This Fan Paid USD $12.5K to Be Gene Simmons’ Roadie. They Actually Said It Was Worth It

Would you drop twelve and a half grand to lug gear and grab dinner with Gene Simmons? One KISS fan did and weirdly enough he says he’d do it again.

Dwayne Rosado, a 52-year-old retired corrections sergeant from New York, recently shelled out $12,500 for the chance to be Gene Simmons’ “roadie for a day.” The package included a meal with the bassist, helping prep the show, getting introduced on stage, and an autographed bass guitar — plus the option to bring a guest. Rosado brought his 13-year-old son, Zach.

The price tag’s brutal, but Rosado isn’t blinking. “Absolutely worth it,” he told The New York Times, revealing he was recently diagnosed with multiple sclerosis. “You only live once, and I want to experience life… I’m going to die happy.”

During the show, Simmons pulled the father-son duo onstage, telling the crowd: “My father wasn’t there when I was growing up, so it means the world to me to see a good father who stays with his family.” Cheesy? Sure. But also genuinely touching in a way that only KISS-level theatrics can deliver.

Rosado called it “cemented in Kisstory,” which — say what you want — is probably true. There’s footage, fan cams, and a full NYT write-up to prove it.

As for the steep cost, Simmons blamed “astronomical insurance” and the usual litigious minefield of modern America. “If you get a paper cut, somebody gets sued,” he said, adding that they only allow one fan roadie per show for that reason. “This ain’t cheap. It’s not for everybody.”

KISS recently teased an “unmasked” Vegas show, their first since the farewell tour wrapped in 2023. Simmons’ solo tour has been postponed to 2026 for unspecified reasons. It is ostensibly not health-related though.

Twelve grand to carry amps for a guy who once breathed fire in platform boots? Depends who you ask. For Dwayne Rosado, it was a memory worth every cent. Fair enough.