Gene Simmons

Who Is Gene Simmons?

Gene Simmons, an iconic musician and co-founder of the legendary rock band KISS, discovered his passion for music in middle school after witnessing the fervent admiration girls had for The Beatles on television. This experience inspired him to pursue a career in music, leading to the formation of KISS with Paul Stanley in the 1970s. Beyond music, Simmons has ventured into fashion, publishing, and acting, and gained further fame through his role in the A&E reality television series Gene Simmons Family Jewels.

Early Life

Born Chaim Witz on August 25, 1949, in Haifa, Israel, Simmons is the son of Flora, a Hungarian Holocaust survivor, and Yeichel Witz, a carpenter. Flora endured the harrowing experience of losing her family in concentration camps at the tender age of 14 and emigrated to Israel after World War II. There, she met Yeichel, but their marriage quickly deteriorated, primarily due to financial disputes. The couple separated shortly after Simmons’ birth, with Yeichel relocating to Tel Aviv in search of work, leaving Simmons and his mother to fend for themselves.

Raised in a single-parent household, Simmons faced the challenges of poverty. Flora worked in a coffee shop, often relying on babysitters for Simmons’ care. As a result, he became fluent in multiple languages, including Turkish, Hungarian, Hebrew, and Spanish, allowing him to communicate with various caregivers.

In 1958, at the age of eight, Simmons and his mother immigrated to New York, where they lived with relatives in Flushing, Queens. Upon arrival, Simmons changed his name to Gene for ease of pronunciation and adopted his mother’s surname, Klein. He quickly acquired English through comic books and television and attended a Hasidic theological seminary, or yeshiva, at the age of nine, studying diligently while his mother worked at a button factory in Williamsburg, Brooklyn.

Interest in Music

After a year in yeshiva, Simmons transitioned to a public school in Jackson Heights, where his interest in music blossomed. In his autobiography, Kiss and Make-up, Simmons recounts how watching The Beatles on television sparked his desire to form a band, thinking, “If I go start a band, maybe the girls will scream at me.” While attending Joseph Pulitzer Middle School, he and his friends formed a band called The Missing Links, successfully winning a school talent show and gaining a measure of fame.

This initial success led Simmons to participate in several bands, including Long Island Sounds and Bullfrog Bheer. Despite his aspirations for stardom, he was also mindful of his mother’s wishes for him to pursue higher education. Consequently, after high school, he enrolled at Sullivan County Community College, where he earned an associate degree in education. Following two years, he transferred to Richmond College in New York City to complete his bachelor’s degree.

Shortly after his graduation in 1970, Simmons was introduced to guitarist Stanley Eisen (later known as Paul Stanley) by his bandmate and childhood friend, Steve Coronel. Stanley joined Simmons and Coronel’s band, Wicked Lester, which began to gain traction on the nightclub circuit. However, the band struggled financially, prompting Simmons to take on various jobs, including a brief stint as a sixth-grade teacher in Spanish Harlem, an assistant at the Puerto Rican Interagency Council, and other positions, including work as a temp at the Kelly Agency, a deli cashier, and an assistant at both Glamour and Vogue, where he assisted editor Kate Lloyd.

Big Break

Wicked Lester experienced a fortunate turn of events when Stanley secured the contact information for a studio engineer at Electric Lady Studios, famed for its association with Jimi Hendrix. However, rather than reaching out to the engineer, Simmons made the bold move to contact the studio’s head, Ron Johnsen. Convincing Johnson to attend a performance by the band, Stanley successfully showcased their potential. Impressed by their talent, Johnson agreed to facilitate the recording and promotion of Wicked Lester’s demo tape. Concurrently, Simmons and Stanley undertook session work, providing background vocals for various artists, including Lynn Christopher, while honing their skills with recording equipment.

With Johnson’s assistance, the band secured a contract with Epic Records, which provided funding for a full album. A key stipulation of the deal was the replacement of guitarist Stephen Coronel with session musician Ron Leejack. Simmons and Stanley accepted this condition and dedicated nearly a year to complete the new album. However, upon its completion, Epic’s A&R director rejected the album, expressing disapproval and subsequently dropping the band.

Forming KISS

Undeterred by this setback, Simmons and Stanley restructured their group. They welcomed drummer Peter Criss, who had responded to an advertisement in Rolling Stone, and guitarist Paul “Ace” Frehley, who answered an ad in The Village Voice. By December 1972, the newly formed band, now named KISS, implemented a rigorous rehearsal schedule.

Drawing inspiration from his childhood fascination with comic books and horror films, Simmons proposed a dramatic transformation for the group, suggesting they adopt distinctive makeup and black attire. He later disclosed that his bat-wing-patterned facial makeup was inspired by the Marvel comic character Black Bolt, a persona he dubbed “The Demon.” Additionally, with the help of a trainer, Simmons mastered the art of fire breathing for their performances. KISS held their inaugural concert on January 30, 1973, at the Popcorn Club in Queens, New York, where they performed for a mere three attendees.

In October 1973, television producer Bill Aucoin, who witnessed the band’s performance, offered to manage them. The band agreed, provided Aucoin could secure a recording contract within two weeks. Armed with a demo tape produced by the renowned engineer Eddie Kramer, who had previously worked with Simmons and Stanley at Electric Lady Studios, Aucoin successfully landed KISS a contract with Casablanca Records.

Commercial Success

Throughout the 1970s, KISS toured extensively, gaining notoriety for their extravagant stage performances. During this period, they cultivated a devoted fan base known as the “KISS Army,” with enthusiasts emulating the band’s iconic style. However, it wasn’t until the release of their live album Alive! in 1975 that KISS achieved widespread acclaim, including their breakout single “Rock and Roll All Nite,” which entered the Billboard Top 40.

Their subsequent album, the ambitious Destroyer (1976), also achieved gold status, bolstered by the success of the single “Beth,” which climbed to No. 7 on the charts, earning the album platinum certification. Later releases, including Rock and Roll Over (1976), Love Gun (1977), and Alive II (1977), all achieved platinum status, establishing KISS as America’s most popular band. The group also made significant international strides, topping charts in countries such as Japan, Canada, Sweden, and Germany, including a record-breaking series of five sold-out performances at Budokan Hall in Japan, surpassing the Beatles’ previous record of four.

As the 1980s approached, internal tensions began to surface within the band. Criss became increasingly difficult, often refusing to practice and disrupting concerts. He officially departed from the group in December 1979, leading to the introduction of drummer Paul Caravello, who later adopted the stage name Eric Carr. In 1982, Frehley also exited KISS, dissatisfied with the band’s evolving musical direction. His replacement, Vinnie Vincent, faced challenges integrating with the group, resulting in a series of firings and re-hirings until his permanent departure in 1984. Subsequently, guitarists Mark St. John and Bruce Kulick joined the lineup.

KISS Rocks On

The new combination of Stanley, Simmons, Carr, and Kulick proved to be creatively successful, leading to the release of several platinum albums, including Asylum (1985), Crazy Nights (1987), and the greatest hits compilation Smashes, Thrashes & Hits (1988). In 1983, the band began performing without makeup, shifting their focus from theatricality to musical substance.

Despite this transition, Simmons found it challenging to maintain enthusiasm for the band’s new direction as he pursued a film career. However, his ventures into film, including B-movies like Runaway (1984) and Trick or Treat (1986), failed to achieve commercial success. The band faced another setback when Carr was diagnosed with cancer, eventually passing away from cerebral hemorrhaging in 1991.

Amid their grief, KISS regrouped, bringing on Eric Singer as the new drummer, and released Revenge in 1992, which achieved gold status and reached the Billboard Top 10. As this incarnation of KISS continued to record and tour, Simmons and Stanley organized a reunion tour featuring the original members in 1996. The tour, marked by performances in full makeup and costume, grossed over $43.6 million, making KISS the top concert act of that year.

Later Projects

During this period, Simmons pursued various interests, including publishing, fashion, and acting. The original lineup released Psycho Circus in 1998, their first album in nearly two decades. However, the original group disbanded once more, with Tommy Thayer replacing Frehley on lead guitar and Eric Singer replacing Criss on drums. The revamped band continued to tour throughout the subsequent decade. In 2009, Stanley and Simmons announced another tour featuring the original KISS lineup and released the album Sonic Boom in October of the same year. The band is currently on their farewell tour.

Personal Life

Simmons has had high-profile romantic relationships with celebrities such as Liza Minnelli, Cher, and Diana Ross but has been in a long-term relationship with actress and former Playboy model Shannon Tweed since the mid-1980s. Together, they have two children, son Nick and daughter Sophie. In 2006, the family ventured into reality television with the A&E series Gene Simmons Family Jewels, which aired for six seasons and showcased various family activities, including Tweed and Simmons undergoing cosmetic procedures and Simmons managing Nick’s band. The sixth season featured the wedding of Simmons and Tweed, which took place on October 1, 2011, in Beverly Hills, California.

A&E Biography Special

The documentary “Biography: KISStory” chronicles the band’s remarkable five-decade journey as co-founders Stanley and Simmons reflect on their influential career. After 50 years of performing and making an indelible mark on the music industry, KISS shares their success story before concluding their legendary journey. Alongside current members Thayer and Singer, and notable guests such as Dave Grohl (Nirvana, Foo Fighters), Tom Morello (Rage Against the Machine), manager Doc McGhee (Motley Crue, Bon Jovi), and music producer Bob Ezrin (Alice Cooper, Pink Floyd), they narrate the incredible story of one of the most successful and influential bands in the world.