Man who paid $12,000 to be Gene Simmons's roadie says he's ‘going to die happy'
One KISS fan has no regrets after paying Gene Simmons for the chance to act as his roadie for the day – at the cost of a cool $12,495 (£9,678).
The I Was Made For Lovin' You hitmaker came under fire recently for the bizarre scheme, but it seems some are happily paying the price for the rock-and-roll experience.
'This is what I choose to spend my money on,' said Dwayne Rosado, a52-year-old retired corrections sergeant from Middletown, New York, who purchased the roadie experience with his 13-year-old son.
Dwayne decided to pay for the experience after he was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis. 'You only live once, and I want to experience life,' he told The New York Times. 'I'm not going to die with a lot of money. I'm going to die happy.'
The package is an option for fans as a part of Simmons' American solo tour, the 'Ultimate Gene Simmons Experience.' It was advertsied as allowing a fan of the 70s rock icon to become a member of his road crew for the day.
Posted on his website, the $12k package gave Dwayne and Zach extensive behind-the-scenes access to the KISS legend.
But they also worked. Jobs included helping with 'arrive & load-in to the venue', 'go over the Band's Show day schedule' in the morning, and 'help the band set up.'
It wasn't all work, though, as Dwayne and Zach got to have a meal with Gene, 75, and were brought out on stage and introduced to the crowd.
They also sat in on soundcheck, 'hung out backstage' and of course had a unique view of the show, usually reserved for those in the business.
They also walked away with an exclusive crew member shirt and hat, a signed set list, and a VIP laminate, as well as a signed bass guitar used in KISS 's rehearsals.
In the end, when Dwayne was asked if it was worth $12k he replied: 'Absolutely.'
'You forgot the $500,' Simmons joked.
'$12,495 to be exact,' said Dwayne. 'Nothing can beat tonight. It's cemented in Kisstory now, because it's going to be on YouTube and everything else. So I'll get to look back and see that moment forever.'
There's only one ultimate experience available for sale per show date, with the purchaser allowed to bring a guest with them, as well as extra items for Gene to sign.
As much as Dwayne seemingly loved the experience, the Shout It Out Loud singer originally left fans unimpressed by the offer, which was branded 'lame', 'sleazy' and a 'huge rip-off'.
'The stupidest thing I've ever heard,' fumed Mike Brown on social media platform X, while Jeff Franklin branded it 'a huge rip-off'.
'Lame. Seems like a sleazy way to generate income by Simmons,' observed Ed Tobin, as several fans made the same point about the pay.
'Wouldn't even give him the time of day if you paid me,' wrote Jett, while @mnmikebierman added: 'Gene is so lame. I'd need the $12k to do it.'
For @63smithy that wasn't enough though, as they shared: 'I wouldn't do it if he paid me the 12,495.'
'Ego out of control,' chimed in Paul as another fan claimed that Simmons' act 'got stale in the 80s [and is] now completely irrelevant'.
Some fans weren't averse to the possibility though, as @CeguyShi responded: 'Absolutely. The signed used rehearsal-Bass alone is worth the 12k.'
@OccamRubberSpat suggested: 'Depending on the bass and the memorabilia, you might turn a profit… KISS fans are a little rabid, for decades now…'
It's also worth noting that the ticket for the gig isn't included in the package, meaning you'd need to stump up for that separately.
And if $12,495 (£9,678) is a stretch too far, Simmons is also offering the 'bass experience' for $6,500 (£5,034) on his website, which includes a signed and personalised non-stage played guitar and a meet and greet with the rocker after the show.
The listing also notes that 'you will find that Gene Simmons is very down-to-earth, funny, and knowledgeable on almost any subject'.
Gene kicked off his tour on April 3 at House of Blues Anaheim, California, before heading on the road to states including Florida, New Jersey, Texas, Indiana, Illinois, Georgia and Kentucky before May 24.
KISS retired from performing live shows together in 2023, after first forming 50 years prior in New York City.
The original line-up comprising Simmons (vocals, bass), Paul Stanley (vocals, rhythm guitar), Ace Frehley (lead guitar, vocals) and Peter Criss (drums, vocals) was inducted into the the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2014.
KISS sold more than 100 million records worldwide, with the I Was Made for Lovin' You rockers' final composition of Simmons, Stanley, Eric Singer and Tommy Thayer hanging up their studded platform boots at New York's Madison Square Garden in December 2023, at the end of their postponed farewell tour.
A version of this article was first published on March 9, 2025.
Got a story?
If you've got a celebrity story, video or pictures get in touch with the Metro.co.uk entertainment team by emailing us celebtips@metro.co.uk, calling 020 3615 2145 or by visiting our Submit Stuff page – we'd love to hear from you.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Scottish Sun
an hour ago
- Scottish Sun
Skint ITV finds This Morning & Loose Women a BUDGET new home in ‘far cry from plush life stars are used to'
Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) ITV Daytime has found a budget new home after it was savaged by cuts. The department is ditching its swanky West London HQ White City in favour of the basement of a former hospital. Sign up for the Entertainment newsletter Sign up 1 The Sun can reveal ITV Daytime has landed a deal with Covent Garden venue The Hospital Club The Sun can reveal bosses have landed a deal with Covent Garden venue The Hospital Club - which closed in 2020 due to the pandemic. Lorraine, This Morning and Loose Women will all be filmed in the venue's basement of the four story building. A source said: "ITV are on a major budget saving mission and have landed a new deal to film ITV Daytime at what was The Hospital Club. "It's quite apt really as I'm sure they hope the move to the former hospital will breathe some life into their programme budgets. "All three of their main shows, Lorraine, This Morning and Loose Women will be based there... in the basement where there's a state of the art studio." "The changes are needed to keep up with the ever evolving world of TV but it's a far cry from the plush life stars have become accustomed to at White City." An ITV source said: "We have always said that when the changes to our daytime schedule take place in 2026 that these programmes will find a new home. The new studio is not yet confirmed and when it is we will obviously communicate that news to our staff first" Speaking about the cuts last month, Loose Woman Nadia Sawalha called the shake up "brutal". She said on her YouTube channel: "What's been brutal, absolutely brutal, over the last week, honestly I feel tearful about it, is that hundreds of people... are going to be made redundant out of the blue, these are all the people behind the scenes that support us in every way." The shake up comes as streaming officially overtook cable and broadcast TV use in May. Kay Burley joins This Morning in TV return after departure from Sky News Some 44.8 percent of TV viewership was through the newer media platforms. It compares with 20.1 percent watching terrestrial TV — known as broadcast — and 24.1 percent tuning in to cable such as Sky. It is the first time streamers have surpassed the combined total of their rival categories.
Daily Mirror
an hour ago
- Daily Mirror
Tyra Banks shares obsession with one food after addressing her new look
Former America's Next Top Model star Tyra Banks has revealed her 'excessive' love for ice-cream as she launches a brand new business following her move to Australia Tyra Banks has revealed she will eat ice cream multiple times per day as she embraces her new passion for the frozen desert. While the 51-year-old is best known for her work as a model, she has pivoted to become an ice cream proprietor in Australia. The American star has shipped her family Down Under and opened a store named SMiZE & DREAM - which has a nod to her modelling tip of smiling with the eyes. The America's Next Top Model icon has also explained that she is something of an ice-cream addict. Having moved to Australia, the businesswoman and mother has been enjoying getting to know her neighbourhood by way of the multitude of ice cream parlours in the area. And while many might be tempted to stop off at one shop to pick up a treat, Tyra has revealed she will attend no less than three. The model went on to explain that she considers no amount of ice cream too little or too excessive. Opening up to Australia's Daily Telegraph, she said: "We go full-on ice cream mode. We don't stop at one - we hit Messina, Anita, and Royal Copenhagen. Yep. Three. In a row. "Call it excessive - we call it Saturday. We're an ice cream family. And when you love frozen cream, there's no such thing as too much." Tyra has opened her SMiZE & DREAM parlour in Sydney's Darling Harbour this month and has been promoting her new business. She also told the Daily Mail Australia how much she is loving her new life Down Under. She said: "I was coming for about a year and a half and just fell in love with it,' she said. 'And I said, should we make this move? And here we are. "I love Darling Harbour because of this park. Tumbalong Park is magical... I have friends that live an hour and a half away and on the weekends they drive here just to go to the water and put their feet in with the kids. "There's a playground for older kids, one for younger kids, Darling Square nearby, the harbour – it just felt natural." She went on to explain she named one of her new ice cream flavours after herself. Describing the salted sweet cream, butter-roasted pecans and savoury caramel butter flavour, she gushed: "My favourite flavour is called Tyra's Favourite – very creative, isn't it? ... It's not your traditional ice cream taste – it has this surprising, rich sensation in the mouth." Last year, Tyra opened up about her modelling past and future as she prepared to return to the catwalk for a Victoria's Secret show. In an empowering message she said: "50-year-old women, insecure women - I just felt like there was more, and I look at the playback and I'm like, boom, boom, boom. "I was stomping because I felt like I was a vessel more so than it's just all about me. It was different." She also discussed her thoughts on the way her body has changed over the years, saying: "Also what was different is my boobies were like 10 times bigger because I was about 40-50 pounds (18-22 kg) heavier on this runway than when I retired. So I was like, 'Don't fall out, don't fall out.'"
Daily Record
an hour ago
- Daily Record
Golden Girls actress Lynn Hamilton dies aged 95
American also starred in sitcom Sanford and Son and the The Waltons Actress Lynn Hamilton, best known for her roles in Sanford and Son, The Golden Girls and the The Waltons has died aged 95. Her former manager and publicist, Rev. Calvin Carson, confirmed she died peacefully on Thursday of natural causes in her Chicago home. In a statement, he said: 'Without profound gratitude and admiration, we celebrate the extraordinary life of iconic actress Alzenia 'Lynn' Hamilton-Jenkins, whose remarkable legacy continues to uplift and inspire. 'Her illustrious career, spanning over five decades, has left an indelible mark on the world of entertainment, motivating audiences across the globe through her work as a model, stage, film and television actress.' The post said that her 'captivating performances' continue to 'inspire new generations'. The statement added that Lynn was the recipient of the NAACP Award. It described the achievement as a 'testament to her outstanding contributions' to the industry. Join the Daily Record WhatsApp community! Get the latest news sent straight to your messages by joining our WhatsApp community today. You'll receive daily updates on breaking news as well as the top headlines across Scotland. No one will be able to see who is signed up and no one can send messages except the Daily Record team. All you have to do is click here if you're on mobile, select 'Join Community' and you're in! If you're on a desktop, simply scan the QR code above with your phone and click 'Join Community'. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like. To leave our community click on the name at the top of your screen and choose 'exit group'. If you're curious, you can read our Privacy Notice. Lynn starred as Verdie Foster in the Waltons, with her having appeared on the CBS show from 1973 to 1981. The character becomes friends with the titular family and is said to have featured in more than a dozen episodes. The Mirror reports that she is also credited with playing Trudy in an episode of the Golden Girls in 1988. Trudy was introduced as the aunt of Lorraine Wagner (Rosalind Cash), who married Michael Zbornak (Scott Jacoby), the son of Dorothy Zbornak (Bea Arthur). She also appeared in numerous other shows over the course of her career. Her credits include playing cousin Georgia Anderson in Roots: The Next Generation in 1979 and Judge P. Fulton in the Practice from 1997 to 2002. Lynn is said to have also worked alongside her late husband Frank S. Jenkins, who died aged 89 in 2014, over the years. She had married the poet and playwright in 1964. Their partnership was referred to as a 'shining example of creativity, love and dedication' in the statement released this weekened. Tributes were paid to Lynn on social media. One person wrote on X: 'Oh no, what a loss. She was wonderful in everything she did. Rest in peace, Lynn Hamilton.' Another said: 'Lynn Hamilton brought dignity and grace to her memorable performances. Rest in Peace.'
