Kerry Simon, Las Vegas ‘Iron Chef’ victor, dies at 60

Kerry Simon, a former “Iron Chef” champion who served up dishes to rock bands such as Led Zeppelin and Motley Crue, has perished.

Simon died Friday morning in a hospice facility in Las Vegas, according to Cory Harwell, his business associate.

He was 60 years old.

Simon died from complications related to the illness, and was identified as having Multiple System Atrophy, a degenerative neurological disorder.

Harwell, who met Simon in 2009, said he didn’t let his illness keep him from doing what he wanted to, that was eateries that were open. Eateries ran including Palms Place and Harrah’s at several Las Vegas hotels. He and Harwell formed their own restaurant-hospitality management group in 2013 and started four restaurants on the horizon still together having a fifth one.

Even with the loss of his motor skills, Simon continued carrying out his vision for a planned fifth restaurant.

“He ate everything and made ideas and comments and fixes,” Harwell said. “I learned more from him in the past two and a half years than the usual life of working in and out of kitchens. I will cherish that forever.”

He made a name for himself as an executive chef at The Plaza Hotel in New York City at age 34, according to his institution’s website.

He developed a reputation for feeding a few of the very well-known names in the music world including Alice Cooper as well as the band Cheap Trick.

“An average Joe, he’d treat the exact same way,” Harwell said.

Simon is survived by three brothers.

Funeral services have not been set.