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KISS’s Gene Simmons says he doesn’t have friends: “How do I say this without sounding inhuman?”

The Demon didn’t get into rock ’n’ roll for the company.

Gene Simmons of KISS

Image: dpa picture alliance / Alamy

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Despite being in a band for more than half his life, KISS bassist Gene Simmons is of the opinion that he has no friends.

The 73-year-old rocker opened up about his lack of friends and his lack of need for friends in the October/November 2022 issue of Goldmine magazine, saying that even with bandmate Paul Stanley, they only get together when they have band matters to discuss.

“Even today as I sit here, other than Paul, and we only get together when we do stuff for the band… How do I say this without sounding inhuman? I don’t have friends.”

He added: “Yeah, if friends means, ‘Gee, I don’t know what I’m going to do this afternoon. Hey, you want to come over and hang out?’ I’m more interested in what I want to do, and I don’t want to pretend that I’m interested in what you want to do because I am not.”

Despite Simmons’ solo tendencies, the duo have managed to rock it out in the same band for decades, to the relief of fans around the world.

Commenting on their relationship in a 2006 interview on KISS’s official website, Simmons admitted that while the two don’t always agree when it comes to musical changes or choice of songs, “intrinsically and at the heart of it, Paul is simply the brother [he] never had.”

“I feel closer to Paul than anyone I know,” he said. “I have almost no friends. On purpose. I prefer acquaintances.”

“I don’t expect anything from anyone and I don’t want anyone coming to me with their problems. Everyone is a grown up. But I digress. Paul and I live very close to each other and we don’t see each other often. But at the end, he knows I will always be in his corner, simply because I respect him.”

The band is currently on their End of the Road farewell tour, which they recently announced will be extended “for another 100 cities.”

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