Gene Simmons' very public "partnership" problems

An Oscar Mayer?

 

I watched most of the first season. Thought it was OK... I think I tuned in for the first or second episode of the second season and then lost interest.

I think this is all hype. As someone pointed out, this stuff was staged and filmed months ago.

 

All the members of Bon Jovi have been Jon Bongiovi's hirelings since day one, which was a ballsy move in that Jon Formerly Bighair's was taking all the financial risk. The arrangement has worked pretty well for everyone. I think the bass player was the only guy he canned, and the band members seem to be doing well enough to get buy. They also all seem to be happy to let Jon handle the business aspects while they concentrate on music and banging groupies and whatever the hell else Richie Sambora does.

 

Yeah, that's my impression of it based on the 60 Minutes piece that aired a couple years back.

 

Walsh was one hell of a free-agent pickup. He already had a damn good resume when he joined The Eagles and more musical chops than all of them combined.

 

One of the original members of the Eagles who was fired, I think cut some kind of severance deal where he's still making millions a year from the band.

 

Well, it would have to be Don Felder, Randy Meisner or Bernie Leadon. Felder sued them because Henley and Frey got more money than the others for the Hell Freezes Over tour, and it was settled out of court.

 

It was Felder.

 

KISS aren't good stewards of money. They lost everything out of the initial fortune that came from the make-up days in the '70s. Bad investments, too much spending on luxury items and horrendously expensive show effects had them on their knees by 1988. I'm sure they made up for it with the reunion tours, but Gene really has never had a separate business do jack squat outside of the band. Merchandising has driven much of the comeback, but how much of that shit actually sold after say 2000?

The continuation of the band's tours leads me to believe things aren't exactly rosy on the financial front. Gene and Paul still probably spend way too much in their personal lives and need to keep party going by the only way that can still guarantees a stable paycheck.

 

So does this mean that Gene's insistence that having four beautiful women around him at every business meeting isn't really a sound strategy?

Because he swore by it last night to Shannon Tweed.

 

Joe Walsh has more talent than the rest of the Eagles put together and doubled.
Gene Simmons never met a way not to chase down an extra buck. He's been a genius (or perhaps just incredibly persistent) at marketing KISS from the beginning and himself.
Gotta admit - the kids come off like they're actually likable people in the show, much more so than the ordinary reality show folks that I'd rather see gunned down mercilessly.

 

Yeah, I really like Simmons' son, although he's right about on the verge of getting into over-mugging.