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PEOPLE & ARTS Saturday 9 december 2017
With a small book, Gene Simmons is ready to make you rich

By MARK KENNEDY wagging his tongue on- Kierkegaard and Kant and
AP Entertainment Writer stage and singing songs speaks four languages, but
NEW YORK (AP) — Gene like “Lick It Up”? blames the recent global
Simmons wants you to be Because he’s also an en- financial meltdown on
rich and powerful, but trepreneur who came to greedy borrowers.
it’s not going to be easy. America with no money He believes we’re still basi-
You’re going to have to and no English. He’s be- cally hunter-gatherers, with
learn English, wake up ear- come, he says, a million- men awash with testos-
ly, turn off the TV and study. aire with a hand in a res- terone and only vaguely
“I want to shake you up taurant franchise, a wealth civilized. He applauds the
and tell, you a real harsh management services firm wave of women these days
truth: The world doesn’t and a magazine, among calling out men for sexual
need you,” he says. “The others. “You don’t have misconduct.
only way you’re going to enough hours in the day to “There will always be bad
become rich and power- understand what I do,” he guys, don’t kid yourself. The
ful is if you stand up on your says. best thing that’s happen-
hind legs. You’re only going Now Simmons is ready to In this Nov. 14, 2017 photo, Kiss frontman Gene Simmons poses ing now is the female of the
to get the respect you de- reveal the principles he’s for a portrait in New York to promote his book, “On Power.” species is standing up col-
mand.” learned in his book, “On Associated Press lectively and saying, ‘That’s
Simmons, the co-founder Power,” part guidebook, tongue to whoever asks Simmons has become leg- enough.’ Good for women.
and bassist for the rock part self-help manual, with and glad-hands strangers endary for leveraging Kiss’s That should always have
band Kiss, is brutal in his ad- several profiles of people like a politician. He likes to distinctive look and wink- been the case.”
vice: Women, choose be- we should admire, like wear a ball cap decorated ing cool into everything His advice to gaining
tween a career or a family. Oprah Winfrey and Warren with a picture of a sack from reality TV shows to wealth is simple: Start a lim-
Guys, get rid of your worth- Buffett. It’s a small book, of money that he’s trade- action figures, colognes, ited liability partnership in
less friends. Above all, don’t and that’s on purpose. marked. He puns outra- keychains, cabernet sauvi- your home, use social me-
listen to the self-esteem “You can take it to the geously (“Close but no gui- gnon and even a coffin — dia and deduct your costs
movement or be politically pooper with you,” he ex- tar,” he says at one point. the Kiss Kasket. from taxes. You can keep
correct. Simmons is here to plains. “See what I did there?”). Simmons is a curious mix your old job until the re-
demand that you drop and Jessica Sindler, his editor, Simmons cheerfully poses of things. He’s a hawk on wards flow in. If they don’t?
give him 20. called working with Sim- for selfies, interrupts con- foreign policy, no fan of You can declare bankrupt-
“I want to be your drill ser- mons “without a doubt a versations and likes to take unions or socialism, but a cy and “then you can start
geant and piss you off so memorable experience” candid photos of people liberal when it comes to again.” (It’s advice not all
that you wake up and smell and that all the concepts he encounters who are lost social issues. “You want to financial advisers endorse.)
the coffee and go out there in the book came from him. in their phones. “Every once get married to a rock? Or Having a brilliant idea for a
and become that rich and “They’re based on the way in a while, look up,” he change your sex? Go to business is fine, but outhus-
powerful person you de- he lives his life and runs his told one startled bystand- Mars and become a Mar- tling is more important to
serve to be,” he says. “You career. He is very much a er. Sometimes, he goes tian religious fanatic? I re- Simmons. “It doesn’t have
cannot fail in America.” man who practices what too far, as he did recently ally don’t care,” he says. to be new or original. It
Why should you listen to he preaches.” during a visit to Fox News He has boasted of his sexu- can be a stupid idea,” he
this guy, someone who has In person, Simmons is a Channel. He was allegedly al conquests but is a long- says. “Some of the dumb-
spent much of his adult life jokester and a wordsmith crude, taunted staffers and married teetotaler who est people have become
slathered in scary makeup, who clearly loves atten- exposed his chest, trigger- has no patience for illegal enormously successful.”q
in towering platform boots, tion. He wags his impressive ing a network ban. drug users. He can quote

John Legend on fatherhood: ‘You want people to have justice’

By MARK KENNEDY that,” the singer-songwriter live online .
AP Entertainment Writer said by phone from Los An- Longtime concert execu-
NEW YORK (AP) — The No- geles. “That’s what being a tive producer Odd Ar-
bel Peace Prize winners father has done for me.” vid Strømstad said asking
will be serenaded by John Legend, who performed at Legend to return this year
Legend on Monday and the 2006 peace prize con- made sense. “We had John
for that they can thank cert, said he’s honored to Legend as one of the artists
Legend’s infant daughter celebrate the same award in 2006 in the beginning of
— and a second baby on that was handed to the his career, and that was
the way. Rev. Martin Luther King a very good experience.
The Grammy winner will Jr. and former President Since then he has had an
take the stage at the Tele- Barack Obama. “I’m glad amazing career. Therefore,
nor Arena in Oslo, Nor- it’s being given to a group we have over the years dis-
way, on Dec. 11 for Nobel who is dedicated to actu- cussed inviting him back,”
Peace Prize Concert, a ally making the world safer he said. In this June 30, 2017 file photo, John Legend performs at the
gig he takes mindful of the for everybody,” he said. Late last month, Legend 2017 Essence Festival at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome, in New
world he’d like to leave for Other performers include and his wife, Chrissy Teigen, Orleans.
his children. Zara Larsson, Sigrid, Mato- announced they were ex- Associated Press
“Having kids puts in context ma and Lukas Graham. Ac- pecting their second child. “It puts a little more focus want people to have jus-
for me the kinds of things tor David Oyelowo will host Their daughter, Luna, was on what the world is go- tice.”
kids need to be success- and its highly likely Legend born in 2016. He said he ing to be. You want it to Legend has lately found
ful and healthy and hap- will sing “Glory” from the goes to the concert this be safe. You want it to be himself more vocal politi-
py. And realizing that far film “Selma” starring Oyelo- year mindful of his new role peaceful. You want people cally, backing a protesting
too many kids don’t have wo as King. It can be seen as a father. to have opportunity. You NFL player.q