GENE SIMMONS: I Sent A Cease And Desist Letter To KING DIAMOND Because He Was Copying KISS

Gene Simmons said he wanted to take King Diamond to court for using a makeup similar to KISS. You can check out his chat with Chris Jericho below (as transcribed by Ultimate-Guitar.com).

Did you want to sue King Diamond for his makeup?

Sure.

It was looking kind of like yours.

That’s what we thought, so he stopped.

It was just easier to send a letter to him?

The letter is cheaper than testing us in court. We’ve never lost a case. By the way, I’m a fan. I liked his stuff, I thought he was doing cool stuff. Make up your own stuff, don’t come into my house unless you’re invited.

Is somebody showing you these things?

Fans. They’re my eyes and ears all around the world. You find every bootleg or anything. And I’m constantly sending stuff to our lawyers who are very happy to go after these guys and get checks.

Are you gonna sue me for Gene Simmons principle?

No, that’s not trademarkable. Using my name, especially in Gene Simmons Vault dot com, spreads the brand.

During the rest of the chat, Gene explained why he’s so passionate about his songs and trademarks, saying:

“For me the answer is simple. Women understand this intrinsically because they’re designed to give birth. So before the baby is born you understand. And then when the baby is born your life changes because before that birth that young life didn’t exist.

“And you hold it and you cradle it for the rest of its life. Because it’s your baby and you feel connected to it. Before I wrote songs I didn’t have that feeling, and when I gave birth to ‘My Uncle is a Raft,’ one of those first songs that I wrote that are recorded, I felt as if I had a baby in a sense.

“Because before that song didn’t exist, it was just in the ether some place. And once I wrote it it became real, and now it’s on a box set. I remember the first time Larry Martinelli… And this happens when you’re straight and never get high.

“Larry and Mark, my two friends in high school said ‘What are you doing?’ ‘Oh, I wrote a song.’ ‘Okay, let’s go in our basement and record it.’ So they had a reel to reel, and I’m playing bass because I’ve just learned to play a few notes.

“And Larry Martinelli is playing a little electric guitar in a small amplifier, and Mark Nyberg is thumping on a cardboard box. And we recorded it. After we recorded ‘My uncle is a raft’ all I could do is say ‘Play it again!’

“And I kept playing it again because I couldn’t believe that I created that. Just me. So for me the most important song is that. You never forget your first kiss, you never forget the first song, because before then you never did that. That’s what it is. I couldn’t imagine it!”