Gene Simmons Recalls Running Into Eddie Van Halen After Cancer Diagnosis

Gene Simmons is most known for being the frontman of the band Kiss. What he is also known for is being a close friend to the late Eddie Van Halen.

In a recent article published by People, Simmons talks about how he ran into Van Halen after hearing of his cancer diagnosis, and how well he handled the news.

The two of them bumped into each other back in 2014 in Beverly Hills, and what stood out to Simmons most was that Van Halen managed to smile through his pain.

“Years later, I ran into Eddie on Sunset Blvd. This was after he caught the disease and I didn’t know what to say to him,” Simmons, admitted. “I didn’t want to bring up the subject. Should I grab him and hug him and tell him how sorry I am? Should I put my hand on his shoulder?”

But the legendary guitarist handled the situation well and knew exactly what to do. “He brought it up. He said, ‘Hey man, I got cancer. What are you gonna do?’ and he smiled,” the Kiss frontman recounted.

“He just sort of shrugged. He was like, ‘Hey, wanna get a hot dog or something?’ And he just walked off — not looking for sympathy or anything. He really seemed to enjoy life.”

https://www.facebook.com/KISS/photos/a.10152296156636412/10159503970051412/?type=3&__xts__%5B0%5D=68.ARCX_W5AKr2t1BOOIR4Kz6GfC-Gss_aOWvEG3SeKplq6djbHC78AKt4nZIenaGGF3BrFMzsu5_dP-x2Fzszny0kco29Mt6NzD61X26dPeWE4X06C_iQjE28nipm_U_FFYWx7kbhDAY2kf8a6Vhg_HYVbvyvyDhdFH6Y_ZKQ1WtvdZw8RIOKCRQfliTylopTpgxlmaQ-Vha0ytE3Xd8i1GgNLa1vJIztxmHgj6ZOoO5HuccBqCNRDTEEfrtQ1yeUjHcKBK_WaldWcVa8fs-P4IEtKbLBs5DAHA3r2lrDcWlx7tUNOaYyD7rWbg_7SavGbzztyVr_wc9SCD2saqw&__tn__=-R

Simmons went on to talk about the moment he learned of Van Halen’s death.

“When I was shocked to find out Eddie had passed, the first image that hit me — so help me God — was Eddie Van Halen grinning from ear to ear with that big, huge, million-dollar smile. He always had that on, whether he was on stage playing for packed houses or in videos or meeting a stranger. He just smiles and says, ‘Hey, how you doing?'”