KISS rocker Gene Simmons has voiced his support for mandatory COVID vaccinations as the pandemic continues to wreak havoc on the music industry.
In a new interview with UCR, Simmons didn’t beat around the bush when it came to his stance on the COVID vaccine.
“My druthers would be that everybody is mandated to get vaccines,” Simmons explained.
“I hope everybody is going to be wearing their masks. But we can only control what we can control and different states and different countries have different rules…
“Backstage, we’re not doing any meet and greets. Obviously, we’re giving up a pretty penny because fans pay a premium to come up and take photos and stuff. That’s gone.
“We are not allowing roadies or anybody else to be anywhere backstage unless they’re vaccinated and the masks are on the whole time.”
Simmons went on to say “that he has no time for people who stubbornly insist that COVID vaccinations impede upon their freedoms,” adding: “‘I have my rights, don’t tell me what to do,’ which is curious, because you do not have the right to drive down the highway in a car without a seatbelt. You must stop at a red light. That’s not a right you have.
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“And you don’t have the right to walk naked down the street. These are not life-threatening ideas. We’re talking about a fuckin’ pandemic and people are fighting it.
“I blame our former president [Donald Trump]. I knew the man before he entered politics. But he got vaccinated and so have most of the other party.
“I’m not worried – and it’s unkind to say this – I’m not worried if an idiot gets COVID and dies. I’m worried he takes other people with him, who didn’t have a choice.
“It doesn’t have to be death. Being in a hospital is horrific. There are so many cases of people who were deniers and who are begging in the hospital to get the vaccine. But it’s too late.”
For more on this topic, head over to the Classic Rock Observer.