**Gene Simmons Reflects on Praise from Jimmy Page and Bassist Comparisons**
Gene Simmons may not be known for his technical prowess on the bass like Billy Sheehan or Jaco Pastorius, but his iconic bass lines have been a crucial element in many classic Kiss songs. Recently, during an interview with Adam Carolla, Simmons shared a remarkable story about receiving high praise from one of rock’s greatest guitarists—Led Zeppelin’s Jimmy Page (transcription via Ultimate Guitar).
Simmons recounted:
“Page came to see us the first time when we played Wembley, and he came to see us other times when we were there. After one show, he came up to me and said, ‘Mate, you can give [John] Entwistle a run for his money.’ I was just about ready to pass out. It’s not true, of course, but the fact that he might say that is the highest compliment.”
Simmons also recalled how emotional his son, Nick, got when meeting Jimmy Page. Nick, known from the reality TV series “Gene Simmons Family Jewels,” was overwhelmed in the presence of the man behind legendary riffs like “Whole Lotta Love,” “Black Dog,” and “Kashmir.”
“He came to see us quite a few times, and we became friendly. I introduced Nick to him, who was so awed that he started crying in front of Page. I said, ‘Jimmy, say hello to my son, Nick.’ Page responded, ‘Oh, hi, how are you.’ Nick was crying his heart out and didn’t know what to say. Of course, Nick is going to torture me now because I’m embarrassing him.”
While Simmons was deeply flattered by Page’s comparison to Entwistle, he admitted there was one other bassist whose praise would have been even more astonishing.
“The only higher compliment might be [Paul] McCartney coming over and saying, ‘You’re doing a good job.’ Because nobody played bass the way McCartney did. You can hear a song and remember the bass parts that McCartney played.”
This anecdote highlights Simmons’ reverence for his peers and the impact of their recognition on his career.
