Gene Simmons

Best known as the fire breathing, blood splitting and larger than life co-founder of hard rock supergroup, KISS. Simmons was actually born Chaim Witz in August 1949 in Haifa, Israel, the son of Hungarian Jewish parents, Flóra "Florence" (Klein or Kovács) and Feri Yechiel Witz. He moved to New York as a young child.

Like many American teenagers of the 1960s, he was influenced by a fascination with comic book super heroes, monster movies and rock and roll music, thus the teenage Simmons set about creating what he perceived as the ultimate music supergroup.

Simmons eventually crossed paths with like-minded musician / songwriter Paul Stanley (born Stanley Eisen) in the early 1970s, and after several failed attempts to create their dream band, they recruited fellow New Yorkers spaced out guitarist Ace Frehley (born Paul Daniel Frehley) and "do anything to make it" drummer Peter Criss (born Peter Crisscuola).

The four struggling young musicians practiced relentlessly in a rundown loft in New York City refining their music & stage show before eventually launching themselves on the New York live music scene in the early 1970s with their blitzkrieg style of hard rock, kabuki stage make up and unforgettable high energy performances. After bombarding media, TV & public relations identities with invites to their shows, Simmons and Stanley soon brokered a deal with Madison Ave executive Bill Aucoin for him to manage the band, and Aucoin soon scored KISS a record deal with the fledgling Casablanca Records & Filmworks. . . . .

Once played in a band called Cathedral, several years before forming KISS. Among the names the band considered before settling on KISS in 1973 were Albatross, The Crimson Harpoon and F**k. Paul Stanley was the band member who suggested KISS.

and the rest as they say is KISStory!Since their first album debuted in 1974, KISS have sold over 80 million albums and played over 2,000 shows to millions of loyal fans (known as the KISS Army) right around the globe.

Discovered Van Halen in 1977 and produced the demo that got them signed to Warner Brothers Records. Unfortunately, Simmons had to release them from their contract when he couldn't convince anyone at WB of the band's potential. Bill Aucoin, then-manager of KISS, told Simmons he didn't think Van Halen would have any commercial success (Van Halen's debut self-titled album went platinum, and their famous 1984 album has sold more than 10 million copies and has been certified diamond).

Never one to keep still for too long, the charismatic Simmons made his first feature film appearance as his alter ego (The Demon from KISS) in the 1978 telemovie Kiss Meets the Phantom of the Park (1978), which received scathing reviews in the USA from TV critics. However KISS fans internationally loved the film and it played theatrically to strong box office business in dozens of countries, and has since become something of a cult film. . . .

Produced many acts in the 1980s, including Keel, Wendy O. Williams, "EZO" and "Black and Blue".

despite its corny, cartoonish plot! Since KISS didn't drop wearing their distinctive make up until 1983, it was several years before Simmons appeared in front of the cameras again (this time without the Demon make up), as an evil techno-junkie killer battling Tom Selleck in the thriller Runaway (1984).

Simmons has since continued to turn up in low-key roles in B-grade thrillers such as Wanted: Dead or Alive (1986) and Red Surf (1989) that utilize his ability to glower and look menacingly into the camera.

Has a son, Nick Simmons (b. 1989), and a daughter, Sophie Simmons (b. 1992), with Shannon Tweed.

According to the KISS band members on VH1's Behind the Music (1997), their garish costumes (created from various S&M sex gear) and make-up was born out of their mutual love of comic books and sci-fi/horror films. According to Gene, each member (Paul Stanley, Ace Frehley, Peter Criss and himself) fashioned their stage characters from their own personalities. Gene loved horror films and chose "The Demon" as his persona. Paul Stanley always dreamed of being a stage star and became "Star-Child". Ace Frehley loved science fiction and chose the "Space Ace" persona. And Peter Criss' "Cat Man" character was a reference to his growing up in a rough neighborhood (He quipped "I had nine lives like a cat just make it out of there"). Gene says that Ace Frehley was the one who drew the KISS logo.

Publisher of the magazine 'Tongue' since late 2001. Is currently working on a KISS brand of condoms, among other things. Most of his post-KISS career will be concentrated on producing feature films and creating new KISS merchandise.

Launches fashion label, "Gene Simmons - Dragonfly" [August 2002]

Simmons, in terms of political views, describes himself as neither Democrat nor Republican, but voting based on the issues. While he supports a woman's right to abortion, the environment and church/state separation, he supported Bush in 2004 because he agreed with Bush's foreign policy stands.

During an interview on William Shatner's Shatner's Raw Nerve (2008), Gene revealed how he and Paul Stanley came up with the name KISS. They knew they wanted a band name that was short, blunt, and stood out. For a while, they played with the notion of calling their band "Fuck" with the idea that each record album they made would have a title with a variation of the word (i.e.: Fuck You, Fuck Off, Fuck Me, Fuck Him, etc.) But, then, they realized they would never get signed to a record deal with that kind of a name, so Paul Stanley came up with "KISS" instead.

Attended a Beverly Hills fundraiser for the Israeli Defense Forces. (6 November 2015).