Gene Simmons facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Gene Simmons
Simmons in 2012
Born	Chaim Witz (1949-08-25) August 25, 1949 (age 75) Haifa, Israel
Other names	Gene Klein The Demon the God of Thunder Dr. Love Reginald Van Helsing
Occupation	Musician singer songwriter record producer actor entrepreneur television personality
Years active	1970–present
Spouse(s)	Shannon Tweed ​ (m. 2011)​
Partner(s)	Cher (1978–1980) Diana Ross (1980–1983)
Children	Nick Sophie
Musical career
Origin	New York City, U.S.
Genres	Hard rock heavy metal
Instruments	Bass guitar vocals

Gene Simmons (born Chaim Witz; Hebrew: חיים ויץ [χaˈim ˈvits]; born August 25, 1949) is an American musician. Also known by his stage persona "The Demon", he was the bassist and co-lead singer of the hard rock band Kiss, which he co-founded with Paul Stanley, Ace Frehley and Peter Criss in the early 1970s until their retirement in 2023. Simmons was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2014 as a member of Kiss.

Early life and education

Simmons was born as Chaim Witz on August 25, 1949, at Rambam Hospital in Haifa, Israel, to Jewish refugees from Hungary. His mother, Florence "Flora" Klein, later Lubowski (1925–2018) was born in Jánd and survived internment in Nazi concentration camps from November 1944 to her liberation from the Mauthausen camp in Austria on May 5, 1945. She and her brother, Larry Klein, were the only members of the family to survive the Holocaust. Simmons' father, Ferenc "Feri" Yehiel Witz (1925–2002), was a carpenter whom Klein married in 1946 and the couple moved to Israel the following year. Simmons spent his early childhood in Tirat Carmel and was raised in a practicing Jewish household. He has said that his family was "dirt poor", scraping by on rationed bread and milk. At the age of seven, he began to pick wild fruit and sell it on roadsides together with a friend.

At age eight, after his parents’ divorce, he and his mother emigrated to the United States, settling in Queens, New York City. His father remained in Israel, where he had another son and three daughters. In the United States, Simmons changed his name to Gene Klein, adopting his mother's maiden name. When he was nine, he briefly attended a Jewish religious school, Yeshiva Torah Vodaas, before transferring to a public school. He graduated from Newtown High School. He later attended Sullivan County Community College in New York, and Richmond College in Staten Island, New York where he graduated with a BA in Education in 1970.

Before his musical career began, Klein worked a variety of jobs in the city. A proficient typist, he served as an assistant to an editor of Vogue, and spent 6 months as a sixth grade instructor on the Upper West Side.

The Beatles had a significant influence on Simmons. "There is no way I'd be doing what I do now if it wasn't for the Beatles. I was watching The Ed Sullivan Show and I saw them. Those skinny little boys, kind of androgynous, with long hair like girls. It blew me away that these four boys [from] the middle of nowhere could make that music."

He chose his stage name in tribute to the rockabilly singer Jumpin' Gene Simmons (in other interviews he claimed his stage name was inspired by actress Jean Simmons and he used the title of her 1946 film Great Expectations for a song on the 1976 album "Destroyer"). He practiced playing his guitar for hours on end.

Career

Kiss

Gene Simmons in his makeup, 2023

Simmons became involved with his first band, Lynx, then renamed the Missing Links, when he was 15 in 1964–5. Eventually, he disbanded the band to form the Long Island Sounds, the name being a pun on the Long Island Sound. In this band was also future Wicked Lester guitarist Steve Coronel, and future lawyer/author Alan Stuart Graf who convinced Simmons to buy his first bass as the band needed a bass player. In 1967, after losing Graf the band morphed into The Love Bag. While he played in these bands, he worked at odd jobs on the side to make more money, including trading used comic books.

From 1968 to 1970 Simmons attended Sullivan County Community College in Loch Sheldrake, New York for two years. He joined a new band, Bullfrog Bheer, and the band recorded various home demos includig Leeta; this was later included on the Kiss box set. The band existed until 1970 with various line-ups.

Simmons, Coronel and Brooke Ostrander who was in their 1969 band Coffee formed the rock band first known as Rainbow and later Wicked Lester in the early 1970 with Stanley Eisen (now known as Paul Stanley) and recorded one album, which was never released in its entirety. Dissatisfied with Wicked Lester's sound and look, Simmons and Stanley attempted to fire their band members. Met with resistance, they instead quit Wicked Lester, walking away from their record deal with Epic Records, as they decided to form the "ultimate rock band" in its place. Looking for a drummer, Simmons and Stanley found an ad placed by George Peter John Criscuola (known as Peter Criss), who was playing clubs in Brooklyn at the time; they joined and started out as a trio.

During this time, Criss and Simmons also appeared on an unreleased album by Captain Sanity together with members from Criss' previous band Chelsea. Paul Frehley (better known as Ace Frehley) responded to an ad they put in The Village Voice for a lead guitar player, and soon joined them. Kiss released their self-titled debut album in February 1974. Stanley took on the role of lead performer on stage, while Simmons became the driving force behind what became an extensive Kiss merchandising franchise. The eye section of his "Demon" makeup with Kiss came from the wing design of comic book character Black Bolt.

Simmons's Demon make-up

In 1983, when Kiss's fame was waning, the members took off their trademark make-up and enjoyed a resurgence in popularity that continued into the 1990s. At this time, Peter Criss, the original drummer, was voted out of the band, and a replacement was sought to fill his vacancy. The new drummer was Paul Charles Caravello, who went by the stage name of Eric Carr, and played for Kiss from 1980 until his death in 1991. The band hosted its own fan conventions in 1995, and fan feedback about the original Kiss members reunion influenced the highly successful 1996–1997 Alive Worldwide reunion tour. In 1998, the band released Psycho Circus. Since then, the original lineup has once again dissolved, with Tommy Thayer replacing Ace Frehley on lead guitar and Eric Singer (who performed with Kiss from 1991 through 1996) replacing Peter Criss on drums.

Film and television

Simmons has been involved with such television projects as:

• My Dad the Rock Star, a cartoon by the Canadian animation company Nelvana, about the mild mannered son of a Gene Simmons-like rock star
• Mr. Romance, a show created and hosted by Simmons on the Oxygen cable television channel
• Rock School, a UK reality show in which Simmons tries to make a rock band out of a group of students of Christ's Hospital School in the first season, and in the second, a group of kids from a comprehensive school in Lowestoft
• Gene Simmons Family Jewels, a reality show documenting the personal lives of Simmons, his wife, his son and daughter
• Scooby-Doo! and Kiss: Rock and Roll Mystery, Gene Simmons and the other members of Kiss appear in this animated movie of Scooby Doo where the gang is attacked by a monster in a Kiss amusement park and Kiss saves them.

In 1978, Simmons appeared in a made-for-television movie, Kiss Meets the Phantom of the Park.

In 1981, Simmons auditioned at ABC for a role in a new Marcy Carsey produced show called Grotus and was offered his own TV show, which he declined as the pay was lower than what he made with Kiss at the time.

In 1985, Simmons appeared on the TV series Miami Vice in an episode titled "The Prodigal Son". The episode served as the season premiere of the show's second season. Simmons appeared as a psychic working at the Mystic Journey Bookstore in Venice, California on the American hidden camera prank TV series I Get That a Lot. He also guest-starred as himself in the 2014 CSI: Crime Scene Investigation episode Long Road Home.

Simmons performed in the 1984 Michael Crichton thriller Runaway starring Tom Selleck, Cynthia Rhodes and Kirstie Alley as well as the 1987 Gary Sherman action film Wanted: Dead or Alive starring Rutger Hauer.

In March 2015, Simmons founded the film production company Erebus Pictures and announced as the first project the Horror-thriller film Armed Response.

In 2022, Simmons became a judge of the talent competition show Yoshiki Superstar Project X, airing on Hulu Japan and produced by Japanese musician and composer Yoshiki. On September 14, 2023, Simmons was one of the guest speakers chosen to introduce Yoshiki at his imprint ceremony at the TCL Chinese Theatre.

Other projects

Simmons had his own magazine, Gene Simmons Tongue Magazine, his own label, Simmons Records, and animated series, My Dad the Rock Star. Simmons Records has released albums by such bands as Kobra and the Lotus, Silent Rage, Gypsy Rose and House of Lords as well as Gene's own solo releases.

In 1976–77, Simmons signed a management and production contract with the band Van Halen. He produced a Van Halen demo tape and attempted to find a record deal for the band with a variety of major record labels. When no deal materialized, he released them from their contract.

In the 1980s, Simmons produced albums by bands including Keel, Wendy O. Williams, Black'N Blue and Doro.

In 1989, Simmons managed the recording side of Liza Minnelli's entry into mainstream pop.

In 2002, Simmons launched Gene Simmons' Tongue, a men's lifestyle magazine. The magazine lasted five issues before being discontinued.

From 2006 to 2008, Simmons served in a marketing and publicity role with the Indy Racing League.

In 2012, Simmons headlined the Rock N Roll All Stars tour which performed in stadiums across South America. The project also featured several other Rock N Roll Hall of Famers including Def Leppard's Joe Elliot, Guns N' Roses' Duff McKagan & Matt Sorum and Deep Purple's Glenn Hughes as well as Billy Idol's Steve Stevens, Collective Soul's Ed Rolland, Sebastian Bach, Alice in Chain's Mike Inez and the Cult's Billy Duffy. On March 1, 2012, the line up and the tour was revealed at a news conference hosted by Promoter Gabe Reed at the Roxy theater in Hollywood, CA. Simmons was in attendance and the entire news conference and subsequent tour was featured on Simmons Family Jewels' series finale episodes.

In 2012, Simmons partnered with Paul Stanley and three other investors to form the restaurant franchise Rock & Brews.

In August 2013, Simmons, Paul Stanley and manager Doc McGhee became a part of the ownership group that created the LA Kiss Arena Football League team, which played their home games at the Honda Center in Anaheim, California. The team has since folded.

In 2017, Simmons launched "The Vault" which is a compilation of all of his major works selling for $2,000.

Artistry

Gene Simmons fire breathing

Technique

Simmons plays bass, and lead vocals are split between Simmons and rhythm guitarist Paul Stanley in most Kiss songs. Some notable songs featuring Simmons singing lead include "God of Thunder", "Rock and Roll All Nite", "Deuce", "A World Without Heroes", "I Love It Loud", "Calling Dr. Love", "Unholy", "You Wanted the Best" (first lead vocals), and "Christine Sixteen", among others. Simmons possesses a baritone voice.

Simmons has expressed his preference for "memorable simplicity" in music as opposed to technical complexity. "I don't consider myself—and was never really interested in being—a bass virtuoso [...] I don't like show-offs in music. I'm much more attracted to things that are memorable. It's part of the joy of music for me." He has also said that while he appreciates the technical skill of jazz musicians, he believes they do not have appeal over a wide audience, saying "You can be a jazz player and be respected by musicians, but the rest of the world doesn't care."

Stage makeup and persona

In addition to playing bass, Simmons is known for his long tongue, which he frequently sticks out while performing, and on stage is known for his demonic figure by spitting fire and vomiting stage blood. Some publications reported that his tongue measured up to 7 inches long and he had it insured for $1 million, although Simmons himself has not commented on this.

Personal life

Simmons resides in Los Angeles with his wife Shannon Lee Tweed, a Canadian actress. Simmons and Tweed wed on October 1, 2011, at the Beverly Hills Hotel. They have two children: Nick (born January 22, 1989) and Sophie (born July 7, 1992).

Simmons is multilingual, and is able to speak Hungarian, German, English, Hebrew, and some Japanese.

Simmons is a science fiction and comic book fan and published several science-fiction fanzines, among them Id, Cosmos (which eventually merged with Stilletto to become Cosmos-Stilletto and then Faun), Tinderbox, Sci-Fi Showcase, Mantis and Adventure. He also contributed to other fanzines, among them BeABohema and Sirruish. By 1977, however, he would write in a letter of comment to Janus, "I haven't been active [in fandom] for about five years".

Personal views and politics

US electoral politics

Simmons was a supporter of the foreign policy of the George W. Bush administration. He supported the 2003 invasion of Iraq, writing on his website: "I'm ashamed to be surrounded by people calling themselves liberal who are, in my opinion, spitting on the graves of brave American soldiers who gave their life to fight a war that wasn't theirs... in a country they've never been to... simply to liberate the people therein". In a follow-up, Simmons explained his position and wrote about his love and support for the United States: "I wasn't born here. But I have a love for this country and its people that knows no bounds. I will forever be grateful to America for going into World War II, when it had nothing to gain, in a country that was far away... and rescued my mother from the Nazi German concentration camps. She is alive and I am alive because of America. And, if you have a problem with America, you have a problem with me".

In 2010, Simmons said he regretted voting for Barack Obama and criticized the 2009 health care reforms. Following Obama's 2011 speech on the Middle East in which he called on Israel and the Palestinians to negotiate a settlement "based on the 1967 lines with mutually agreed swaps", Simmons told CNBC that Obama was gravely misguided. "If you have never been to the moon, you can't issue policy about the moon. For the president to be sitting in Washington D.C. and saying, 'Go back to your '67 borders in Israel' – how about you live there and try to defend an indefensible border – nine miles (14 km) wide?" Simmons also accused the United Nations of being "the most pathetic body on the face of the earth".

In an April 2012 interview, Simmons endorsed Republican Mitt Romney for President: "America should be in business and it should be run by a businessman."

In an August 2021 interview, regarding the honesty of Donald Trump and his presidential administration, Simmons said, "[W]e all lie to some extent, but what happened the last four years was beyond anything I ever thought imaginable from people who had lots of power — not just him, but the administration, everybody."

On November 10, 2021, he stated that people who refused to get the COVID-19 vaccine are "an enemy" and called them "evil".

Views on Israel

In March 2011, Simmons visited his birth country, Israel. He described the trip as a "life changing experience". He talked about how he still feels that he is an Israeli: "I'm Israeli. I'm a stranger in America. I'm an outsider". While there, Simmons met his half-brother Kobi, and triplet half-sisters Drora, Sharon and Ogenia. He also visited his estranged father's grave. Simmons announced he has plans to take Kiss to Israel, something that happened first in 2015 with a concert in Tel Aviv. He has said that he is an ardent supporter of Israel. At a press conference in Israel, he spoke in both Hebrew and English. During his visit to Israel in 2011, he also stated that the artists refusing to perform in Israel for political reasons are "stupid".

During the 2006 Lebanon War between Israel and Hezbollah in Lebanon, Simmons sent a televised message of support (in both English and Hebrew) to an Israeli soldier seriously wounded in fighting in Lebanon, calling him his "hero".

On November 6, 2015, he attended a Friends of the Israel Defense Forces gala in Beverly Hills, which raised more than $31 million.

Philanthropy

Simmons is a known advocate for ChildFund International's work. He traveled to Zambia during his Gene Simmons Family Jewels show to visit several of his sponsored children, of whom he has more than 140. Simmons said that the trip "[was] a stark reminder that life doesn't treat everyone the same".

Simmons's family received the MEND Humanitarian Award for their philanthropic efforts and support for Mending Kids International at the organization's annual gala on November 9, 2013. The award was presented by Mel Gibson. In his acceptance speech, Simmons spoke of his own difficult childhood in Israel in a bullet-riddled house. He recalled his mother's excitement when they received a CARE box one day.

Simmons helped found "The Children Matter", which is a collaborative initiative with the charity MATTER that fights to give children around the world access to health care.

He is an advocate for public safety during the coronavirus pandemic, encouraging people to wear face masks and follow social distance protocols.

Awards and recognition

On January 28, 2011, Simmons was in Dallas, Texas, to host the Aces & Angels Salute to the Troops charity event. Simmons was presented the key to the city, and a street (Gene Simmons Boulevard) was named for him. Simmons and Tweed also visited the U.S. Army base at Fort Hood to support the troops as a part of the Aces & Angels event.

On June 15 of the same year, he was given the key to the city in Winnipeg, Manitoba. In 2012, Simmons was awarded the Golden God award by the Revolver magazine.

In 2013, the Smithsonian National Museum of American History accepted an autographed Gene Simmons Axe bass into their collection from John Upshaw Downs Jr. The Smithsonian wrote, in part: "The bass will now be cared for in our permanent collections... We are happy to include the Axe bass as it relates to the impact Mr. Simmons and his band Kiss have had on American culture, especially in the creation of a unique and iconic brand that has been embraced by fans worldwide ... The story of Mr. Simmons' American experience deserves to be preserved. An immigrant and son of a holocaust survivor, he used creative vision and entrepreneurial acumen to make a significant impact for our nation's popular culture, becoming an iconic figure in American music and entertainment."

Simmons is an honorary board member of Little Kids Rock, a national nonprofit that works to restore and revitalize music education in disadvantaged U.S. public schools. A&E's Gene Simmons Family Jewels visited a Little Kids Rock classroom and featured the segment on the show. He also decorated a guitar for auction with his son Nick.

On December 15, 2014, Simmons was awarded the Golden Medal by the Reial Cercle Artístic de Barcelona (Royal Artistic Circle of Barcelona).

In 2020, Simmons won two Guinness World Records for "highest flame projection in a music concert" and "most flame projections launched simultaneously in a music concert. Both of the records were established at the KISS 2020 Goodbye concert.

Discography

Simmons performing in 2019

With Kiss

Solo

Studio albums

• Gene Simmons (1978)
• A*****e (2004)

Other releases

• Vault (box set, 2017)
• Speaking in Tongues (DVD, 2004)

Guest appearances

• Wendy O. Williams – WOW (1984) Producer, played all the bass on the album (credited as "Reginald Van Helsing"), co-wrote songs "It's My Life", "Thief in the Night", "Legends Never Die" and "Ain't None of Your Business".
• Bruce Kulick – BK3 (2010) Lead guest vocals on "Ain't Gonna Die"
• Engelbert Humperdinck – Engelbert Calling (2014) co-vocals on "Spinning Wheel"
• Lita Ford – Time Capsule (2016) played bass on several songs, co-writing and backing vocals on "Rotten to the Core"
• Ace Frehley - Spaceman (2018) co-writing on "Without You I'm Nothing" and "Your Wish Is My Command", bass guitar on "Without You I'm Nothing"

Filmography

Film

Television appearances

Music video appearances

In 1994, Simmons appears as auditioning for the band with actor Al Lewis & comedian Gilbert Gottfried in a music video for "I'll Talk My Way Out Of It" by Howard Stern comedian Stuttering John. In 2007, he appeared alongside other celebrities, as well as regular people, in the music video for "Rockstar" by Nickelback.

Video game appearances

Gene Simmons is a playable character in Tony Hawk's Underground, unlocked when completing the story mode on Normal difficulty, and also appears with his Kiss bandmates in the Hotter Than Hell level to play one of three songs upon collecting the four K-I-S-S letters.

Gene Simmons's Kiss character, the Demon, is a playable character in Kiss: Psycho Circus: The Nightmare Child. Simmons also has a large role in the 2010 music video game Guitar Hero: Warriors of Rock. In addition to narrating the main storyline, voicing the character Demigod of Rock in cutscenes, and doing advertising for the game, the Kiss song "Love Gun" is playable.

A Dark-Normal Type Pokémon introduced in Pokémon Sword and Shield known as Obstagoon the Blocking Pokémon resembles Gene Simmons's KISS character: The Demon.

Selected published works

• Me, Inc.: Build an Army of One, Unleash Your Inner Rock God, Win in Life and Business, Gene Simmons (ISBN: 0-062-32261-3)
• Kiss and Make-Up, Gene Simmons (ISBN: 0-609-81002-2)
• Kiss: The Early Years, Gene Simmons and Paul Stanley (ISBN: 0-609-81028-6)
• Kiss: Behind the Mask, David Leaf and Ken Sharp (ISBN: 978-0-446-69524-4)