American rock musician
"Kiss Demon" redirects here. For the professional wrestler who portrayed the character in WCW, see
Dale Torborg
.
Gene Simmons
|
---|
Simmons in 2012
|
Born
| Chaim Witz
(
1949-08-25
)
August 25, 1949
(age 74)
|
---|
Other names
| - Gene Klein
- The Demon
- the God of Thunder
- Dr. Love
- Reginald Van Helsing
|
---|
Occupations
| - Musician
- singer
- songwriter
- record producer
- actor
- entrepreneur
- television personality
|
---|
Years active
| 1970?present
|
---|
Spouse
|
|
---|
Partners
| Cher
(1978?1980)
Diana Ross
(1980?1983)
|
---|
Children
| |
---|
Musical career
|
Origin
| New York City, U.S.
|
---|
Genres
| |
---|
Instruments
| |
---|
Formerly of
| |
---|
Website
| genesimmons
.com
|
---|
Musical artist
|
Gene Simmons
(born
Chaim Witz
;
Hebrew
:
???? ???
[χa?im
?vits]
; 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
[
edit
]
Simmons was born as Chaim Witz on August 25, 1949, at
Rambam Hospital
in
Haifa
, Israel, to Jewish refugees from Hungary. His mother, Florence Klein (1925?2018) was born in
Jand
and survived internment in
Nazi concentration camps
.
[1]
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. 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.
[2]
At the age of seven, he began to pick wild fruit and sell it on roadsides together with a friend.
[3]
Aged eight, he and his mother
emigrated to the United States
, settling in 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.
[4]
He later attended
Richmond College
[5]
and
Sullivan County Community College
, both in New York, and chose a stage name in tribute to the rockabilly singer
Jumpin' Gene Simmons
.
[6]
He practiced playing his guitar for hours on end.
[7]
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 several months as a sixth grade instructor on the
Upper West Side
.
[8]
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."
[9]
Career
[
edit
]
Kiss
[
edit
]
Simmons became involved with his first band, Lynx, then renamed the Missing Links, when he was a teenager. Eventually, he disbanded the band to form the Long Island Sounds, the name being a pun on the
Long Island Sound
. While he played in these bands, he worked at odd jobs on the side to make more money, including trading used comic books. Simmons attended
Sullivan County Community College
in
Loch Sheldrake
, New York. He joined a new band, Bullfrog Bheer, and the band recorded a demo,
Leeta
; this was later included on the Kiss box set.
Simmons formed the rock band
Wicked Lester
in the early 1970s with Stanley Eisen (now known as
Paul Stanley
) and recorded one album, which was never released. 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
.
[10]
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
[
edit
]
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
,
[11]
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 others singers 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 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.
[12]
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
.
[13]
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
.
[14]
In March 2015, Simmons founded the film production company Erebus Pictures
[15]
and announced as the first project the Horror-thriller film
Armed Response
.
[16]
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
.
[17]
On September 14, 2023, Simmons was one of the guest speakers chosen to introduce Yoshiki at his imprint ceremony at the TCL Chinese Theatre.
[18]
Other projects
[
edit
]
He has 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.
[19]
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.
[
citation needed
]
In 1989, Simmons managed the recording side of
Liza Minnelli
's entry into mainstream pop.
[20]
In 2002, Simmons launched
Gene Simmons' Tongue
, a men's lifestyle magazine.
[21]
The magazine lasted five issues before being discontinued.
[
citation needed
]
From 2006 to 2008, Simmons served in a marketing and publicity role with the
Indy Racing League
.
[22]
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.
[23]
In 2012, Simmons partnered with Paul Stanley and three other investors to form the restaurant franchise
Rock & Brews
.
[
citation needed
]
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.
[24]
In 2018, Simmons was named "Chief Evangelist Officer" of the Canadian
cannabis
company Invictus MD Strategies.
[25]
Simmons also holds a large investment stake in the company.
[26]
Playing style
[
edit
]
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.
Stage makeup and persona
[
edit
]
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.
[27]
Personal life
[
edit
]
Simmons lives in Los Angeles with his wife
Shannon Lee Tweed
, a Canadian actress and former
Playboy Playmate
. Although they began dating in 1983, they did not marry until 28 years later. Simmons often joked that he and Tweed were "happily unmarried" for over 20 years. He also often paraphrased
Groucho Marx
, saying "Marriage is an institution, and I don't want to live in an institution". Simmons and Tweed wed on October 1, 2011, at the
Beverly Hills Hotel
.
[28]
[29]
They have two children:
Nick
(born January 22, 1989) and
Sophie
(born July 7, 1992). He formerly had
live-in relationships
with
Cher
and
Diana Ross
,
[30]
revealing that he fell in love with Ross while dating Cher.
[31]
Simmons has boasted many times about having
bedded
thousands of women. In 2010, he claimed the tally stood at 5,000 and that he has a
Polaroid picture
of each liaison, including the hotel key where it took place.
[32]
After their wedding, when Shannon found the key for the lockboxes containing the photos (confirming at least that much of the rumors), after a "loving confrontation" with Gene, she had every single Polaroid burned on national television during the final season of their reality show "Gene Simmons Family Jewels".
[11]
Simmons can speak Hungarian, German, English, Hebrew, and some Japanese.
[30]
Simmons has always been open about his disdain for drug and alcohol use, and has proudly claimed many times over "I've never been high or drunk in my life".
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
.
[33]
By 1977, however, he would write in a
letter of comment
to
Janus
, "I haven't been active [in fandom] for about five years".
[34]
Political views
[
edit
]
Simmons was a supporter of the
foreign policy of the George W. Bush administration
.
[35]
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".
[36]
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".
[36]
In 2010, Simmons said he regretted voting for
Barack Obama
and criticized the
2009 health care reforms
.
[37]
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",
[38]
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".
[39]
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."
[40]
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."
[41]
On November 10, 2021, he stated that people who refused to get the
COVID-19 vaccine
are "an enemy" and called them "evil".
[42]
Views on Israel
[
edit
]
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".
[43]
While there, Simmons met his half-brother Kobi, and triplet half-sisters Drora, Sharon and Ogenia.
[44]
Simmons announced he has plans to take Kiss to Israel. He has said that he is an ardent supporter of Israel.
[45]
At a press conference in Israel, he spoke in both
Hebrew
and English.
[46]
During his visit to Israel in 2011, he also stated that the artists refusing to perform in Israel for political reasons are "stupid".
[47]
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".
[48]
On November 6, 2015, he attended a
Friends of the Israel Defense Forces
gala in Beverly Hills, which raised more than $31 million.
[49]
Views on Islam
[
edit
]
In a 2004 interview in
Melbourne
, Australia, regarding
Islamic extremists
, Simmons described
Islam
as a "vile culture", saying that Muslim women had to walk behind their husbands and were not allowed to be educated or to own houses. He said: "They want to come and live right where you live and they think that you're evil." Muslim media identity Susan Carland argued that Simmons's stereotyping of Muslims was inaccurate.
[50]
Simmons later clarified his comments on his website, saying he had been talking specifically about Muslim extremists.
[51]
Controversial statements
[
edit
]
NPR interview
[
edit
]
During an interview on the
National Public Radio
(NPR) program
Fresh Air
on February 2, 2002,
[52]
Simmons told
Terry Gross
: "If you want to welcome me with open arms, I'm afraid you're also going to have to welcome me with open legs", paraphrasing a lyric from
the Who
's 1981 song "
You Better You Bet
". Gross replied: "That's a really obnoxious thing to say". At the time, Simmons refused to grant permission to NPR to make the interview available online.
[53]
However, it appears in print in Gross' book
All I Did Was Ask
and unauthorized transcripts are available. NPR re-broadcast part of the interview in August 2007.
[54]
In a 2014 interview with
The Huffington Post
, Simmons noted he was upset over what he perceived as Gross's "holier-than-thou" attitude, which included mislabeling his band Kiss as "the Kiss".
[55]
Views on musical piracy
[
edit
]
In 2007, Simmons openly spoke out against
music piracy
, and called for file-sharers to be sued.
[56]
A year later, he threatened further lawsuits, and to withhold new recordings, if file-sharing continued. In 2010,
Anonymous
staged a
DDoS
on his website, prompting Simmons to hit back with provocative comments once he was back online, at which point Anonymous staged a second DDoS, taking Simmons's site down again.
[57]
In September 2014, Simmons said "The death of rock was not a natural death. Rock did not die of old age. It was murdered." Simmons blames file sharing and that no one values music "enough to pay you for it" for the decline of the rock music scene.
[58]
Comments on suicide and depression
[
edit
]
In July 2014, Simmons made comments in an interview with Songfacts.com that encouraged those with depression to kill themselves.
I never understand, because I always call them on their bluff. I'm the guy who says 'Jump!' when there's a guy on top of a building who says, "That's it, I can't take it anymore, I'm going to jump." Are you kidding? Why are you announcing it? Shut the fuck up, have some dignity and jump! You've got the crowd.
[59]
The comments drew criticism from
Nikki Sixx
of
Motley Crue
, who had suffered from depression in the past.
[60]
Following his comments, both
Triple M
and Winnipeg radio station
Power 97
stated that they were pulling all Kiss songs from their lineup in protest.
[61]
Simmons later clarified his comments and apologized for the incident.
[62]
Fox & Friends
incident
[
edit
]
On November 16, 2017, Simmons made an appearance on
Fox & Friends
to promote a new book, but shortly afterward, he burst into a staff meeting uninvited, unbuttoning his shirt and telling jokes. The next day, on November 17,
Fox News
announced that Simmons was banned for life from their program, as well as from entering any of the company's properties. Simmons later issued a statement saying that he has "a tremendous amount of respect" for the company's workers and apologized for "unintentionally offending" any staff members during his visit.
[63]
[64]
[65]
[66]
Sexual assault allegations
[
edit
]
In 2018, Simmons settled a sexual assault lawsuit with an unnamed radio personality, who accused him of touching her inappropriately. The woman claimed that Simmons touched her and "turned standard interview questions into sexual innuendos." Despite the settlement, Simmons denied the allegations.
[67]
In 2019, Ace Frehley, who played together with Simmons for years in Kiss, stated that Simmons had groped his wife, calling Simmons an "asshole and a
sex addict
".
[68]
[69]
Philanthropy
[
edit
]
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.
[70]
Simmons said that the trip "[was] a stark reminder that life doesn't treat everyone the same".
[71]
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
.
[72]
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.
[73]
Simmons helped found "The Children Matter", which is a collaborative initiative with the charity MATTER that fights to get kids around the world access to health care.
[74]
He is an advocate for public safety during the
coronavirus pandemic
, encouraging people to wear face masks and following
social distance protocols
.
[75]
Awards and recognition
[
edit
]
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.
[
citation needed
]
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.
[76]
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."
[77]
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.
[78]
On December 15, 2014, Simmons was awarded the Golden Medal by the Reial Cercle Artistic de Barcelona (Royal Artistic Circle of Barcelona).
[79]
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.
[80]
Discography
[
edit
]
With Kiss
[
edit
]
Solo
[
edit
]
- Studio albums
- Other releases
- Vault
(box set, 2017)
- Speaking in Tongues
(DVD, 2004)
Guest appearances
[
edit
]
- Wendy O. Williams
?
WOW
(1984) Producer, played all the bass on the album (credited as "Reginald Van Helsing"), co-wrote five songs "I Love Sex (And Rock and Roll)", "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
[
edit
]
Film
[
edit
]
Television appearances
[
edit
]
Year
|
Show
|
Episode
|
Role
|
Bandmates
|
Miscellaneous
|
1974
|
Dick Clark's - In Concert
|
March 29, 1974
|
Himself
|
Peter Criss, Ace Frehley, Paul Stanley
|
Performed "Nothin' To Lose, Firehouse, Black Diamond
|
1974
|
The Mike Douglas Show
|
June 11, 1974
|
Himself
|
Peter Criss, Ace Frehley, Paul Stanley
|
Kiss Performed "Firehouse".
|
1975
|
The Midnight Special
|
April 1, 1975
|
Himself
|
Peter Criss, Ace Frehley, Paul Stanley
|
Performed "Deuce, She, Black Diamond, (C'mon & Love Me - not televised)
|
1976
|
The Paul Lynde Halloween Special
|
October 29, 1976
|
Himself
|
Peter Criss, Ace Frehley, Paul Stanley
|
Performed "
Detroit Rock City
", "King of the Night Time World", and "
Beth
"
|
1979
|
Tomorrow
|
|
Himself
|
Peter Criss, Ace Frehley, Paul Stanley
|
|
1985
|
Miami Vice
|
"The Prodigal Son"
|
Newton Blade
|
|
|
1986
|
The Hitchhiker
|
"O.D.Feelin
'
" January 28, 1986
|
Mr. Big
|
|
|
1997
|
Action League Now!
|
"Rock-A-Big-Baby"
|
Toy version of himself
|
Peter Criss, Ace Frehley, Paul Stanley
|
Performed "
Rock and Roll All Nite
"
|
1998
|
MADtv
[83]
|
October 31, 1998 (#406)
|
Himself
|
Peter Criss, Ace Frehley, Paul Stanley.
|
Halloween special; performed in five sketches
|
1998
|
Millennium
|
"
...Thirteen Years Later
" October 30, 1998
|
Hector Leachman
|
Paul Stanley, Peter Criss, Ace Frehley
|
|
2001
|
Family Guy
|
"
A Very Special Family Guy Freakin' Christmas
"
|
Animated version of himself
|
Peter Criss, Ace Frehley, Paul Stanley
|
|
2001
|
Who Wants To Be a Millionaire?
|
May 27, 2001
|
Himself
|
|
Won $32,000 for a charity
|
2001
|
The Daily Show with Jon Stewart
[84]
|
June 12, 2001
|
Himself
|
|
|
2002
|
Family Guy
|
"
Road to Europe
"
|
Animated version of himself
|
Peter Criss, Ace Frehley, Paul Stanley
|
Lois Griffin claims she dated Gene Simmons while they were in high school, and calls him by his birth name, Chaim Witz.
|
2002
|
The Tonight Show with Jay Leno
|
September 6, 2002
|
Himself
|
|
|
2003
|
King of the Hill
|
"Reborn to Be Wild"
|
Jessie
|
|
|
2004
|
Third Watch
|
"Higher Calling"
|
Donald Mann
|
|
|
2004
|
Third Watch
|
"Monsters"
|
Donald Mann
|
|
|
2004
|
Third Watch
|
"More Monsters"
|
Donald Mann
|
|
|
2005
|
American Idol
|
"Auditions: New Orleans"
|
Himself- guest judge
|
|
|
2005
|
Family Guy
|
"
Don't Make Me Over
"
|
Animated version of himself/ Prisoner No. 3
|
|
|
2005
|
Mind of Mencia
|
Episode #1.7
|
Himself
|
|
|
2005
|
Rock School
|
|
Himself
|
|
|
2006
|
The View
|
August 1, 2006
|
Himself
|
|
Promotional appearance for
Gene Simmons Family Jewels
|
2007
|
SpongeBob SquarePants
|
"
20,000 Patties Under the Sea
"
|
Sea Monster
|
|
|
2007
|
Shrink Rap
|
"Gene Simmons"
|
Himself
|
|
UK's More4 show
|
2008
|
Entertainment Tonight
|
January 2, 2008
|
Himself
|
|
|
2008
|
Jimmy Kimmel Live!
|
January 18, 2008
|
Himself
|
|
|
2008
|
Rachael Ray
|
March 11, 2008
|
Himself
|
|
|
2008
|
Criss Angel Mindfreak
|
"Mindfreaking with the Stars"
|
Himself
|
|
|
2008
|
Ugly Betty
|
"The Kids Are Alright"
|
Himself
|
|
|
2008
|
Ugly Betty
|
"A Thousand Words by Friday"
|
Himself
|
|
|
2008
|
Are You Smarter Than a 5th Grader?
|
Episode #3.9
|
Himself
|
|
Won $500,000 for the
Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation
charity
|
2008
|
The Celebrity Apprentice
|
First three episodes
|
Himself
|
|
Won $20,000 for the
Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation
charity; Fired in the third episode
|
2008
|
Jingles
[85]
|
|
Celebrity judge
|
|
Mark Burnett
reality show
|
2009
|
Glenn Martin DDS
|
Glenn Gary, Glenn Martin
|
himself
|
|
|
2009
|
American Idol
|
Season Finale
|
Himself
|
Eric Singer
,
Tommy Thayer
, Paul Stanley
|
Performed medley of 3 songs with contestant Adam Lambert
|
2009
|
The Fairly OddParents
|
"
Wishology ? Part 1: The Big Beginning
"
|
Animated version of himself
|
Eric Singer
,
Tommy Thayer
, Paul Stanley
|
|
2009
|
The Fairly OddParents
|
"
Wishology ? Part 3: The Final Ending
"
|
Animated version of himself
|
Eric Singer
,
Tommy Thayer
, Paul Stanley
|
|
2010
|
I Get That a Lot
|
Episode 2
|
As Himself
|
|
Simmons appeared as a
psychic
working at the Mystic Journey Bookstore in
Venice, California
|
2010
|
Extreme Makeover: Home Edition
|
Episode 160
|
As Himself
|
|
Kiss made a personal appearance during the Wagstaff family's vacation in
Disneyland
and honored them as special guests at one of their concerts. Kiss also made a personal appearance at a local school where a donation of new musical instruments was made in the Wagstaff family's name.
|
2010
|
I'm in a Rock 'n' Roll Band!
|
Episode 1 And 5
|
As Himself
|
|
Discussing the requirements of being in a rock band.
|
2011
|
Castle
|
To Love and Die in LA
|
As Himself
|
|
|
2014
|
CSI: Crime Scene Investigation
|
Long Road Home
|
As Himself
|
|
|
2014
|
American Idol
|
Season 13 Finale
|
Himself
|
Eric Singer
,
Tommy Thayer
, Paul Stanley
|
Performed with Caleb Johnson
|
2014
|
Welcome to Sweden
|
S1 Ep4: Get a Job/Farthinder
|
Himself
|
|
|
2015
|
Scorpion
|
S2 Ep1:
|
Himself
|
|
September 30, 2015, Himself, Interview
|
2016
|
Angie Tribeca
(2016
TBS
TV Series)
|
S1 Ep9:
|
Himself
|
|
|
2018
|
Jeopardy!
|
October 31 episode
|
Himself
|
|
Reading clues about Halloween in costume and makeup. As a publicity stunt, Alex Trebek was briefly made up and costumed as Simmons. Short video of that appeared as a commercial bump; longer video posted to show web site.
|
2019
|
Kouhaku Uta Gassen
|
December 31, 2019
|
Himself
|
Eric Singer
,
Tommy Thayer
, Paul Stanley
|
Performed "Rock And Roll All Nite ?YOSHIKISS version" with
Yoshiki
[86]
|
2020
|
Ridiculousness
|
January 9
|
Himself
|
|
|
2022
|
Hell's Kitchen
|
"
Just Wingin' It
"
|
Himself
|
|
|
2023
|
2023 AFL Grand Final
|
|
Himself
|
Eric Singer
,
Tommy Thayer
, Paul Stanley
|
Performed "
I Was Made for Lovin' You
", "
Shout It Out Loud
" and "
Rock and Roll All Nite
" during the pre-match entertainment
|
Music video appearances
[
edit
]
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
.
[
citation needed
]
Video game appearances
[
edit
]
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.
[
citation needed
]
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.
[
citation needed
]
A Dark-Normal Type Pokemon introduced in
Pokemon Sword and Shield
known as Obstagoon the Blocking Pokemon resembles Gene Simmons's KISS character:
The Demon
.
[87]
Published works
[
edit
]
References
[
edit
]
- ^
"Gene Simmons' Mom, the Holocaust, and Me"
.
The
Huffington Post
. April 17, 2015
. Retrieved
June 14,
2015
.
- ^
Associated, The (March 22, 2011).
"Lead singer of Kiss Gene Simmons slams Israel boycotters"
.
Haaretz
. Israel
. Retrieved
August 10,
2011
.
- ^
Smale, Will (April 19, 2015).
"The rock star who can never be too rich"
. BBC News
. Retrieved
March 21,
2022
.
- ^
"1949: A Hard Rocker Demon and Good Jewish Boy is Born"
.
Haaretz
. August 25, 2015.
- ^
"College of Staten Island CUNY"
.
Times Higher Education (THE)
. Archived from the original on June 28, 2018
. Retrieved
September 19,
2018
.
{{
cite web
}}
: CS1 maint: unfit URL (
link
)
- ^
"Gene Simmons"
.
Jewish Virtual Library
. Retrieved
February 17,
2019
.
- ^
Martin, Dale (October 4, 1998).
"KISS army continues to grow"
.
The Victoria Advocate
. p. 10D
. Retrieved
March 21,
2022
.
- ^
Lewis, Barbara (June 4, 1978).
"Gene Simmons Was Sixth Grade Teacher"
.
The Lakeland Ledger
.
- ^
Crandall, Bill.
"10 musicians who saw the Beatles standing there"
, CBS News, February 6, 2014.
- ^
KISS bassist Gene Simmons said on an episode of his television show Gene Simmons Family Jewels that he is a big comic book fan, with the bat-like "wings" in his "Demon" persona costume being modelled after those worn by Black Bolt
Gene Simmons Family Jewels ? Under the Knife? ? Wednesday, Nov 3, 2010 ? mReplay Livedash TV Transcript ? Livedash ? Search what is being mentioned across national TV
Archived
October 9, 2011, at the
Wayback Machine
. Livedash. Retrieved February 1, 2011.
- ^
a
b
Gene Simmons Family Jewels ? A&E TV
. Aetv.com. Retrieved February 1, 2011.
- ^
Serwer, Jesse (October 7, 2014).
"Miami Sound Machine: 16 Best Musical Guest Stars on 'Miami Vice'
"
.
Rolling Stone
. New York City, United States
. Retrieved
April 27,
2019
.
- ^
"Gene Simmons poses as psychic for US prank show"
. January 7, 2010. Archived from the original on October 5, 2010
. Retrieved
January 14,
2010
.
{{
cite web
}}
: CS1 maint: unfit URL (
link
)
- ^
"Wanted: Dead or Alive (1987)"
.
IMDb
. January 16, 1987
. Retrieved
July 1,
2017
.
- ^
"WWE and Gene Simmons Launch Genre Label; First Film Project Announced ? Temple"
. Dread Central. March 27, 2015
. Retrieved
March 27,
2015
.
- ^
"If Gene Simmons and WWE's 'Temple' Is Good, I'll Eat This Article!"
. Bloody Disgusting. March 27, 2015
. Retrieved
March 27,
2015
.
- ^
編集部.
"「YOSHIKI SUPERSTAR PROJECT X」次のステ?ジへ進む通過メンバ?8人を公開"
.
MusicVoice
(in Japanese)
. Retrieved
January 12,
2023
.
- ^
"Yoshiki to Leave Handprints at Chinese Theatre"
.
American Songwriter
. September 5, 2023
. Retrieved
September 16,
2023
.
- ^
"Simmons Records"
.
Discogs
. Retrieved
October 27,
2019
.
- ^
Holden, Stephen (August 23, 1989).
"The Pop Life"
.
The New York Times
.
ISSN
0362-4331
. Retrieved
October 1,
2020
.
- ^
Tongue is cheeky/Kiss' Gene Simmons combines sex, showmanship in his men's magazine
. Sfgate.com (August 28, 2002); retrieved February 1, 2011.
- ^
"IRL Forms Innovative Marketing Agreement With Gene Simmons & Richard Abramson"
. GeneSimmons.com. January 10, 2006. Archived from
the original
on January 10, 2013
. Retrieved
August 23,
2010
.
- ^
"DUFF MCKAGAN, MATT SORUM, GENE SIMMONS At 'Rock 'N' Roll Allstars' Press Conference (Video)"
.
BLABBERMOUTH.NET
. March 3, 2012.
- ^
"HOME | Gene Simmons Vault"
.
genesimmonsvault.com
. Retrieved
May 26,
2018
.
- ^
Siebert, Amanda (March 16, 2018).
"Vancouver cannabis company hires straight-edge Gene Simmons as celebrity spokesperson"
.
The Georgia Straight
. Archived from
the original
on July 8, 2018
. Retrieved
May 24,
2018
.
- ^
"GENE SIMMONS Was 'Astonished To Find Out The Medicinal Value' Of Cannabis"
.
Blabbermouth.net
. May 17, 2018
. Retrieved
May 24,
2018
.
- ^
Corday, Karen; Smith, Kimberly (November 12, 2020).
"Why People Once Thought Gene Simmons Had A Cow's Tongue"
.
Grunge
. Retrieved
December 8,
2022
.
- ^
"Gene Simmons is married"
.
People
. October 1, 2011
. Retrieved
October 2,
2011
.
- ^
"Gene Simmons and long term girlfriend marry"
. MSN ? Wonderwall. October 1, 2011. Archived from
the original
on January 29, 2013
. Retrieved
October 2,
2011
.
- ^
a
b
Biography
Archived
September 6, 2012, at
archive.today
. GeneSimmons.com. Retrieved February 1, 2011.
- ^
"Gene Simmons fell for Diana Ross while dating Cher"
.
The Washington Post
. June 1, 2015.
- ^
"Gene Simmons- Hard Proof He Banged 5,000 chicks"
.
TMZ
. December 20, 2010
. Retrieved
July 10,
2019
.
- ^
"Gene Simmons: 60s Fanzine Publisher"
Archived
August 27, 2013, at
archive.today
, October 2008
- ^
Simmons, Gene. "Letter"
Janus
8 (Vol 3, No. 2); Janice Bogstad &
Jeanne Gomoll
, eds., 1977; p. 15
- ^
News
Archived
December 8, 2012, at
archive.today
. GeneSimmons.com. Retrieved February 1, 2011.
- ^
a
b
News
Archived
December 8, 2012, at
archive.today
. GeneSimmons.com. Retrieved February 1, 2011.
- ^
Gavin, Patrick (December 6, 2010).
"Gene Simmons Knocks President Obama"
.
The Politico
. Retrieved
December 6,
2010
.
- ^
Remarks by the President on the Middle East and North Africa
, Barack Obama,
The White House
, May 19, 2011
- ^
Ben Gedalyahu, Tzvi (May 22, 2011).
"Video of Rock Star Gene Simmons: Obama Doesn't Have a Clue"
.
Israel National News
. Retrieved
June 1,
2011
.
- ^
"Kiss Frontman Gene Simmons Voices Support For Mitt Romney, Regrets Voting For Obama In '08"
.
Mediaite
. April 3, 2012
. Retrieved
April 25,
2012
.
- ^
"GENE SIMMONS on DONALD TRUMP Presidency: It Was 'Beyond Anything I Ever Thought Imaginable'
"
.
Blabbermouth.net
. August 12, 2021.
- ^
Stunson, Mike (November 21, 2021).
"
'You are an enemy.' Gene Simmons of KISS slams 'evil people' who refuse COVID vaccine"
.
Miami Herald
. Retrieved
November 21,
2021
.
- ^
Federman, Josef.
"AP Interview: Simmons blasts Israel boycotters"
. Yahoo! News. Archived from
the original
on March 26, 2011.
- ^
Late Night Rocker (March 31, 2011).
"Kiss Mask Webzine: Meet Gene Simmons' Brother and Sisters"
. Kissmaskwebzine.blogspot.com
. Retrieved
August 10,
2011
.
- ^
Brinn, David (March 23, 2011).
"Kiss rocker Gene Simmons back in Israel after 51 years"
.
The Jerusalem Post
. Retrieved
August 10,
2011
.
- ^
Gene Simmons in Israel / ?'?? ?????? ??????
on
YouTube
- ^
"?'?? ??????: "??????? ?????? ????? ? ??????"
"
.
YNet
. March 23, 2011
. Retrieved
March 23,
2011
.
- ^
"Gene Simmons hails Israeli soldier"
.
The Washington Post
.
Associated Press
. August 26, 2006
. Retrieved
May 12,
2010
.
- ^
"IN PICTURES: Star-studded LA fundraiser rakes in $31 million for IDF"
.
Jerusalem Post
. November 7, 2015
. Retrieved
July 1,
2017
.
- ^
"Outrage as KISS player mouths off on Muslims"
.
The Sydney Morning Herald
, May 14, 2004
- ^
"Gene Simmons clarifies Muslim remarks"
.
Today.com
. May 28, 2004
. Retrieved
July 21,
2021
.
- ^
"Remembering Gene Simmons' Contentious Interview with Terry Gross, 20 Years Later"
. InsideHook. January 21, 2022
. Retrieved
June 27,
2022
.
- ^
"Terry Gross interview with Gene Simmons"
.
Internet Archive
. Retrieved
August 13,
2009
.
- ^
"The Unpredictable Gene Simmons"
. NPR. August 31, 2007
. Retrieved
February 1,
2011
.
- ^
Branch, Chris (August 12, 2014).
"Gene Simmons Calls NPR's Terry Gross 'Arrogant And Insulting'
"
.
Huffington Post
. Retrieved
August 16,
2014
.
- ^
"Billboard Q&A: Gene Simmons"
.
Billboard
. Archived from
the original
on July 22, 2012
. Retrieved
June 14,
2015
.
- ^
"Gene Simmons vs. Anonymous: Who's the bigger tool?"
.
Ars Technica
. October 18, 2010
. Retrieved
June 14,
2015
.
- ^
"Gene Simmons: 'Rock Is Finally Dead. It Was Murdered'
"
.
Music.yahoo.com
. September 7, 2014. Archived from
the original
on September 8, 2014
. Retrieved
June 14,
2015
.
- ^
Catlin, Roger (July 31, 2014).
"Gene Simmons of Kiss"
.
Songfacts.com
.
Archived
from the original on June 16, 2022
. Retrieved
September 10,
2022
.
- ^
"Gene Simmons' Depression and Suicide Comments Anger Nikki Sixx"
.
Rolling Stone
. August 14, 2014
. Retrieved
June 14,
2015
.
- ^
O'Neal, Sean (August 15, 2014).
"Gene Simmons continues asshole tour by telling depressed people to kill themselves"
.
The AV Club
. Retrieved
August 15,
2014
.
- ^
"Gene Simmons sorry for 'spur of the moment' remarks about mental illness"
.
The Guardian
. August 18, 2014
. Retrieved
May 30,
2018
.
- ^
"Gene Simmons banned from Fox News for life"
.
The Week
. November 17, 2017
. Retrieved
November 17,
2017
.
- ^
"Two Women Accuse KISS' Gene Simmons of Sexual Harassment"
.
Metal Injection
. November 20, 2017
. Retrieved
November 21,
2017
.
- ^
"GENE SIMMONS Apologizes For 'Unintentionally' Offending Members Of FOX Team"
. blabbermouth.net. November 20, 2017
. Retrieved
November 20,
2017
.
- ^
Tacopino, Joe (November 16, 2017).
"Gene Simmons banned from Fox News after lewd behavior"
.
The New York Times
. Retrieved
January 16,
2023
.
- ^
"Kiss' Gene Simmons settles sexual assault lawsuit"
.
Nme.com
. July 10, 2018
. Retrieved
April 26,
2022
.
- ^
"Ace Frehley Blasts Gene Simmons: 'The Gloves Are Off'
"
.
Rolling Stone
. January 29, 2019
. Retrieved
August 26,
2020
.
- ^
Brundle, Lars (January 30, 2019).
"Ace Frehley Claims Kiss' Gene Simmons 'Groped' His Wife, Warns 'The S*** Will Hit The Fan'
"
.
Billboard
. Retrieved
August 26,
2020
.
- ^
"KISS Icon Gene Simmons Brightens Lives of Sponsored Children"
.
childfund.org
. Retrieved
June 14,
2015
.
- ^
"ChildFund Partners with Gene Simmons Family Jewels"
.
childfund.org
. Retrieved
June 14,
2015
.
- ^
"Mel Gibson Presents Gene Simmons With Charity Award"
.
Look to the Stars
. November 12, 2013
. Retrieved
June 14,
2015
.
- ^
Mending Kids International (November 11, 2013).
"Mending Kids International Honors Gene Simmons, Shannon Tweed-Simmons, Nick Simmons And Sophie..."
PR Newswire
(Press release). LOS ANGELES
. Retrieved
June 14,
2015
.
- ^
Minnesota CBS local (June 22, 2017).
"KISS Legend Gene Simmons' Twin Cities Charitable Connection"
.
minnesota.cbslocal.com
. Retrieved
June 27,
2017
.
- ^
"Kiss' Gene Simmons appeals for everyone to wear a face mask"
.
NME
. December 29, 2020
. Retrieved
January 3,
2021
.
- ^
'Revolver' Golden Gods Awards Winners Announced!
Archived
February 2, 2014, at the
Wayback Machine
.
revolvermag.com
. April-16-2012; retrieved April 21, 2012.
- ^
Online, KISS.
"KISS Online :: Welcome To The Official KISS Website"
.
KISS Online
. Retrieved
July 1,
2017
.
- ^
"Gene Simmons | Little Kids Rock"
. Archived from
the original
on January 14, 2014
. Retrieved
January 13,
2014
.
- ^
"El bajista de Kiss recibira el lunes la medalla de oro del Reial Cercle Artistic"
.
LA VANGUARDIA
. December 11, 2014
. Retrieved
June 14,
2015
.
- ^
DiVita, Joe (January 2, 2021).
"KISS Show Sets Two World Records, Gene Simmons Still Says 'Rock Is Dead'
"
.
Loudwire
. Retrieved
February 14,
2024
.
- ^
"Gene Simmons To Appear In 'Extract' Film"
.
Blabbermouth.net
. May 3, 2009. Archived from
the original
on June 6, 2011
. Retrieved
August 14,
2009
.
- ^
a
b
"KISS"
.
facebook.com
. Archived from
the original
on February 26, 2022
. Retrieved
October 2,
2018
.
- ^
"Planet MADtv ?
Episode No. 406 (Aired October 31, 1998)
"
. Archived from
the original
on November 18, 2018
. Retrieved
June 5,
2009
.
- ^
"The Daily Show-
Gene Simmons
"
. Retrieved
February 20,
2011
.
- ^
"Gene Simmons to judge Burnett's 'Jingles'
"
. Retrieved
March 14,
2009
.
- ^
Blabbermouth (January 2, 2020).
"Watch KISS And YOSHIKI Collaborate For New Year's Eve Television Performance"
.
BLABBERMOUTH.NET
. Retrieved
February 6,
2021
.
- ^
Simmons, Gene [@genesimmons] (August 7, 2019).
"welphttps://twitter.com/trenton_flores/status/1159100287493128192 …"
(
Tweet
)
. Retrieved
November 5,
2019
– via
Twitter
.
External links
[
edit
]
|
---|
- Philip Schouse
- Ryan Cook
- Jeremy Asbrock
- Christopher Williams
- Brent Fitz
|
Solo albums
| |
---|
Box sets
| |
---|
Related articles
| |
---|
|
---|
|
Studio albums
| |
---|
1978 solo albums
| |
---|
Live albums
| |
---|
Compilations
| |
---|
Box sets
| |
---|
Video albums
| |
---|
Tribute albums
| |
---|
Concert tours
| |
---|
Films
| |
---|
Merchandising
| |
---|
Related
| Management
| |
---|
Songwriters
| |
---|
Articles
| |
---|
Bands
| |
---|
Albums
| |
---|
|
---|
|
|
---|
|
Studio albums
| |
---|
Live albums
| |
---|
Compilation albums
| |
---|
Related articles
| |
---|
|
---|
Performers
| |
---|
Non-performers
(Ahmet Ertegun Award)
| |
---|
Award for Musical Excellence
| |
---|
|
---|
International
| |
---|
National
| |
---|
Academics
| |
---|
Artists
| |
---|
Other
| |
---|