Katey Sagal talks drugs, sex with Gene Simmons

Examiner

Katey Sagal appeared on Wednesday morning’s Howard Stern Show to talk about her history in show business, her dark past and her father’s tragic accidental death at the hands of a helicopter blade.

Sagal entered acting as a teenager thanks to her father Boris, who was an acclaimed television director. But Sagal says that her real passion was music. She sang back up for Bob Dylan (who she described as “a little on the creepy side”), Bette Midler (“It was the hardest job”) and she got her first record contract thanks to Gene Simmons (“He was instrumental in helping me.”) It took some serious grilling, but Saga eventually admitted she did have sex with the KISS star

“He really noticed my talent,” said Sagal of Simmons. “I didn’t fall in love with him but I had a big crush on him.”

In the hour long interview, Sagal also shared her dark history of drug abuse and addiction. Sagal said that in her teens and early 20s she dabbled with drugs including mushrooms, acid and cocaine.

Perhaps what was most surprising about Sagal’s history was the string of tragic deaths she’s been exposed to from a young age. Sagal’s mother died of heart disease when Katey was only 20. Her father died five years later in a bizarre accident while location scouting for the early 80s miniseries “World War III”. Boris Sagal stepped out of a helicopter on the set before the blades had stopped spinning, was struck and suffered a fatal head injury.

“You realize mortality is everywhere,” said Sagal.

Stern also subjected Sagal to painful discussions about the death of her “8 Simple Rules” co-star John Ritter, and the recent murder-suicide involving “Sons of Anarchy” actor Johnny Lewis.

See a video clip of Katey Sagal talking about her sex life with husband Kurt Sutter on the Howard Stern Show here