Posted By: Matt B.
There are few situations in which Gene Simmons hasn't tried to extract money from in the persuit of branding himself & his band KISS. On top of that he's so self-centered and money driven that he has never gotten married. Now, he's been with his girlfriend, Shannon Tweed for twenty-four years, so that's like being married. Now, they have a TV show in which their son and daughter participate. Watching the show last Sunday night got me to thinking. Outside of Gene Simmons, who in the entertainment industry likes to diversify himself? John Rich.
It may sound insane when you think about it but if you were to look at many of the major label albums being released you'd find John Rich's name in the credits somewhere. Whether it's as a producer, songwriter, or singer, He's in the middle of it. John's been a label head(R.A.Y.B.A.W. Records), he's marketed himself and his partner Big Kenny (of Big & Rich) non-stop. His ego is so large that he loves has to be the center of attention. So large, in fact, that CMT's Hazel Smith doesn't see him loving anyone (including a woman) as much as himself.
When Rich announced that Big Kenny was going to take 2008 off so he could concentrate on getting his back strong after numerous accidents and surgeries, Rich said he was going to put out a solo record. While he's no-doubt working on that sophomore record, he's also made his own profile known outside of country music circles. He's made stupid ignorant comments about political issues and has been the center of two reality shows. One, "Gone Country" on CMT was a trainwreck and found Rich biased at trying to exploit the 'untapped' latino country music market with the selection of the horrible Julio Iglesias, Jr. as the 'winner' of the show. Rich was a frequent guest on Nashville Star in the past couple of years and now he's the 'center' of the show. He's trying to craft himself as the Simon Cowell of the American Idol-like show.
In full disclosure, I don't mind a lot of what John Rich has done and agree that country music should be more diverse but I cannot help but think that he's oversaturated. Even Gene Simmons worked from the 'background' for most of his career.
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