KISS’ Gene Simmons discussed Scott Weiland, Layne Staley, and Kurt Cobain in a new WRIF interview. Ultimate-Guitar transcribed quotes.
“The saddest part of all was that the Tiger Stadium show was originally gonna have Stone Temple Pilots opening up.
“I met [Scott] Weiland at a club and I said to him, ‘Look, you’ve got to be straight, cut it with all the heroin and the crap, respect the fans, get up un stage, do a great show, it’s all yours. We’ll support you, but I want you clean on stage.’
“‘Gene, I promise!’ It’s like with anybody who’s a drug addict and alcoholic. ‘I’ve been clean for a million years’ and stuff. And then he died.
“And I had the same conversation with Layne [Staley] right before they went up on stage. I said, ‘Layne, here they are, the fans, they’re lined up, it’s all yours. Just go out there and do great.’ ‘Gene, I have straightened up.’ And then he died.”
“If you were an alcoholic or drug addict, you’re gonna be that for the rest of your life.
“And that’s what they tell you at AA and other organizations – that every day it’s gonna be a decision. You’re gonna have to make that decision to be straight or ruin your life and hurt everybody around you.
“But what I’m saying of course is not cool, you’re supposed to get wasted and ‘Hope I die before I get old’ and all that stuff.
“In fact, my next book is coming out, it’s called ’27.’ It’s about all the sadness with these people who killed themselves. Frances Bean, Kurt Cobain’s daughter, is friends with my son, they hang out. You should read the quotes she does in the media. ‘Hey, it’s real cool your father dies while you’re still a baby from drugs.’ No, it sucks.”
Focusing on the book, Gene noted:
“It’s really about when you become rich and famous and everybody admires you – what is that thing that makes people destroy themselves? Even to die. What is that?
“The rest of the world adores you and your fans love you and they give you money and fame and all that, and then you kill yourself. I don’t get it.”
