Los Angeles, May 11 (IANS): Controversial Kiss frontman Gene Simmons thinks late pop icon Prince's death was "pathetic" because he killed himself through substance abuse.

The Kiss singer-and-bassist was shattered to learn of the "tragic" passing of the late David Bowie in January at the age of 69 because he was taken by cancer.

However, Simmons has no sympathy for anyone who dies from a drug overdose because it was their "choice", reports femalefirst.co.uk.

It has been speculated that "Purple Rain" hitmaker Prince passed away last month at the age of just 57 due to long-term abuse of the painkiller Percocet.

"Bowie was the most tragic of all because it was real sickness. All the other ones were a choice," Simmons told Newsweek Europe.

Asked if he thought Prince's death was tragic, he said: "His drugs killed him. What do you think, he died from a cold?"

"I think Prince was heads, hands and feet above all the rest of them. I thought he left (Michael) Jackson in the dust. Prince was way beyond that. But how pathetic that he killed himself. Don't kid yourself, that's what he did. Slowly, I'll grant you ... but that's what drugs and alcohol is: a slow death," he added.