Gene Simmons has a few lessons for business that don’t involve tongue wagging or fake blood

Celleen Michele Jones | Biz Journals

howtosimmons*800xx3000-1688-0-141Gene Simmons— the Kiss rock star of makeup, tongue-flashing and platform boot fame – is also a shrewd businessman. A self-made entrepreneur. And a complete marketing genius.

Just ask him.

In his recently published book “Me, Inc: Build an Army of One, Unleash Your Inner Rock God, Win in Life and Business,” Israeli-born Simmons, recounts in his uniquely matter-of-fact, say-it-like-it-is manner, how he emigrated to America with his Holocaust-survivor single mother determined to make it big.

Simmons, now 65, has built a merchandising and branding empire around Kiss, the band he co-founded more than 40 years ago and which regularly sells out concert arenas and even Kiss Kruises.

Sharing business advice from a guy known as the Demon isn’t the type of fare often produced by the Jacksonville Business Journal – but having a bonafide member of the Kiss Army on our reporting staff meant we couldn’t pass up the opportunity to see what Simmons has to say.

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Ace Frehley Kicks off ‘Space Invader’ tour in New Brunswick

Blabbermouth.net

Original KISS guitarist Ace Frehley kicked off his “Space Invader” tour on November 13 at the State Theatre in New Brunswick, New Jersey.

His setlist was as follows:

01. Lost In Limbo (first time played live since 1992)
02. Gimme A Feelin’ (live debut)
03. Toys (live debut)
04. Parasite (KISS song)
05. Snowblind
06. Love Gun (KISS song) (Scot Coogan on vocals)
07. Breakout (Richie Scarlett on vocals)
08. Space Invader (live debut)
09. King Of The Night Time World (KISS song) (Scot Coogan on vocals)
10. Strutter (KISS song) (Scot Coogan on vocals)
11. Change (started song but aborted)
12. Bass Solo
13. Strange Ways (KISS song) (Chris Wyse on vocals)
14. Rock Soldiers
15. New York Groove (HELLO cover)
16. Shock Me (KISS song)
17. Ace Frehley Guitar Solo
18. Rocket Ride (KISS song)
19. 2 Young 2 Die (Richie Scarlett on vocals)
20. Shot Full Of Rock (first time played live since 2008)

Encore:

21. Cold Gin (KISS song)

 

Frehley‘s touring lineup includes none other than Richie Scarlet, who rode shotgun performing rhythm guitar and vocal duties on Ace‘s “Trouble Walking” platter in 1989, and is doing so again on stage. Richie toured with Ace in 1984 and 1985 and periodically from 1989 through 1995 and was also known for touring with Sebastian Bach.

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Peter Criss gets cancer survivors Hall of Fame nod

VVN Music

Peter-CrissFormer KISS member Peter Criss will be this year’s inductee into the Cancer Research and Treatment Fund’s Cancer Survivor Hall of Fame.

The Hall of Fame “honors an inspirational cancer survivor with an induction into our Cancer Survivors Hall of Fame. These individuals represent the courage of all who struggle daily with the battle against cancer.”

Criss was exercising in 2007 when he noticed a lump in his breast. The lump was diagnosed as breast cancer and, in 2008, Peter had a lumpectomy followed by a mastectomy. Because the disease was found early, he did not have to go through chemotherapy.

Since that time, Criss has been an vocal advocate against the stigma of breast cancer in men. He told reporters in 2009 “It can happen to you, and when it does, if you don’t deal with it right away, with your ‘dude’ and your metal and your tattoos, you’ll go in the box and we’ll see you.”

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