KISS drops 'past his prime' David Lee Roth from tour: Gene Simmons

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David Lee Roth has been dropped as the support act for the U.S. leg of KISS’ farewell tour, because the band feels he’s past his prime.

The Van Halen frontman opened for Gene Simmons and his bandmates on the February and March, 2020 North American dates on the End Of The Road trek, but the bassist has confirmed he won’t be back when the tour resumes on Wednesday in Mansfield, Massachusetts.

“It bears noting that during Dave’s heyday, nobody did what he did,” Simmons tells Rolling Stone. “He was the ultimate frontman… He took being a frontman way beyond anything.

“And then, I don’t know what happened to him… something. And you get modern-day Dave. I prefer to remember Elvis Presley in his prime. Sneering lips, back in Memphis, you know, doing all that. I don’t want to think of bloated naked Elvis on the bathroom floor.”

He’s not the only rock star who has taken aim at Diamond Dave in recent months. Sammy Hagar, who replaced Lee Roth in Van Halen, claimed his voice “hasn’t aged well” in an explosive interview.

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He also accused the singer of not being honest with fans about his “image and performance.”

“He’s a real character, a showman. He’s all show,” Hagar told the Inside With Paulo Baron Internet show. “I enjoy him but you talk about cringing. I can’t imagine how he feels when he looks at some of them old videos, the way he was dancing and moving, and the way he was singing live sometimes (sic). I don’t know how he feels about all that, but I don’t think he cares.

“The difference between him and I (is) I sincerely care. I care about everything I do and I care how it affects people and I care what they think. I care that it touches them and it makes them happy. And what is important to me is enlightening and elevating people spiritually and making them happy and making them have big dreams, making them want to be better themselves. And that’s my goal with everything I do… I don’t think he cares about anything like that.”