Transcript

Event Date(s): 09/05/2008 | Event Location(s): Today New York Studio | Description: EJ 10:15:52 (:21) INT BRIEF CUTS: Shots of the musical group"Kiss" (including lead singer Gene Simmons) in concert. EJ 10:17:18 (:15) CLIP: Letterboxed clip from the TV show"Gene Simmons Family Jewels" featuring Simmons, Shannon Tweed, and their family. Gene Simmons joins Hoda Kotb and Kathie Lee Gifford live in Studio 1A. HODA KOTB: When you hear his name, you probably think of the face painted, tongue wagging, head banging singer and bassist from the legendary rock band Kiss. But get this, Gene is also an entrepreneur, marketer, publisher, reality TV star and AARP spokesperson. Mr. GENE SIMMONS: How about that? KATHIE LEE GIFFORD: I wanted that job, but he got it! Mr. SIMMONS: Yeah. GIFFORD: And here's the best part, at 59 he's still rocking, still touring with Kiss. Still putting on that makeup and the spandex and going out there. Mr. SIMMONS: It is--it is a thrill of a lifetime. We just came back from Europe. We did 30 stadiums over there. I don't know if you... KOTB: Oh. Mr. SIMMONS: Look how good looking. KOTB: Look at--this is now. This is current? Mr. SIMMONS: Oh yeah, yeah. KOTB: Gene. Mr. SIMMONS: We just came back from Europe. KOTB: Gene, what's the difference between being onstage at 29 and being on stage at 59? Mr. SIMMONS: You get better. Actually, Kathie and I were just talking about it. GIFFORD: Mm-hmm. Mr. SIMMONS: When I said, `Hi, girls.' You said, `You know the difference between a woman and girl is?' KOTB: Mm-hmm. Mr. SIMMONS: Kathie? GIFFORD: Experience, baby. Mr. SIMMONS: Yeah, baby, that's what I'm talking about. See that? GIFFORD: Yeah. Mr. SIMMONS: We're right in there. And so the idea is that I think a lot of people take a back seat to, you know, further on in life. You get to think, well, I've sowed my wild oats. Actually, that's not true. Fifty is the new 20. You should get out there and raise hell. Just get out there and do everything you've always wanted to do, because you're better at doing it. KOTB: Mm-hmm. Mr. SIMMONS: And the AARP convention, by the way, is something that people have always relegated to the back seat. GIFFORD: Yeah. Mr. SIMMONS: And it's one of those organizations they don't talk about. GIFFORD: Yeah. You don't want to join that club in your own mind. KOTB: Right. GIFFORD: You don't. Mr. SIMMONS: Actually, it's very hip. It's non-political. I like the new ads that are on TV that say both Democrats and Republicans, you have to address the health issues. So we... GIFFORD: And we all get old at the same minute of the day. KOTB: Mm-hmm. Mr. SIMMONS: Yeah, that word--that word old is for losers. GIFFORD: Yeah, baby. Mr. SIMMONS: The real idea is you're either alive or you're dead. KOTB: Mm-hmm. GIFFORD: Yeah. Mr. SIMMONS: There's no such thing as young or old. GIFFORD: That's right. Mr. SIMMONS: You could be a knucklehead at 20 or a knucklehead at 60. There's no difference. KOTB: But why did you decide to team up with AARP? Because I know that the image has been changing over the years. We are seeing more and more people on the cover of the magazine. Mr. SIMMONS: Well, I'm lucky because I get to do our reality shows. KOTB: Yeah. Mr. SIMMONS: And I'm doing a new show for CBS in a little while, and we get to be in Kiss and wear more makeup and higher heels than you do. GIFFORD: You wear higher heels than we do, absolutely. KOTB: Yeah. Mr. SIMMONS: Of course. But I also do--there's our reality show. KOTB: How is that show, by the way? Mr. SIMMONS: It's in season four. KOTB: Yeah. How's it going? Mr. SIMMONS: It's the number one show there. But it pretty much is my life the way is. But getting back to AARP for a second, is, you know, life is about the quality that you make it. You get up every day, you make choices about stuff. So I get--I'm very lucky because people ask me to be keynote speakers at events. So I'll be going--I'll be banging the gavel at the stock exchange because they asked me to do that. KOTB: Mm-hmm. Mr. SIMMONS: No, nothing else. So I'm basically motivational. You don't have to be a corporate guy and speak Wharton Business School. KOTB: Mm-hmm. Mr. SIMMONS: You can actually have a long tongue and actually be able to put a word or two together and maybe improve people's lives. KOTB: Mm-hmm. Mr. SIMMONS: So I don't have any sort of political agenda whatsoever. This is an idea that's important. I'll be speaking at the AARP convention in Washington, DC, tomorrow... KOTB: Mm-hmm. Mr. SIMMONS: ...in front of 30,000 people. That's at the Washington Convention Center. But today I'm flying, right after this show, to Washington, DC, to meet with our heroes. GIFFORD: Yeah, that's so great. KOTB: That's terrific. Mr. SIMMONS: They're really, they're alive at the Walter Reed Hospital, and we should all tip our hats to the people who make our lives possible. KOTB: Hm. GIFFORD: So true. Mr. SIMMONS: The volunteer military. KOTB: Mm-hmm. Mr. SIMMONS: Those are the heroes. GIFFORD: You know what's fascinating? KOTB: Good point. GIFFORD: You're here on TODAY with us and we see a different side of Gene Simmons here. KOTB: Mm-hmm. GIFFORD: And Joan Baez is also with us a little coming up. KOTB: Mm-hmm. GIFFORD: And I remember as a 17-year-old--as a 16-year-old kid--you didn't. KOTB: Your phone is ringing? GIFFORD: Sixteen-year-old kid. KOTB: Gene. Who is it? GIFFORD: Who is it? KOTB: Answer it, do it. Mr. SIMMONS: Who is it? Hi, Mom. KOTB: Oh, no it is not. GIFFORD: Stop it! KOTB: No, it isn't. GIFFORD: Let me talk to her. Mr. SIMMONS: I can't. I can't, Mom. I'm on the TODAY show. KOTB: Is he kidding? Mr. SIMMONS: I know you're watching. Yes. She's watching. Turn down the TV. KOTB: She's watching. GIFFORD: Could she have--mom. Mr. SIMMONS: Goodbye, Mom. I'm... KOTB: Is that really her? Mr. SIMMONS: Yeah. I'm an only child. You know how that is. GIFFORD: Oh! That's hysterical. KOTB: What's your mom's name, Gene? What's her name? Mr. SIMMONS: Oh, here she goes again. KOTB: What's her name? Mr. SIMMONS: Her name is Florence. KOTB: Florence. GIFFORD: Florence. KOTB: Thank you. GIFFORD: Back off! Back off your little boy. Mr. SIMMONS: I will tell you a quick story. We were in the'70s and we've been touring for 35 years and we are coming back to America this coming summer and do a real big tour to show all the little boys how the big boys do it. KOTB: Mm-hmm. GIFFORD: You mean experience? How the men do it? Mr. SIMMONS: That's--you know, I like the way you think. GIFFORD: Yes. Mr. SIMMONS: And so to make a long story short, there's a hurricane. We're stuck at an airport. Somehow, before the days of cell phones, my mother was able to get the phone number of the local airport... KOTB: No, she wasn't--to find you? Mr. SIMMONS: And `Mr. Simmons, you have a phone call coming in.' `Who's it from?' `It's your mother.' We're in Akron, Ohio, stuck in the middle of a small airport. This hurricane's outside. We're not taking off and my mom's on the phone. `Hello.' GIFFORD: She wanted to know how you were. Mr. SIMMONS: By the way, she speaks--`Hello, hello, my son.' She speaks like Zsa Zsa Gabor. KOTB: Love it. GIFFORD: Oh, my gosh. KOTB: Wow. GIFFORD: We have to have you and your mom on sometime. KOTB: We'd love that. GIFFORD: That--for Mother's Day. Would you come and bring mom on? Mr. SIMMONS: I'd like that. GIFFORD: OK. Does mom travel? KOTB: Yeah. Mr. SIMMONS: In the meantime--sure! In the meantime, log on to aarp.org and get all the info and come down and see us. We're in Washington, DC, tomorrow. KOTB: Gene, thank you so much. GIFFORD: Thank you so much. KOTB: What a pleasure. GIFFORD: What a pleasure to see you.