It appears that everyone's favorite demon is keeping true to his comments that rock is dead. In fact, Kiss frontman, Gene Simmons, has now declared that there has not been an iconic artist who has emerged since 1988.
In a recent interview with Joel Nichols from KCL down in Kansas City, Simmons was asked to elaborate on his comments from last month – when he actually claimed "rock is dead" – in order to perhaps clear the air. To that, however, the musician-turned-reality star spun the question to Nichols, asking, "I'm going to ask you a question, and you decide, okay? From 1958 until 1988 is 30 years. Name hundreds and hundreds of classic rock acts. Okay, I've got Elvis Presley, The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, Jimi Hendrix, Led Zeppelin... on and on. Even Motown – Madonna, Prince, Michael Jackson."
Following Nichols addition of Roy Orbison, Simmons continues, "From 1988 until today, just give me five. ... You can't name [them]. Iconic? No."
Furthermore, Simmons claimed that the reason rock and roll is officially dead is because "when technology outpaces the laws of the land it's the wild west. People just go and grab territory and don't pay for it. ... It devalues new bands."
Unfortunately it appears, according to Mr. Simmons, the next Beatles or the next Kiss merely "do not have a chance."
The rock star was in the Kansas City area to promote the opening of a Rock & Brews restaurant chain franchise. Check out the whole interview below:
So, who agrees? Disagrees?
