KISS bassist Gene Simmons recently shared a tweet to answer one of his fans’ questions about his crazy journey with late Van Halen guitarist Eddie Van Halen.
Two legendary bands that would hit the rock scene and sell millions of records worldwide, Van Halen and KISS, were founded in the same year. Both bands gained great fame and commercial success thanks to their iconic records and unforgettable live performances even though they had different musical styles. Van Halen wanted to turn back to the golden days of hard rock, while KISS decided to explore various genres.
In addition, KISS’ bassist Gene Simmons was one of the few lucky people who witnessed Van Halen’s first years before they became very famous. During the late ’70s, Simmons watched Van Halen’s performance and was fascinated by their music, especially the band’s guitarist Eddie Van Halen’s playing style. The bassist wanted to sign the band and produce a Van Halen demo, which marked the beginning of their longtime friendship.
Later, Simmons and Van Halen bumped into each other when the bassist attended a Metallica concert in the ’80s and sent his limo away. The Van Halen legend drove him home with his jeep that had no doors. During one of his previous interviews, Simmons had defined their journey as a ‘roller-coaster ride of death.’ He recalled this unforgettable moment while responding to a fan’s question about them.
Here’s what a fan asked:
“Is this the vehicle he drove you home from the Long Beach Arena in?”
Simmons’ tweet read:
“Yes. This is what Edward drove me in from Long Beach Arena to LA at (what seemed like 100mph). Notice, no doors on this jeep!”
You can see the tweets below.
Yes. This is what Edward drove me in from Long Beach Arena to LA at (what seemed like 100mph). Notice, no doors on this jeep! https://t.co/cyqzBFRMRZ
— Gene Simmons (@genesimmons) December 8, 2021
