Gene Simmons is one of the last members of a dying breed. He’s a true rockstar and an absolute legend in his own right. Love them or hate them, the legacy of KISS is eternal.
For being one of the most recognizable and respected rockers on the planet, there’s a lot about Gene that gets left unsaid.
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Become better acquainted and check out these 10+ interesting facts about Gene Simmons that fans didn’t know!
Gene Simmons is a stage name.
Gene was born Chaim Witz in the small town of Haifa, Israel. He immigrated along with his mother to the United States when he was only a small boy.
A decade later, Gene met future bandmate, Paul Stanley.
He doesn’t drink nor has Gene ever done drugs.
Gene credits his mother for this life decision.
He talks about how he worships the ground she walks on and that the last thing he’d ever want to do is break his mother’s heart.
KISS is the greatest band of all time (according to Gene).
Gene gave an interview with Metalhead Zone , wherein he explained:
“We’re not only in KISS, we’re fans of the band. I’m on stage with these guys. I look across the stage, and wow. We’re the greatest band on earth.”
He’s one of the best fire-breathers in the world!
Gene became famous for spitting blood (not real blood) and breathing fire on stage. He’s been recorded blowing a stream of flames that was fifteen feet in length.
The world record is 20ft, which makes Gene one of the greats!
Gene once had his own reality TV show!
The series was called Gene Simmons’ Family Jewels and it gave an inside look at what life for the legendary rockstar was really like.
Gene’s two children, Nick and Sophie, as well as his wife Shannon Tweed were also cast members.
He’s a huge comic book nerd!
When Gene first came to America, he couldn’t speak a word of English. Comic books were what helped inspired him to believe that anything was possible.
In case you were wondering, Gene is partial to Superman!
Gene hates playing one of KISS’s biggest tunes!
Gene admitted during an interview with OK! Magazine that he despises playing the track “I Was Made For Lovin’ You.”
As Gene explains, he hated the accompanying vocal part because he thought it made him sound like his grandmother.
The rumors surrounding his tongue are totally false.
For much of Gene’s career, there was a rumor floating around that he’d grafted a cow’s tongue onto his own. Which is supposedly what made it so unnaturally large.
This is completely untrue, although Gene does admit it’s his favorite KISS rumor.
Gene claims to have discovered Van Halen.
The validity of that statement is up for debate. But the truth of the matter is that Gene did actually sign and produce Van Halen’s first EP.
According to Van Halen singer, David Lee Roth , nothing happened for another three years after the session.
He speaks five different languages.
As I mentioned earlier, Gene was originally born in Israel. He speaks fluent German, Hungarian, Hebrew, Japanese, and English.
Check out this video of him giving an interview in German. Gene doesn’t miss a beat!
He was fired…by Donald Trump!
Gene appeared as a contestant on Donald Trump’s Celebrity Apprentice .
According to him, he intentionally got himself fired because KISS had an upcoming tour that Gene needed to be available for.
You too can learn how to apply demon makeup, just like Gene does!
Gene and his daughter Sophie made a video for Cosmopolitan where Gene explains, step by step, how to get the proper demon look.
Now I know exactly what I’m going as for Halloween!
Gene’s in the Rock ‘N’ Roll Hall of Fame!
KISS was inducted into the Hall of Fame back in 2014 — an astounding fifteen years after they became eligible for admission.
The band was introduced by former Rage Against The Machine guitarist (and lifelong KISS fan), Tom Morello.
Gene’s face is literally on everything.
Gene Simmons is a businessman. Hence, KISS is as much a brand as they are a band. According to Gene, KISS has over 5000 licensed products : everything from condoms to caskets.
There’s a joke there if you look hard enough…
It takes an incredibly long time for Gene to put on his KISS makeup.
According to Gene, it takes roughly 2 full hours for him to get into full Demon makeup.
I’m not a fan of KISS’s music if I’m being honest, but the pageantry in their presentation is hard to ignore.
