Spending the Holiday Season with Gene Simmons and Family

I was invited to spend the holidays with the Gene Simmons family. Shannon Tweed, Gene's beautiful "spousal equivalent" asked me to join them during their holiday celebration. From the moment that I met this family, I have been surprised at how down to earth and genuine they really are. Shannon is a delight to be with. She is funny, honest and a woman of great character. She is the glue that binds the family and she fills the traditional "mom role" with ease. Shannon just happens to look like she walked off of the cover of "Cosmopolitan Magazine" while doing it!
I fully expected a staff to be handling the domestic details. To my surprise, Shannon and their daughter Sophie, were preparing the meal and Nick, their son was helping everyone with their coats and serving refreshments. Gene was lounging on his deck; quietly viewing the tremendous mountains that cascade down into the front of their home. I joined Gene, on the deck where we engaged in a conversation about architecture and landscape. Gene is actually a very soft spoken man, but what he has to say always carries weight. You can tell that he holds his family sacred and that he possesses wisdom beyond his years. I enjoyed spending time with this rock and roll legend and I fully understood that it was an honor to have such an expedience.

The other guests soon began to arrive and Nick was relieved from his hosting duties, once their housekeeper took over. Nick, Sophie and their friends were running through the house and jumping on the trampoline. I joined Shannon, in the kitchen and helped her with the final preparations. Don Dokken, the lead singer of the band Dokken, was one of the guests who joined us. I didn't realize it, but his daughter was Nick's guest. The two have been dating for about a year. Doc McGhee, the owner of McGhee Entertainment and Tracie Tweed, Shannon's sister were among the last to arrive.