Kiss Bassist Gene Simmons Says Rock and Roll is Dead

 
Kiss bassist Gene Simmons has been going off on a bit of a rampage lately making controversial remarks on an array of topics from immigration to Donald Sterling to depression and now he has stated that “Rock is finally dead.” In an interview with Esquire Magazine, Simmons stated that, “The death of rock was not a natural death. Rock did not die of old age. It was murdered.” Instead of putting the blame on musicians and their lack of care, as many thought he would have, Simmons blames the death of rock and roll on the internet and file sharing. He stated that he feels for new bands that are coming out because people nowadays don’t value artists enough to pay them for their craft. “You’re better off not even learning how to play guitar or write songs, and just singing in the shower and auditioning for The X Factor. And I’m not slamming The X Factor, or pop singers. But where’s the next Bob Dylan? Where’s the next Beatles? Where are the songwriters? Where are the creators? Many of them now have to work behind the scenes, to prop up pop acts and write their stuff for them,” he told Nick, Simmons’ son and the person who is interviewing him for Esquire. He goes on to say that the pinnacle of music was 1958 to 1983, with bands like Nirvana and Tame Impala being the voice of the era. It’s hard to say rather the emergence of the internet and file sharing was a good thing or bad, but for those in the music industry, it was definitely the beginning of the end.