Gene Simmons
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.
For other uses, see Gene Simmons (disambiguation).
Gene Simmons
- Gene Klein
- The Demon
- the God of Thunder
- Dr. Love
- Reginald Van Helsing
- Musician
- singer
- songwriter
- record producer
- actor
- entrepreneur
- television personality
1970–present
Cher (1978–1980)
Diana Ross (1980–1983)
New York City, U.S.
- Bass guitar
- vocals
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 Jánd 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]
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.
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 Artístic 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]