For more than half a century, Kiss’ Jean Semans have been one of the most recognizable figures of rock and rolls. Semans arrived in Stardom in 1973 as a “demonic” bassist and co-leed singer of the rock band formed in New York City.
“My whole life has been a chameleon,” said in an interview for “CBS Morning” to be aired on Wednesday. Everything is a dress. ”
But his devilish makeup and dramatic personality are contrary to his very humble upbringing as the son of an immigrant single mother. He became one long ago Kissing iconHe was only known as Cham Vitz, which means “life” in Hebrew.
Road for kissing
CBS Morning
“Do you want to live in a rock band?” Semans recalled their mother while asking. “It’s not going to fly, babe.”
Before going to New York at the age of 8, Semans were born in Israel – a child of Hungarian Jewish refugees. His mother survived Flora Klein, Holocaust.
Seamans said, “After a frightening unimaginable life, my mother saw her entire family, our family, where she wiped in front of her face, every decision I thought of my mother,” Semans said.
Seamans vowed to stay there for their mother at every step for their mother, reminding yourself, “Don’t break your mother’s heart. Do not do this.”
He said that it was an observation that his mother had done that inspired him to become a musician. Performing the Beatles on the “The Ed Sulivan Show” One Night, Simmons remembered his mother coming to Hungarian and commenting.
“I will never forget it … he said something, as in Hungarian,” They are really strange people. ” And at that point, I felt that they were calm, “said Simmons.
Born of “Rock and Roll All Night”
After earning some money from singing for other artists in New York City Electric Lady Studio, Simmons and their sails Paul Stanley In his early 20s, the legendary band went to make kisses.
Eddie Cramer, who worked together the Beatles And Jimi HendrixAgreed to produce and engineer his first demo. But he continued to struggle in ambiguity until a challenge by the President of his label gave birth to one of the most famous lines in rock history.
While buying a can of hot dogs and beans frozen in San Francisco, Seamans recalled Stanley, saying that he hum to sing some songs that would later become the prestigious 1975 hit “Rock and Roll All Night”.
“We were in San Francisco, we went down to buy frozen hotdogs and a can of beans. And Paul said, what do you think about it?”
“It’s really good. What you got? He goes,” I have found it all, “said Semans after Stanley. They eventually put more verses together.
“And this way the song was born,” he said.
By 1977, his concert album “Alave!” After the release of, he was one of the most famous bands in America. Today, kisses have more gold albums than any other American band and there is Sold over 100 million records Worldwide.
However KISS performs as a band retired, semens, now 75, currently on tour.
“You are running a race in a sense, the race of life and the finish line are recovering in front of you. What are you going to do? Slow, or you are going to move?” Semans said.
Vladimir duthiers