KISS star Gene Simmons names 'most influential' bassists

KISS bassist, Gene Simmons named the artists that helped shape him into the musician he is.

In his latest interview with Guitar World, he revealed how his music and overall work was more influenced by bassists who could come up with a memorable melody.

With the aforementioned trait in mind, Simmons started naming the bassists who have greatly influenced his music, with the first one being the legendary Paul McCartney and the second being the the iconic, Ronnie Wood, who is better known as a guitarist than a bassist.

Amongst other musicians, Simmons also mentioned the named of Mountian’s Felix Pappalardi, Yes’ Chris Squire, prolific session musician Carol Kaye, and Van Halen’s Michael Anthony.

As the Love Gun hitmaker spoke of the Beatles member and stated, “McCartney is probably the most influential bassist for me. The biggest compliment I can give Paul McCartney is that you can pick the vast majority of Beatles songs and you’ll remember what the bass was playing.”

Comparing rock bands like AC/DC, Simmons noted that “[t]he bass locks in with the drums,” and appreciated how McCartney’s playing worked with respect to his Beatles bandmates as he thought they “were closer to a string quartet, where the violin and the cello have their own melody.”

While for Wood, who is the renowned guitarist for the Faces and The Rolling Stones, Simmons told the outlet how the Paint It, Black guitarist is one of “the top guys” to whom he listened to during his early days playing bass.