The 48th annual Kennedy Center Honors celebrated the cultural impact of KISS this past weekend, but the milestone was bittersweet for the band’s surviving founders. In a poignant interview on CNN‘s “The Lead With Jake Tapper,” bassist and vocalist Gene Simmons opened up about the “heartbreaking” reality of accepting the award just months after the death of original guitarist Ace Frehley.
When asked if he ever envisioned himself and his bandmates reaching such a prestigious pinnacle in the American performing arts, Simmons was characteristically confident yet deeply moved.
“Yes. That, and more,” Simmons told Tapper (as transcribed by Blabbermouth). “When we’re all children, we all have delusional notions about ourselves… You had big dreams, and part and parcel between the big dream and reality is just hard work. Hard work is easier, but to have this kind of, imagine this, the will to reach for the stars and all that… I’m getting very emotional about this. But in America, it’s big dreams. Reach for the stars. Did I ever imagine? You betcha. Climb Mount Olympus? You betcha. The air up there’s thin, but I belong there.”
However, the celebration was shadowed by the absence of Frehley, who passed away in October. Simmons confirmed that Frehley was aware of the accolade before his death, offering a small comfort to the band and fans alike.
“Well, his daughter Monique and his wife Jeanette were there, and it’s heartbreaking,” Simmons revealed. “Ace actually found out from the Kennedy Center that we were going to be honored, and he was so thrilled.”
Reflecting on the band’s origins, Simmons described the improbable rise of the group from humble beginnings to the White House.
“We were four knuckleheads off the streets of New York with no resume, no experience, no manager. We didn’t know. We were like kids playing in the mud. Scientists call that a singularity. It just happened — the right thing at the right place at the right time… And I wanna tell you that I can’t explain it, but here we are.”
The conversation also touched on Simmons‘ personal journey as an immigrant, which fueled his appreciation for the honor. He spoke passionately about his arrival in the United States and the opportunities the country afforded him.
“I get very emotional talking about this because I wasn’t born in America. I know I don’t look Swiss. My mother and I came here as legal immigrants… and we waited in line for years until we finally came in,” Simmons shared. “And one of the first images I saw on television was a man, and he was flying through the air with no jets or anything and just a cape on his back. And my mind was blown. What kind of country is this? And I’m still amazed by the wonder that’s America.”
He continued, defending his patriotism against skeptics.
“I deeply love, and I’m amazed by this country, no matter all the problems… the wonder that is America is that I can be here, first-generation legal immigrant, and people who’ve been here for hundreds of years don’t say, ‘Go to the back of the line.’ I can have access to any position in power I can have, as long as I’m willing to work for it. That’s the American dream.”
Simmons wasn’t alone in his tribute to his fallen bandmate. On the red carpet prior to the event, frontman Paul Stanley told People magazine that they felt Frehley‘s presence throughout the ceremony.
“We are here and simultaneously we can mourn his passing and celebrate our accomplishments. So both things can be true at the same time,” Stanley said. “He’s here in spirit. He was looking very forward to being here and I feel he’s here.”
Stanley emphasized that Frehley‘s influence transcends his physical absence.
“People live on through the arts. That’s the beauty of the arts, is that when people are gone, they remain… You know, Beethoven doesn’t have to be here today. Picasso doesn’t have to be here today. The fact that they existed and contributed something means that we all benefit timelessly.”
In an official statement regarding the event, the band collectively dedicated the honor to their founding partner, stating: “This honor would not be possible without the irreplaceable contributions of our founding partner, Ace Frehley. Knowing how much this award meant to him, we celebrate this milestone as we mourn his loss.”
The ceremony also drew praise from U.S. President Donald Trump, who described this year’s recipients as “perhaps the most accomplished and renowned class of Kennedy Center honorees ever assembled.”
