” Life is a business and I approach life the way a shark approaches life – it has to keep moving or the will will fail.” I will never stop chasing more money. I will never have enough… I live to make more money. People who say money is the root of all evil are imbeciles. Lack of money is the root of all evil. ”

Gene Simmons was born Chaim Witz on August 25, 1949 in Haifa, Israel. He was born to Florence Klein and Ferenc Yehiel Witz, a carpenter. His mother and brother, Gene’s uncle Larry Klein, were the only family members to survive internment in a Nazi concentration camp during the Holocaust. Gene left Israel with his mother at the age of 8 and moved to Jackson Heights, Queens in New York City. In America, Chaim Witz adopted the more American name Eugene Klein. He also became very interested in music after seeing the Beatles on the Ed Sullivan show. With his newfound interest in music, his mother brought him a used guitar. Gene became very good with the guitar but decided to switch to bass, because he felt it would be easier to get into a band. During high school, Eugene formed his first band, Lynx, later renamed Missing Links. After his time with the Missing Links, Simmons joined the Long Island Sounds.

Gene briefly attended Sullivan County Community College, then transferred to Richmond College, eventually earning a degree in education. With his degree in hand, Simmons taught an elementary school in Spanish Harlem and even worked as a personal assistant for the editors of Vogue and Glamor magazines. During this time he changed his name to Gene Simmons in honor of the famous rockabilly performer “Jumpin’ Gene Simmons”. Simmons joined a new band, Bullfrog Bheer, and they recorded the demo Leeta. (It was later included in the Kiss box set.)

Personal Life: He met Stanley Eisen (AKA ) under the name Gene Simmons. The two decided to work together and formed the band Wicked Lester. Their efforts quickly paid off, as shortly after seven concerts they signed a deal with Epic Records. They recorded an album, but it wasn’t endorsed by Epic and fell by the wayside. It was never published. After that failure, Simmons and Paul set out to create what they dubbed “The Band That Would Rule the World.” They invited drummer Peter Criss to join them after seeing his ad in Rolling Stone magazine. They would soon be joined by guitarist Paul Frehley (aka Ace Frehley). The stage was now set for “Kiss” to take on the world. After five months of rehearsals, they played their first show. Before the show, they decided to experiment with makeup. Feeling that the makeup made them look too feminine, they opted for makeup as an art form instead. They came up with the idea of ​​using makeup to express who they are as a person. “Kiss” quickly gained a following. In February 1974 they released their self-titled debut album. Simmons was the driving force behind their extensive merchandise. But even with a following, their first three albums met with little or no success. One thing that was well known is that Kiss put on a great live show. It was decided to record Kiss live in concert. After the live CD was released, the band’s reputation grew.

After five extremely successful years, the band members began to feel trapped in one another. During this time they went their separate ways to record their solo albums. When the band finally came back, they faced backlash. Many fans grew tired of Kiss’ makeup and Gene’s blood-spitting theatrics on stage. In 1983, Kiss decided to perform without the makeup. This allowed her popularity to grow even further. It was in the ’80s when Gene felt he wanted to explore more of the world. He began taking acting jobs from Hollywood in 84 and founded his own record label (Simmons Recording). Kiss would release their album Revenge Album in 1992. The album would feature a much darker and grittier tone than most of their albums. The album was a hit, which led to Kiss returning to the limelight. Kiss have played on and off since 1992 and even made an appearance on MTV’s Unplugged in 1995. The band held fan conventions in 1995. In 1996-1997, Kiss embarked on a highly successful Alive Worldwide reunion tour. The band released another album, Psycho Circus, in 1998. The original line-up has since disbanded again, with Tommy Thayer replacing lead guitarist Ace Frehley and Eric Singer Peter criss on drums. In 1996-1997, Kiss embarked on a highly successful Alive Worldwide reunion tour. The band released another album, Psycho Circus, in 1998. The original line-up has since disbanded again, with Tommy Thayer replacing lead guitarist Ace Frehley and Eric Singer Peter criss on drums. In 1996-1997, Kiss embarked on a highly successful Alive Worldwide reunion tour. The band released another album, Psycho Circus, in 1998. The original line-up has since disbanded again, with Tommy Thayer replacing lead guitarist Ace Frehley and Eric Singer Peter criss on drums.

In 1999, Simmons co-produced the film Detroit Rock City, which is the ultimate love letter to Kiss. Simmons broke into the music world with Kiss, but he’s also recently branched out into reality television with his shows Rock School and Gene Simmons family Jewels.

Personal Life: Simmons used to date Cher and Diana Ross. He married his longtime partner, former Playboy playmate Shannon Tweed, in 2011 after they were together for 28 years. Together they have two children (a son, Nick, born 1989, and a daughter, Sophie, born 1992) and reside in Beverly Hills, California.

Simmons is an avid science fiction and comics fan. He has published several science fiction fanzines and contributed to other fanzines.

Simmons is an avid science fiction and comics fan.

Simmons was a supporter of George W. Bush’s foreign policy and was vocal in support of the 2003 invasion of Iraq. In 2010, Simmons said he regretted voting for Barack Obama and criticized his 2009 healthcare reforms. In 2012, endorsed he Mitt Romney as President.

As for philanthropy, Simmons champions ChildFund International. He traveled to Zambia to visit his godchildren, of whom he has more than 1400. He and his family received the MEND Humanitarian Award for their philanthropic efforts and work for the charity Mending Kids International. Simmons helped found The Children Matter, an initiative that fights to give children around the world access to health care.

Real Estate: Since 1986, Gene’s primary residence has been a 16,500 square foot Beverly Hills mansion set on nearly 2 acres of the world’s most valuable land. Gene bought the property in 1986 for $1,327,500 which, adjusted for inflation, is worth $3.1 million today. In 2000, they spent several millions building the 16,500-square-foot, 10-bedroom home that was frequently featured on the family’s reality show. Comparable homes nearby are now worth more than $20 million.