GENE SIMMONS Remembers His First Job

Tom Van Riper of Forbes.com interviewed KISS bassist/vocalist Gene Simmons for a feature called "First Job." A couple of excerpts from the chat follow:

Forbes.com: What was your first job?

Gene Simmons: "I delivered the Long Island Star Journal in Jackson Heights, Queens, known as the Long Island Press on Sundays. Later, I picked up a second route, since I could put those papers in the same shopping cart. I had discovered you could make almost twice the money without putting in twice the time."

Forbes.com: What did you learn on your first job?

Gene Simmons: "If someone likes you, they'll buy what you're selling, whether or not they need it. No one needs Forbes or KISS, but they buy it anyway. Farmers and teachers provide what people need, but don't get paid a lot. I also learned that I love making money. Anyone who is not afraid of work will be happy with the money they make. Think about, if you work every weekend to make overtime, you'll make almost as much as you did during the week. What do you need time off for? You can come home in the evenings and watch the ballgame or go chase girls. There's no reason to be home in the daytime because everyone else is working. Are you going to sit around watching 'I Love Lucy'?"

Forbes.com: Who was your best, or worst, boss, and why?

Gene Simmons: "The best boss is me. The worst is me. I crave ideas, and when an idea hits me, it grips me and it tortures me until I master it. I know nothing about racing, but it's a positive that I go and learn it. I'm my own hardest task master. I've had nine-to-five jobs and gotten promoted because the bosses notices I wasn't watching the clock."

Forbes.com: What has been your biggest failure?

Gene Simmons: "There are always things — the girl you didn't get, the deal that didn't happen. Who cares how many singles you miss when those occasional home runs bring in three or four other guys? You can't fail in America. There's Chapter 11, they can't take your home in Florida, every step you take there's a net. There's a socialist net of safety called the welfare state. Everything I do makes money. Your stamp collection can be a source of joy, but it also can be a source of money. I'm lucky because I like what I do, but it all makes money."

Forbes.com: How many hours do you work in an average week now?

Gene Simmons: "I don't consider any of it to be work. For example, I got up at 5:40 this morning to go through my emails. I have Simmons-Abramson marketing, where we promote for the Indy 500 and other races. We also have investments and television — we got an A&E show coming up in August, with 13 episodes. I have never taken a vacation in my life. Vacations are for wimps."

Read the entire interview at Forbes.com.