'Bucket list': KISS frontman Gene Simmons meets fans, promotes vodka in Edmonton
Fans of legendary American band KISS threw on their concert t-shirts, painted their faces and lined up in the snow hundreds deep Friday to meet Gene Simmons.
The 73-year-old, bass-playing, "fire-breathing demon" was in town to take photos and sign bottles of his new vodka called MoneyBag.
"If you aspire to greatness and reaching for the clouds, you can't say I'm just a musician or I'm just an actor," he told CTV News Edmonton. "No no, it's a business."
"If you're not paying attention to the business, you'll be asking the next person in like if you'd line some fries with that."
He's not a vodka drinker himself but has tasted the product.
"Of course, but it’s not up to me. I just work here. It's up to the people. For the people, by the people. So ignore what you or I say, try it for yourself. Give Grandma one of these beautiful bottles," Simmons said to his fans.
KISS played its first paying gig in Edmonton back in the early seventies and Simmons said they'll be back as part of a world tour soon, although he couldn't give a date.
MoneyBag Vodka is a partnership with Calgary's Minhas Brewery. He met with the family in Calgary just 11 months ago.
"He was looking for a distillery, preferably a family distillery, to make his dream product. And we were looking for a rockstar. A match made in heaven," said Manjit Minhas, also known from Dragons' Den on CBC.
"He definitely knows what people want and we know how to make really good vodka."
KISS fan Dave Seanor has been listening to the band since 1975. He said the tunes never get old and he was thrilled to briefly meet Gene.
"I'm over the moon," Senor said. "I'm excited. Wow, this is cool. I'm the first one to buy this vodka [in Edmonton] so another thing off my bucket list. I thanked him for the soundtrack to my life."
With files from CTV News Edmonton's David Ewasuk
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Doctors say capital gains tax changes will jeopardize their retirement. Is that true?
The Canadian Medical Association asserts the Liberals' proposed changes to capital gains taxation will put doctors' retirement savings in jeopardy, but some financial experts insist incorporated professionals are not as doomed as they say they are.
Something in the water? Canadian family latest to spot elusive 'Loch Ness Monster'
For centuries, people have wondered what, if anything, might be lurking beneath the surface of Loch Ness in Scotland. When Canadian couple Parry Malm and Shannon Wiseman visited the Scottish highlands earlier this month with their two children, they didn’t expect to become part of the mystery.
What do weight loss drugs mean for a diet industry built on eating less and exercising more?
Recent injected drugs like Wegovy and its predecessor, the diabetes medication Ozempic, are reshaping the health and fitness industries.
2 military horses that broke free and ran loose across London are in serious condition
Two military horses that bolted and ran miles through the streets of London after being spooked by construction noise and tossing their riders were in a serious condition and required operations, a British government official said Thursday.
'It was instant karma': Viral video captures failed theft attempt in Nanaimo, B.C.
Mounties in Nanaimo, B.C., say two late-night revellers are lucky their allegedly drunken antics weren't reported to police after security cameras captured the men trying to steal a heavy sign from a downtown business.
Fair in Ontario, flurries in Labrador: Weather systems make for an erratic spring
It's no secret that spring can be a tumultuous time for Canadian weather, and as an unseasonably mild El Nino winter gives way to summer, there's bound to be a few swings in temperature that seem out of the ordinary. From Ontario to the Atlantic, though, this week is about to feel a little erratic.
He replaced Mickey Mantle. Now baseball's oldest living major leaguer is turning 100
The oldest living former major leaguer, Art Schallock turns 100 on Thursday and is being celebrated in the Bay Area and beyond as the milestone approaches.
What a urologist wants you to know about male infertility
When opposite sex couples are trying and failing to get pregnant, the attention often focuses on the woman. That’s not always the case.
Made-in-Newfoundland vodka claims top prize at worldwide competition
A Newfoundland-made vodka has been named one of the world’s best by judges at this year’s World Vodka Awards.