Wendy Dio, the late Ronnie Dio’s wife, recently clarified her comments about Gene Simmons and the Devil’s Horn sign in an interview on The Magnificent Others with Billy Corgan.
She discussed how the iconic hand gesture became associated with her late husband. The confusion that arose when Gene Simmons attempted to trademark it prompted her to explain the context behind her remarks, which were misinterpreted by media outlets.
“Somebody called me from, I think the BBC or somewhere, and said, ‘Gene Simmons is going to trademark the Malloy.’ So anyway, they called me and I said, ‘No.’ I said, ‘It doesn’t belong to anybody. Ronnie just made it popular.’ It’s an old, it goes back centuries ago, whatever,” Dio explained.
She then described her reaction to the trademark attempt: “And they said, ‘What do you think about Gene Simmons’ trademark?’ I said, ‘I think it’s disgusting.’ [Then the] headline, ‘Wendy Dio calls Gene Simmons disgusting.’ I was like, ‘Oh God, I did not say that.’”
Dio emphasized that her criticism was directed at the trademark attempt itself, not at Gene Simmons personally. She stressed that the Devil’s Horn sign has historical roots predating its popularization by her husband Ronnie Dio.
Gene Simmons, bassist and vocalist of KISS, filed an application with the US Patent and Trademark Office in June 2017 to trademark a hand gesture that closely resembled the devil horns. Loudwire reported that Simmons claimed he first used the gesture on stage in 1974. The controversy surrounding this attempt sparked significant backlash from the rock and metal community.
Ronnie James Dio is widely credited with popularizing the gesture in the music world. He adopted it from his Italian grandmother, who used it as a sign to ward off the “evil eye.” Consequence noted that the gesture has roots in various cultures and religions. Similar hand signs have appeared in music and art long before Dio’s time, making it a shared cultural symbol rather than the intellectual property of any single artist.
Wendy Dio was vocal in her criticism of Simmons’ move. She stated: “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.” She compared Simmons’ attempt to trying to trademark the peace sign, emphasizing that the gesture is a shared cultural symbol that should not be owned by an individual.
Simmons abandoned his trademark application shortly after it was filed, facing widespread criticism from fans and fellow musicians. IP Watchdog documented this outcome. The controversy highlighted the deep cultural significance of the devil horns gesture in rock and metal and the community’s strong resistance to attempts to commercialize shared symbols.
