Gene Simmons Shares the 1 Lesson He Learned from Ozzy Osbourne, What People Got Wrong About the Prince of Darkness

Gene Simmons is sharing an important lesson he learned from Ozzy Osbourne.

The KISS bassist and co-lead singer, 75, took a moment to remember Ozzy, who died on July 22. at 76. During his discussion with David Duchovny on his podcast, Fail Better, Simmons shared that the loss “was heartbreaking because I knew him for decades and decades.”

“And there was a unique human being, a giant, who — no matter what anybody said — was always Ozzy and treated you and the next-door neighbor exactly the same. ‘Hey, how are you? Nice to see you.’ No airs about him,” he recalled.

“It’s a good lesson for idiots like me who sometimes — guilty as charged — get full of themselves and say, ‘Wow, I’m Gene Simmons.’ And if you would have met Ozzy, you’re on your best behavior. You try to, because it is a big deal.”

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Osbourne’s outward warmth to the people around him made an impression on Simmons, who says he, by comparison, “based my life on creating armor around me so that I wouldn’t be hurt — sort of change my name, change my appearance, do whatever I have to do to survive and appear stronger and more successful than I am.”

“People think I’m much richer than I actually am. I mean, I’ve done okay, but… it’s just that thing and I like that thing because it tends to mean you might not be hurt as much. Because there are a lot of people who are out to get you. Because they have empty lives? I don’t know why.”

The rocker continued to admire Osbourne for the fact that he could be genuine and unafraid in a way Simmons struggled with.

“It is important to meet somebody like Ozzy who is just himself. Now, of course, when he gets up on stage, it’s more like scream therapy. You get out there and it’s just all energy coming. But strangely, the real Ozzy is supposed to be the Prince of Darkness, and yet in the shows, he blows kisses to the fans and goes, ‘I love you.’ ”

Simmons concluded, “He was a giant.”