Gene Simmons has countless stories from his decades in rock and roll, but one memory involving the late Eddie Van Halen still stands out as a testament to the guitarist’s fearless confidence.
In a recent interview, the KISS bassist shared an anecdote from the late ’70s, back when Van Halen was still blazing its way into the rock stratosphere. According to Simmons, he found himself backstage with Eddie before a performance, and what followed perfectly summed up the audacious brilliance of the young guitarist.
“I said, ‘Eddie, you can’t go up on stage. This thing’s out of tune,’” Simmons recalled. “He just looked at me with that little grin of his and said, ‘I’ll show you.’ And sure enough, he went out there, plugged in, and made it sound better than anyone else could even dream of.”
The story highlights one of Eddie’s defining traits: his ability to transform imperfection into something magical. Where most musicians would panic at the thought of walking on stage with a less-than-perfectly tuned guitar, Eddie Van Halen saw an opportunity to bend the rules — or even rewrite them.
Simmons, who famously helped get Van Halen their first break by recording early demos with them, said moments like this were what separated Eddie from other guitarists of the era. “He wasn’t worried about the technical stuff holding him back. He had this energy, this gift, that turned mistakes into brilliance. That’s what made him Eddie Van Halen.”
For fans, it’s another glimpse into the playful, confident spirit that defined the guitar legend. More than just a master of technique, Eddie Van Halen had the rare ability to make his instrument an extension of himself — even when the odds weren’t in his favor.
As Simmons put it: “That was Eddie. He didn’t just play the guitar. He became the guitar.”
