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The 3 singers Gene Simmons said were the best of all time
Besides being the co-founder, bassist, and singer of Kiss, Gene Simmons is also known for being a very outspoken person. He has never had a problem sharing his honest opinions about other bands and artists, so when he praises someone, it is likely he truly means it. Although he is a Rock and Roll artist, Simmons has been influenced by a wide range of musical genres and has spoken over the years about some of his favorites.
In a 2024 interview with Classic Rock, the bassist named three singers he considers the best of all time. Rock and Roll Garage highlighted what Simmons has said about these artists throughout his career, including how he met some of them.
The 3 singers Gene Simmons said were the best of all time
Roy Orbison
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lvR1YgT7QYs&pp=ygULUm95IE9yYmlzb24%3D
"Roy Orbison had the best voice for rock’n’roll songs," Gene Simmons told Classic Rock. The Kiss bassist and singer had the chance to meet the late musician and was awestruck according to the also late Greg Kihn. That story was told by "The Breakup Song" singer in an interview with Gary James. "I was playing in Nashville in 1978 and Kiss was playing at the big, whatever the big arena there was. We went backstage and we got to meet Kiss. It was a real kick. We were hangin' out. The next night we were playing at a club in Nashville."
"So, we invited those guys to show up. I forgot all about it. The next night, who shows up? Gene Simmons. Except now he's not in his make-up. He's in his street clothes. Guess who was there? Roy Orbison was there. And so rather than me and Gene... Gene and I were both awe-struck by meeting Roy Orbison. We're tripping on meeting Roy Orbison rather than meeting Gene Simmons. He was a great guy. He gave me one bit of advice: "Hey, you talk too much. Talk less. Play more," Greg Kihn said.
Orbison had many hits during his career like “Oh, Pretty Woman”, “Crying”, “Only The Lonely”, “You Got It” and “I Drove All Night”. He also was a member of the supergroup Traveling Wilburys in the 80s, alongside Bob Dylan, George Harrison, Tom Petty and Jeff Lynne.
Orbison died back in 1988 at the age of 52, victim of a heart attack. He had been inducted by Bruce Springsteen into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame one year before, in 1987.
Jackie Wilson
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3lZ2xjoBoXU&pp=ygUYSmFja2llIFdpbHNvbiB0aGUgZmluZXN0
"If you listen to 'Baby Workout' by Jackie Wilson, that voice is just undeniable," Gene Simmons said in the interview with Classic Rock. He had praised the late American singer a couple of times and said that Wilson's "Greatest Hits" compilation was one of his favorite albums of all time. He already had praised the track on “Celebrity Shuffle” back in 2014. “Jackie Wilson, one of the preeminent templates for lead singers. There would be nobody without Jackie Wilson. He was such an important figure in music that there were actually songs written about Jackie.”
“He was a guy that was very acrobatic. And he could do splits, jump up way before guys like James Brown came across and started doing that stuff. Raised in the church, this was pure pop big band. A big band playing with a real pop background,” Jackie Wilson said (Transcribed by Rock and Roll Garage).
Nicknamed "Mr. Excitement," Jackie Wilson was considered one of the most dynamic vocalists in Soul, R&B, and Rock. He began his career in 1953 and was active until 1975, when he suffered a heart attack on stage. Medics worked to stabilize his vital signs, but the lack of oxygen to his brain caused him to slip into a coma. He briefly recovered in 1976 and reportedly regained some awareness of his surroundings, but he was unable to speak. He died in 1984 at the age of 49.
During his career the musician released 25 studio albums, the final one being "Nobody But You" in 1976. Some of Wilson’s most famous songs are “I Get The Sweetest Feeling”, “Reet Petite” and “(Your Love Keeps Lifting Me) Higher & Higher”.
James Brown
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c5BL4RNFr58&pp=ygUSSmFtZXMgQnJvd24gbGl2aW5n
"If we’re talking about charisma - not just a singer but a performer - then it’s James Brown. I remember a TV show from the sixties that had the Stones and The Beach Boys and James Brown. The Stones were closing the show, and while James Brown was on stage there was a close-up of Mick Jagger watching him and biting his nails. James Brown was just killing it like nobody I’ve ever seen. It was astonishing how he moved, the way he was contorting his body," Gene Simmons told Classic Rock.
Although he also loves The Rolling Stones, Simmons once said that Mick Jagger was the "white soulless version of what James Brown did" in terms of stage presence. Nicknamed the “Godfather of Soul,” “Mr. Dynamite,” and “Soul Brother No. 1,” James Brown was one of the most famous artists of the 20th century. He was one of the first 10 inductees into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame at its inaugural ceremony in New York on January 23, 1986. Some of his most famous songs include “Get Up Offa That Thing” and “I Got You (I Feel Good).”
James Brown was active from 1953 until his death in 2006 at the age of 73. During his prolific career the musician released 59 studio albums. He has sold an estimated amount of more than 200 million records worldwide.The post The 3 singers Gene Simmons said were the best of all time appeared first on Rock and Roll Garage.
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