Ronnie James Dio's widow Wendy blasted Gene Simmons for attempting to trademark the "devil horns" hand gesture that is synonymous with metal music.
Wendy told TheWrap.com in regards to Simmons' patent application, "To try to make money off of something like this is disgusting. It belongs to everyone; it doesn't belong to anyone... It's a public domain; it shouldn't be trademarked."
Although the gesture has been heavily associated with Ronnie, who passed away in 2010, Wendy says that he shouldn't get the credit for it either.
Simmons claims to have first used in in 1974, and appears on the cover of KISS' 1977 album Love Gun performing the hand gesture. Dio began using the hand gesture prominently starting in 1979 after replacing Ozzy Osbourne in Black Sabbath.
Even earlier than Simmons, The Beatles' John Lennon can be seen doing the "devil horns" in a photograph on the cover of the Yellow Submarine single that was released in 1969. The same year, the band Coven released an album with multiple people using the gesture in the gatefold photo.
Wendy Dio also said the effort to trademark the "devil horns" is "a joke," and "It's just crazy... It's laughable, I think, quite honestly. I think he's made a complete fool of himself."
That wouldn't be a first for Simmons, whose band has ridiculous merchandise like air guitar strings, "Kaskets," and wall fountains.
We hope this patent application fails hard.
Read the Full Article on TheWrap.com.
Top Photo Credit: Terje Bendiksby/AFP/Getty Images