Gene Simmons

Gene Simmons is a rock legend best known as the co-founder and bassist of KISS, one of the most influential rock bands in history. With his signature face paint, long tongue, and larger-than-life stage presence, Simmons helped define the look and sound of hard rock and heavy metal. Co-founding the band in the early 1970s, Simmons helped turn Kiss into a global phenomenon with their timeless hits like Rock and Roll All Nite and Detroit Rock City. With over 80 million albums sold and more than 2,000 performances worldwide, Kiss built a legacy that rivals bands like AC/DC and Aerosmith.

Inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2014, Simmons expanded his presence beyond music, making his film debut in Kiss Meets the Phantom of the Park (1978) and later appearing in Runaway (1984) and Wanted: Dead or Alive (1986). Even after decades in the industry, he remains active, touring with KISS on their farewell tours and expanding his business ventures. 

Gene Simmons’s early life was shaped by his immigrant background, love for rock music, and relentless ambition.

• Born Chaim Witz on August 25, 1949, at Rambam Hospital in Haifa, Israel, to Jewish refugees from Hungary.
• Spent his early childhood in Tirat Carmel, growing up in a modest household that struggled financially.
• He moved to the United States with his mother at age eight and settled in Queens, New York.
• Attended both a Jewish religious school and a public school, later graduating from Newtown High School.
• Earned a BA in Education from Richmond College in 1970 while working various jobs, including as an assistant at Vogue and a sixth-grade teacher.
• Inspired by The Beatles’ performance on The Ed Sullivan Show, he developed a passion for rock music.
• Adopted the stage name Gene Simmons, practiced guitar obsessively, and performed in local bands.
• Played in multiple bands, including Lynx, The Missing Links, and Wicked Lester, the latter of which he co-founded with Paul Stanley.
• Dissatisfied with Wicked Lester’s sound, he and Stanley left to create what they envisioned as the ultimate rock band.
• In 1973, they formed Kiss with Peter Criss and Ace Frehley, setting the stage for their rise to fame.

Gene Simmons’s family played a significant role in shaping his resilience and work ethic, which fueled his music career.

• His mother, Florence "Flora" Klein (1925–2018), was a Holocaust survivor from Hungary who later worked as a homemaker.
• His father, Ferenc "Feri" Yehiel Witz (1925–2002), was a carpenter who remained in Israel after divorcing Simmons’s mother.
• He was raised by his mother in Queens, New York, after they immigrated to the United States when he was eight.
• His father had another son and three daughters in Israel after the divorce.
• He has been in a long-term relationship with Shannon Tweed, a Canadian actress and former Playboy Playmate, since 1983.
• After 28 years together, Simmons and Tweed married on October 1, 2011, at the Beverly Hills Hotel.
• The couple has two children: Nick Simmons (born January 22, 1989) and Sophie Simmons (born July 7, 1992).