Not even a month after his controversial spat with legendary rap group N.W.A. over their inclusion in the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame’s 2016 class of inductees, KISS member Gene Simmons has now ruffled the feathers of fans of another legendary act: Prince.
The late singer, whose sudden and mysterious death in April continues to dominate headlines, has earned many a tribute from fellow celebs and admirers alike. However, much to the anger of the ‘Purple One’s beloved fan group, the recent stinging comments the aging rocker don’t exactly fall in the category of admiration.
Indeed, despite the absence of an official report on what caused the ‘Purple Rain’ maestro’s demise, Simmons seems sure it was related to drugs and alcohol. See his damning words below:
“[David] Bowie was the most tragic of all because it was real sickness,” the Kiss member told Newsweek. “[Prince’s] drugs killed him. What do you think, he died from a cold?”
“I think Prince was heads, hands and feet about all the rest of them,” Simmons continued. “I thought he left [Michael] Jackson in the dust. Prince was way beyond that. But how pathetic that he killed himself. Don’t kid yourself, that’s what he did. Slowly, I’ll grant you … but that’s what drugs and alcohol is: a slow death.”“The one question I have is: When we all start out and we have these big dreams and you finally get your wish — you have more money than God and fame — what is that insane gene in us, well, a lot of us, that makes us want to succumb to the cliché of clichés: drugs and alcohol?”
KISS frontman, Paul Stanley, took to Twitter to apologize on behalf of his bandmate: