GENE SIMMONS Is Open To Playing With PETER CRISS And ACE FREHLEY At ROCK HALL Induction

RollingStone.com spoke to KISS bassist/vocalist Gene Simmons about the band's upcoming induction into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame

Asked what lineup of the band is going to play at the induction ceremony, Simmons replied: "Well, KISS is Tommy Thayer, Eric Singer, Paul Stanley and Gene Simmons. It's like, if you introduced me to your wife and I go, 'Wait, where are all the other wives?' It's like, 'Yeah, I was married to them and now I'm here.' You can argue that point and we'll figure everything out as time goes on. This one is for the fans. If the fans didn't care, we wouldn't be here. If it meant nothing to them, we wouldn't be here."

Regarding whether he is open to the idea of playing with Peter Criss and Ace Frehley that night, Simmons said: "Sure, why not?... They were equally important in the formation of the band. When you have kids with your first wife, you give kudos. The fact you got remarried doesn't delete or minimize the important. Hey, 'You have gave birth to this thing, KISS, with Ace, Peter, Paul and Gene.'"

When The Pulse Of Radio last caught up with Paul Stanley, they posed the question as to what members of KISS should be inducted into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame should the band finally be voted in. "Well, that's a really good question," he replied. "We would — y'know, it obviously would be something to think about if and when it happened. There've been a lot of people who have been a part of this — some longer than others, some adding less than others, and some who deserve recognition more than others. So, it would be something to think about."

He told Billboard.com earlier today: "Peter and Ace are undeniably at the beginning of the band, and we built a foundation which has stood the test of time and has allowed us to build a monument for 40 years, so today I wholeheartedly embrace and acknowledge Peter and Ace and, likewise, a lot of people who have been in the band and also standing by the band — and that includes the fans. But the idea of misleading or giving anybody a sense that we would ever go back to that [original lineup] situation is totally off the table. We've done that and, with all respect, it crashed for very similar reasons both times and things have moved on. I say without any animosity and with all respect that we wouldn't be here without what Peter and Ace contributed, and we wouldn't be here with them today."