Gene Simmons Turns 77: The Demon, KISS and a legacy that refuses to disappear

Born 77 Years Ago Today in Israel, the Bass-Playing “Demon” Who Breathed Fire, Spit Blood, and Became One of Rock’s Most Theatrical Showmen

Gene Simmons helped make KISS what they are known for today. The bassist long had a knack for larger-than-life characters. An early love of comic books made sure of that. As he grew up, he became a character out of one of those books, transforming into “The Demon”. In honor of his birthday, let’s trek a course from Simmons’ journey from immigrant to rock legend. From Chaim Witz to Gene Simmons Simmons first caught the music bug after watching Th…

Today’s Jewish birthday: Gene Simmons

Gene Simmons (August 25, 1949), also known by his stage persona "the Demon", is an Israeli and American musician and songwriter. 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 1973. Simmons, alongside Stanley, remained a constant member of the band until their dissolution in 2023.

Gene Simmons Turns 77: The Demon, KISS and a legacy that refuses to disappear

On this day, August 25, Gene Simmons turns 77. Born Chaim Witz in Haifa in 1949, he would eventually become Gene Simmons, “The Demon,” bassist, singer, businessman and, above all, one of the architects of KISS — a band that transformed rock concerts into something closer to a theatrical universe. Gene Simmons and Paul Stanley had already been musical partners before KISS, first in Wicked Lester. In 1973, however, they built something entirely di…