didn't realize it. I didn't know how to verbalize it.

Yeah, you know, I started to put on an accent, and I got the response. You know, the girls were saying, oh, you're not from here. No, not from here. And they go, oh, and all of a sudden you get more attention. Basically, Ben, dress British, think Yiddish. See what I did there? And the Beatles changed my life because I didn't realize it. I didn't know how to verbalize it.

Yeah, you know, I started to put on an accent, and I got the response. You know, the girls were saying, oh, you're not from here. No, not from here. And they go, oh, and all of a sudden you get more attention. Basically, Ben, dress British, think Yiddish. See what I did there? And the Beatles changed my life because I didn't realize it. I didn't know how to verbalize it.

early on, but they made it okay to be different. They spoke with an accent, and so did I. Tuk like this, you know, like Israelis with clipped vowels. And they looked different, and I sure didn't look like I came from Sweden. They made it okay to be different. Not only okay, they were the top of the pile. And so I...

early on, but they made it okay to be different. They spoke with an accent, and so did I. Tuk like this, you know, like Israelis with clipped vowels. And they looked different, and I sure didn't look like I came from Sweden. They made it okay to be different. Not only okay, they were the top of the pile. And so I...

early on, but they made it okay to be different. They spoke with an accent, and so did I. Tuk like this, you know, like Israelis with clipped vowels. And they looked different, and I sure didn't look like I came from Sweden. They made it okay to be different. Not only okay, they were the top of the pile. And so I...

taught myself how to play guitar initially, and then pragmatism rules, big word like gymnasium, I picked up a bass guitar because, a cheap Japanese version, because I realized everybody wanted to be a guitar player or drummer. Nobody wanted to be a bass player, but every band had a bass player. So increase your chances of being in a band, play bass.

taught myself how to play guitar initially, and then pragmatism rules, big word like gymnasium, I picked up a bass guitar because, a cheap Japanese version, because I realized everybody wanted to be a guitar player or drummer. Nobody wanted to be a bass player, but every band had a bass player. So increase your chances of being in a band, play bass.

taught myself how to play guitar initially, and then pragmatism rules, big word like gymnasium, I picked up a bass guitar because, a cheap Japanese version, because I realized everybody wanted to be a guitar player or drummer. Nobody wanted to be a bass player, but every band had a bass player. So increase your chances of being in a band, play bass.

Sure enough, everybody wanted me to be in their band because I could sing. It's a matter of opinion. And thump away at the bass guitar, and it's made me a pretty good living since then. I was thinking of buying Rhode Island, as a matter of fact.

Sure enough, everybody wanted me to be in their band because I could sing. It's a matter of opinion. And thump away at the bass guitar, and it's made me a pretty good living since then. I was thinking of buying Rhode Island, as a matter of fact.

Sure enough, everybody wanted me to be in their band because I could sing. It's a matter of opinion. And thump away at the bass guitar, and it's made me a pretty good living since then. I was thinking of buying Rhode Island, as a matter of fact.

Well, initially, what I noticed about being in a band was in the patois of the street, there were a lot of chicks. I mean, if I announced or held a sign, I'm studying to be a dentist, they're just not going to care. Later on, they do, once they realize you're making good living, and that's what it's about. And so the payoff was immediate.

Well, initially, what I noticed about being in a band was in the patois of the street, there were a lot of chicks. I mean, if I announced or held a sign, I'm studying to be a dentist, they're just not going to care. Later on, they do, once they realize you're making good living, and that's what it's about. And so the payoff was immediate.

Well, initially, what I noticed about being in a band was in the patois of the street, there were a lot of chicks. I mean, if I announced or held a sign, I'm studying to be a dentist, they're just not going to care. Later on, they do, once they realize you're making good living, and that's what it's about. And so the payoff was immediate.

You get more popular, you get more girls and all that, because That's our primordial, you know, the urge to merge. That's what we... Well, I'm giving you a lot of stuff here. You're going to be able to use this in political discussions. And so... At the same time, I was working.

You get more popular, you get more girls and all that, because That's our primordial, you know, the urge to merge. That's what we... Well, I'm giving you a lot of stuff here. You're going to be able to use this in political discussions. And so... At the same time, I was working.

You get more popular, you get more girls and all that, because That's our primordial, you know, the urge to merge. That's what we... Well, I'm giving you a lot of stuff here. You're going to be able to use this in political discussions. And so... At the same time, I was working.

I became the assistant to the director of the Puerto Rican Interagency Council, a government research and demonstration project. I was the only Jew there, but because it was a government research and demonstration project, there was a percentage of non-Puerto Ricans who had to be there. And I was the one because I took typing classes in high school, pragmatism, because all the girls...