Sal Governale, longtime staffer on The Howard Stern Show, recently had a once-in-a-lifetime experience: spending the day with his rock idol, Gene Simmons of Kiss. A video of the meet-up has been released, giving fans a glimpse into their memorable day together.
Sal, known to Stern Show listeners as “Sal the Stockbroker,” rose to fame in the mid-1990s by making prank calls as a regular caller to the show. His passion and humor eventually landed him a job as a comedy writer in 2004, after he won the “Win John’s Job” contest, beating out other superfans for a spot on the team.
This meeting with Simmons is especially meaningful as Kiss officially played its final concerts in December 2023 at Madison Square Garden in New York City. The last show, held on December 2, was streamed live via pay-per-view. The band’s farewell tour, “End of the Road,” began in 2019 and was initially scheduled to wrap in 2021 but was delayed by the pandemic.
In early 2023, Kiss sold their full music catalog, image rights, and brand to Swedish company Pophouse Entertainment, the same team behind the hit ABBA Voyage project. With this deal, Simmons and fellow KISS co-founder Paul Stanley are now working on several new projects, including a biopic, an avatar-based show, and a themed experience.
Gene Simmons, who co-founded Kiss one of the most successful rock bands in American history, is not slowing down. He continues to perform with his Gene Simmon band featuring top-tier musicians like Brent Woods, Zach Throne, and Brian Tichy. His influence goes far beyond music, with successful ventures in TV, film, publishing, restaurants, and consumer products.
