Gene Simmons, born Chaim Witz in Haifa, Israel, on August 25, 1949, is an Israeli and American musician, songwriter, record producer, and actor. Raised in Queens, New York, after immigrating to the United States at age 8 with his mother, he played in local bands including The Love Bag and Wicked Lester before co-founding the hard rock band Kiss in 1973 alongside Paul Stanley, Ace Frehley, and Peter Criss, serving as bassist and co-lead vocalist. Kiss achieved global acclaim with studio albums including Kiss in 1974, Destroyer in 1976, Love Gun in 1977, and Psycho Circus in 1998, yielding signature tracks including “Rock and Roll All Nite”, “God of Thunder”, and “Calling Dr. Love” before disbanding in 2023. As a solo artist, Simmons released his self-titled debut solo studio album, Gene Simmons, in 1978, his second solo studio album, Asshole, in 2004, and the box set Vault in 2017, while producing albums for artists including Wendy O. Williams, Keel, and Black 'n Blue. His screen career includes starring in feature films such as Runaway in 1984 and creating and starring in the A&E reality television series Gene Simmons Family Jewels from 2006 to 2012. Simmons was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as a member of Kiss in 2014 and received the Kennedy Center Honors in December 2025.
