| # | Fact |
|---|
| 1 | Attended a Beverly Hills fundraiser for the Israeli Defense Forces. (6 November 2015). |
| 2 | Found out after his father died in 2002 that he had 3 half sisters: Drora, Ogenia and Sharon; and one half brother Kobi. |
| 3 | Brother-in-law of Tracy Tweed. |
| 4 | During an interview on William Shatner's Shatner's Raw Nerve (2008), Gene revealed how he and Paul Stanley came up with the name KISS. They knew they wanted a band name that was short, blunt, and stood out. For a while, they played with the notion of calling their band "Fuck" with the idea that each record album they made would have a title with a variation of the word (i.e.: Fuck You, Fuck Off, Fuck Me, Fuck Him, etc.) But, then, they realized they would never get signed to a record deal with that kind of a name, so Paul Stanley came up with "KISS" instead. |
| 5 | At the height of their popularity in the 70's, various right-wing Christian groups, who often demonized rock-n-roll as "the devil's music", claimed that "KISS" stood for "Knights In Satan's Service". |
| 6 | According to the KISS band members on VH1's Behind the Music (1997), their garish costumes (created from various S&M sex gear) and make-up was born out of their mutual love of comic books and sci-fi/horror films. According to Gene, each member (Paul Stanley, Ace Frehley, Peter Criss and himself) fashioned their stage characters from their own personalities. Gene loved horror films and chose "The Demon" as his persona. Paul Stanley always dreamed of being a stage star and became "Star-Child". Ace Frehley loved science fiction and chose the "Space Ace" persona. And Peter Criss' "Cat Man" character was a reference to his growing up in a rough neighborhood (He quipped "I had nine lives like a cat just make it out of there"). Gene says that Ace Frehley was the one who drew the KISS logo. |
| 7 | A customized electric bass guitar - the "Gene Simmons Axe Bass" - was especially created for him by South Korean giant Cort. The body of the instrument is shaped like the head of an axe with the neck affecting the "handle". |
| 8 | KISS was awarded a Star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame for Recording at 7080 Hollywood Boulevard in Hollywood, California. |
| 9 | Lives in Beverly Hills, California. |
| 10 | Grew up in Jackson Heights, Queens. |
| 11 | Good friends with Black Sabbath guitarist Tony Iommi. |
| 12 | In his autobiography Kiss and Makeup, said that his mother is primarily the reason why he has never used drugs. He decided years ago that she'd already been through enough having survived the horrors of the Holocaust, and he didn't want to break her heart by becoming a drug addict. |
| 13 | Prides himself on living his life like an open book. Said that when he gets into a relationship with a woman, one of the first things he does is show her his infamous book, which contains photos of the countless women he's been with. This is done so that a prospective girlfriend sees what he's about and so that there are no secrets from his side of the relationship. |
| 14 | Before forming KISS, he played in bands called Cathedral, Bullfrog Beer, Coffee, The Long Island Sounds, and Wicked Lester. This last one had another future KISS member, Paul Stanley. |
| 15 | Was offered the role of Nick Hurley in Flashdance, but turned it down due to his agenda with KISS. |
| 16 | Speaks Hungarian, Hebrew, High German, Japanese and, of course, English. |
| 17 | He has a business partner named Rich Abramson. Their company is known as Simmons Abramson Marketing. |
| 18 | Taught 6th grade at PS 75 in Spanish Harlem. |
| 19 | Earned a Bachelor's degree in Education from Richmond College in Staten Island, New York. |
| 20 | Simmons, in terms of political views, describes himself as neither Democrat nor Republican, but voting based on the issues. While he supports a woman's right to abortion, the environment and church/state separation, he supported Bush in 2004 because he agreed with Bush's foreign policy stands. |
| 21 | Is one of the top fire-breathers in the world. The world record is a 27 feet flame. Gene can hit 15 feet. |
| 22 | His famous tongue has been measured at over 7 inches long. |
| 23 | Once said he bought a ticket to one of his own shows, then walked in completely out of makeup and character, and took his seat. Nobody knew who he was. |
| 24 | Is "The Demon" in the hard rock band, KISS. |
| 25 | He has one non-negotiable condition for anyone interested in signing with his record label Simmons Records: No Drugs. |
| 26 | Even though his father left the family when Simmons was a child, once he became rich he felt an obligation to buy both of his parents homes and provide them with financially worry-free lifestyles. |
| 27 | He is the son of Hungarian Jews. His mother, Florence, is a Holocaust survivor. In his book "Sex Money KISS", Simmons wrote that his grandmother willingly went into a gas chamber with his great-grandmother because she didn't want her mother to have to die alone. Simmons' mother is the only member of her entire family to survive the Holocaust. She managed to survive partly due to her skills as a hairdresser (a wife of one of the Nazi German officer liked how she did hair and had her kept around to be her hairstylist). |
| 28 | When Simmons' came to America, his name was changed from Chaim Witz to Gene Klein. He later decided to use "Gene Simmons" for professional purposes. |
| 29 | Is the founder of Simmons Publishing, which publishes books and magazines. |
| 30 | Once played in a band called Cathedral, several years before forming KISS. Among the names the band considered before settling on KISS in 1973 were Albatross, The Crimson Harpoon and F**k. Paul Stanley was the band member who suggested KISS. |
| 31 | Has never drank alcohol, used drugs or smoked |
| 32 | Claims to have slept with over 4,600 women. |
| 33 | Gave Elijah Allman (Cher's son) his first guitar at age 11. |
| 34 | With KISS no longer occupying his time, Gene has a number of ventures he's turned to: resurrecting his record label, $immons Records, acting in and producing feature films, starting up his own Women of Wrestling league (with a W.O.W. magazine and clothing line to follow), creating his own radio talk show, and possibly even going on the lecture circuit. |
| 35 | Launches fashion label, "Gene Simmons - Dragonfly" [August 2002] |
| 36 | Publisher of the magazine 'Tongue' since late 2001. Is currently working on a KISS brand of condoms, among other things. Most of his post-KISS career will be concentrated on producing feature films and creating new KISS merchandise. |
| 37 | Discovered Van Halen in 1977 and produced the demo that got them signed to Warner Brothers Records. Unfortunately, Simmons had to release them from their contract when he couldn't convince anyone at WB of the band's potential. Bill Aucoin, then-manager of KISS, told Simmons he didn't think Van Halen would have any commercial success (Van Halen's debut self-titled album went platinum, and their famous 1984 album has sold more than 10 million copies and has been certified diamond). |
| 38 | Produced many acts in the 1980s, including Keel, Wendy O. Williams, "EZO" and "Black and Blue". |
| 39 | There is a KISS tribute band in Seattle called Gene's Addiction. |
| 40 | Designer of the axe shaped bass guitar. |
| 41 | Once considered becoming a rabbi. |
| 42 | Was once in a band called "Bullfrog Beer". Other pre-KISS bands he was a member of included "Coffee", "the Long Island Sounds", and "Wicked Lester" (with Paul Stanley). |
| 43 | Edward Van Halen once begged Gene and Paul Stanley to let him join KISS, during a time when his band, Van Halen, was having problems. Van Halen played guitar in a session for KISS, and, according to Simmons, impressed them with his use of synthesizers. Simmons eventually told Van Halen that despite his feelings about working with David Lee Roth, he should stick things out since his musical abilities would never be fully recognized within KISS' style. |
| 44 | Has a son, Nick Simmons (b. 1989), and a daughter, Sophie Simmons (b. 1992), with Shannon Tweed. |
| 45 | Has lived with model/actress Shannon Tweed since 1986, but didn't marry until 2011. Simmons had previously said that while he respects the rights of those who choose to marry, it's not something he ever planned to do; specifically, he doesn't feel man by nature is meant to be in a monogamous relationship. "The only thing wrong with marriage is that one of the persons involved is a man," he often says. |
| 46 | Lived with Cher for several years. |
| 47 | Prior to forming KISS, Gene Simmons was an elementary school teacher. |
| 48 | Co-founder of the famous hard-rock group, KISS, famous for outrageous antics and kabuki-like make-up. |
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