The year was 1978. I was in second grade. I was a Kiss fanatic. My parents had taken me to see them the previous year at Olympia Stadium in Detroit. I was at the peek of my Kiss fervor. I told my dad that I wanted to be Gene Simmons for Halloween. He went all out. We constructed the boots, by taking a pair of my mom’s boots (I don’t remember if we asked her or not) and adding a firm base to the soles (out of what I do not recall). My dad then expertly spray painted the demon faces on them. The body suit consisted of long underwear that my dad and I had dyed black. We then connect the chains to the chest area and used the same metallic silver paint we had used on the boots for the highlights. The make-up was applied early in the morning before I went to school that day. I thought I was super badass that day, thanks to my dad. Although I don’t know the man personally, years later I now believe Gene Simmons to be somewhat of a knob. My dad is still cool though.
