Gene Simmons - I Was Raised by Demons

"This one was conceptualized at the same time as the devil horn hand gesture piece inspired by Ronnie James Dio. Both pieces stemmed from the idea of iconic gestures that represent the attitude of rock n’ roll. Although this one could easily fit into my Rockstars series, since it is clearly Gene Simmons, the intention was to portray the gesture that transcends the artist, not the artist himself. Therefore, I believe it fits better in the Rogue series.

Kiss is one my earliest recollections of music. By brother had stumbled on Kiss Alive II and we played it so much that 40 years later I can still see the Casablanca records label in the center of the LP clearly in my mind. In the mid-nineties, we finally got to see Kiss Alive ourselves (original line up) and they did not disappoint. The bass intro and “God of Thunder” has stuck with me ever since–anyone who has seen Kiss knows what I’m referring to. It became the focal point of this piece.

With Kiss being my earliest music recollection, followed closely by Ozzy, the title lyric chosen from “God of Thunder” could not have summed up my introduction to music any better, I truly was “Raised by the Demons”." -Stickman