Simmons, Gene 1949-

PERSONAL

Original name, Chaim Witz; born August 25, 1949, in Haifa, Israel (some sources say, Tirat Carmel, Israel); immigrated to the United States, 1958; naturalized U.S. citizen, 1963; son of Florence (maiden name, Klein) Witz; children: (with Shannon Tweed, an actress) Nicholas, Sophie. Education: State University of New York, A.B.A., 1970; City College of New York, B.A., education, 1972; also attended Richmond College.

Addresses:

Agent—Special Artists Agency, 9465 Wilshire Blvd., Suite 890, Beverly Hills, CA 90212. Contact—PO Box 16075, Beverly Hills, CA 90210.

Career:

Musician, singer, and actor. Cofounder, bass guitarist, and vocalist with the rock group, KISS, 1973—; founder of $immons Records; appeared in television commercials, including Universal Studios Florida, Cannon Camera, NASCAR, National Hot Rod Association, Pepsi Cola, Coca Cola, Holiday Inn, and Visa; NGTV (No Good TV), chairman, 2006. Inventor of the Axe bass guitar, 1980; Tongue (a magazine), founder, 2001; Simmons Publishing, founder and owner; Simmons Abramson Marketing, cofounder and partner, 2006. Previously worked as an elementary school teacher, deli worker, assistant to a government agency director, and assistant to two magazine editors.

Member:

American Federation of Musicians, American Federation of Television and Radio Artists, American Society of Composers, Authors, and Publishers.

Awards, Honors:

With the group KISS, received sixteen Gold Record Albums (indicating sales in excess of 500,000 copies), twelve Platinum Record Albums (indicating sales in excess of one million copies), and two Gold Single Records (indicating sales in excess of one million copies), certified by the Recording Industry Association of America; with KISS bandmates, received a Star on the Walk of Fame, 1999.

CREDITS

Film Appearances:

Dr. Charles Luther, Runaway, Tri-Star, 1984.

Velvet Von Ragner and Carruthers, Never Too Young to Die, Paul Entertainment, 1986.

Norman "The Nuke" Taurog, Trick or Treat, De Laurentiis Entertainment Group, 1986.

Malak Al Rahim, Wanted: Dead or Alive, New World, 1987.

Himself, The Decline of Western Civilization, Part II: The Metal Years (documentary), New Line, 1988.

Himself, The Return of Bruno, 1988.

Doc, Red Surf, 1990.

Voice of himself, Action League Now!!: Rock-A-Big-Baby, 1997.

Himself, Kiss: The Second Coming (documentary), 1998.

Himself (KISS band member), Detroit Rock City, New Line Cinema, 1999.

Himself, Miscellaneous Shit: Behind the Scenes of "Detroit Rock City" (documentary short), New Line Cinema, 1999.

Hair stylist, Wish You Were Dead, Alive and Kicking Productions, 2000.

(Uncredited) Himself, Porn Star: The Legend of Ron Jeremy (documentary; also known as The Legend of Ron Jeremy), Maelstrom Entertainment, 2001.

(Uncredited) J's mother's fantasy head, My First Mister (also known as Mein erster richtiger Freund), Paramount, 2001.

Himself, Satan's Top Forty (documentary short), New Line Home Video, 2001.

Reverend, The New Guy, Sony, 2002.

Vinny, Wish You Were Dead, Icon Entertainment International, 2002.

Himself, Adult Video News Awards 2002, VCA Pictures, 2002.

Himself, Tupac: Resurrection (documentary), Paramount, 2003.

Himself, End Game: Making "Millennium"—Season Three (documentary short), Twentieth Century-Fox, 2004.

Himself, Be Cool, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, 2005.

Himself, Rockin' the Corps: An American Thank You, Image Entertainment, 2005.

Film Work:

Producer, Detroit Rock City, New Line Cinema, 1999.

Television Appearances; Series:

Himself, Rock School (also known as Gene Simmons' "Rock School"), VH1 and Channel 4, 2005-2006.

Gene Simmons: Family Jewels, Arts and Entertainment, 2006.

Television Appearances; Movies:

(With KISS) Himself, KISS Meets the Phantom of the Park (also known as Attack of the Phantoms and KISS in Attack of the Phantoms), NBC, 1978.

Dennis Berg, At Any Cost, VH1, 2000.

Television Appearances; Specials:

(With KISS) The Paul Lynde Halloween Special, ABC, 1976.

The American Music Awards, ABC, 1986.

American Bandstand's Teen Idols, ABC, 1994.

Presenter, The American Music Awards, ABC, 1994.

MTV Presents KISS Unplugged, MTV, 1995.

Stan Lee: The ComiX-MAN!, Arts and Entertainment, 1995.

The History of Rock 'N' Roll, Vol. 8 (also known as The 70's: Have a Nice Decade), syndicated, 1995.

(With KISS) MTV Video Music Awards 1996 (also known as MTV 13th Annual Video Music Awards), MTV, 1996.

(With KISS) The 26th Annual American Music Awards, ABC, 1998.

KISS Live: The Ultimate Halloween Party, Fox, 1998.

The Last KISS (pay-per-view), Direct TV, 2000.

VH1 News Special: Islamabad Rock City, VH1, 2001.

Host, The Secret History of Rock and Roll, Court TV, 2001.

(With KISS) 100 Greatest Artists of Hard Rock, VH1, 2000.

Kiss: Beyond the Makeup, VH1, 2001.

Himself, Crossover, Independent Film Channel, 2001.

Still Cher, BBC, 2002.

The 29th Annual American Music Awards, ABC, 2002.

Playboy: Inside the Playboy Mansion, Arts and Entertainment, 2002.

(With KISS) American Bandstand's 50th Anniversary Celebration, ABC, 2002.

200 Greatest Pop Culture Icons, VH1, 2003.

100 Most Metal Moments, VH1, 2004.

When Playboy Ruled the World, VH1, 2004.

52 Most Irresistible Women, Spike, 2004.

Retrosexual: The 80's, VH1, 2004.

Heavy: The Story of Metal, VH1, 2005.

Look, Up in the Sky: The Amazing Story of Superman, 2006.

7th Inning Stretch, 2006.

Television Appearances; Episodic:

The Mike Douglas Show, syndicated, 1974.

Fridays, 1981.

"Rock Video Violence," Entertainment Tonight (also known as E.T.), syndicated, 1983.

Newton Blade, "Prodigal Son," Miami Vice, 1985.

Mr. Big, "O.D. Feelin," The Hitchhiker (also known as Deadly Nightmares and Le voyageur), 1986.

(With KISS) "Top 10 Heavy Metal Bands of the 80's," America's Top Ten, 1989.

Rock & Roll, PBS, 1995.

"KISS Unplugged," Unplugged (also known as MTV Unplugged), MTV, 1995.

The History of Rock 'n' Roll, syndicated, 1995.

Howard Stern, E! Entertainment Television, 1995, 2001.

Hector Leachman, "Thirteen Years Later," Millennium, Fox, 1998.

(With KISS) Mad TV, Fox, 1998.

Himself, "About Taking It Like a Man," Talk to Me, ABC, 2000.

"Bad Boys of Rock," VH-1 Where Are They Now?, VH1, 2000.

"Katey Sagal," Intimate Portrait, Lifetime, 2001.

"Being Larger Than Life," Turn Ben Stein On, Comedy Central, 2001.

Who Wants to Be a Millionaire, ABC, 2001.

"Kiss Guest Program Rage," Rage, ABC [Australia], 2001.

Voice of himself, "A Very Special Family Guy Freakin' Christmas," Family Guy (animated; also known as Padre de familia), Fox, 2001.

"Miami Vice," E! True Hollywood Story, E! Entertainment Television, 2001.

"Liza Minelli," E! True Hollywood Story, E! Entertainment Television, 2002.

The Tonight Show with Jay Leno, NBC, 2002.

The Panel, Ten Network, 2002.

Voice of himself, "Road to Europe," Family Guy (animated; also known as Padre de familia), Fox, 2002.

Jackass, MTV, 2002.

Voice of himself and prisoner number three, "Don't Make Me Over," Family Guy (animated; also known as Padre de familia), Fox, 2002.

Voice of Jessie, "Reborn to be Wild," King of the Hill (animated), Fox, 2003.

Bill Stanton Project, FX Channel, 2003.

The New Tom Green Show, MTV, 2003.

Banzai, Fox, 2003.

Donald Mann, "Higher Calling," Third Watch, NBC, 2004.

Donald Mann, "Monsters," Third Watch, NBC, 2004.

Donald Mann, "More Monsters," Third Watch, NBC, 2004.

Store studio, 2004.

T4, Channel 4, 2004.

"Gene Simmons," Biography, Arts and Entertainment, 2004.

Hannity & Colmes, Fox News, 2005.

Judge, Mr. Romance, Oxygen, 2005.

Guest judge, "Auditions: New Orleans," American Idol (also known as American Idol: The Search for a Superstar), Fox, 2005.

"Bling It On," The Apprentice, NBC, 2005.

(Uncredited) The Contender, NBC, 2005.

Mind of Mencia, Comedy Central, 2005.

Richard & Judy, Channel 4, 2005.

Pop Nation: America's Coolest Stuff, 2005.

The Big Idea with Donny Deutsch, 2006.

"Rock the Night Away," In the Mix (also known as In the Cutz), Urban America, 2006.

Jimmy Kimmel Live, ABC, 2006.

The View, ABC, 2006.

Good Day L.A., Fox, 2006.

MSNBC Live (also known as MSNBC Dayside and MSNBC Right Now) MSNBC, 2006.

"Sal vs. Gene Simmons," Howard Stern on Demand, 2006.

Voice of himself as Maax, "Veggies for Sloth," Robot Chicken (animated), Cartoon Network, 2006.

The Paul O'Grady Show (also known as The New Paul O'Grady Show), ITV, 2007.

Television Executive Producer; Series:

Smash, 2001.

My Dad the Rock Star (animated; also known as Moi Willy, fils de rockstar), Teletoon, 2003.

Gene Simmons: Family Jewels, Arts and Entertainment, 2006.

Television Work; Specials:

Co-executive producer, The Secret History of Rock 'n' Roll, Court TV, 2001.

RECORDINGS

Albums (as a solo artist):

Gene Simmons, Casablanca, 1978.

Albums (with KISS):

KISS, Casablanca, 1974.

Hotter Than Hell, Casablanca, 1974.

Dressed to Kill, Casablanca, 1975.

Alive, Casablanca, 1975.

Destroyer, Casablanca, 1976.

The Originals, Casablanca, 1976.

Rock and Roll Over, Casablanca, 1976.

Love Gun, Casablanca, 1977.

KISS Alive II, Casablanca, 1977.

Dynasty, Casablanca, 1979.

Unmasked, Casablanca, 1980.

The Elder, Casablanca, 1981.

Creatures of the Night, Casablanca, 1982.

Lick It Up, Mercury, 1983.

Animalize, Mercury, 1984.

Asylum, Mercury, 1985.

Crazy Nights, Mercury, 1987.

Hot in the Shade, 1989.

Smashes, Thrashes, and Hits, 1989.

Revenge, 1992.

Alive III, 1993.

Kiss My Ass, 1995.

MTV: Kiss Unplugged, 1996.

Carnival of Souls, 1997.

You Wanted the Best You Got It, 1997.

Greatest Kiss, 1997.

Psycho Circus, 1998.

Kiss: The Box Set, 2001.

The Very Best of Kiss, 2002.

Singles (with KISS):

"Rock and Roll All Night," Casablanca, 1975.

"Shout It Out Loud," Casablanca, 1976.

"Beth," Casablanca, 1976.

"Hard Luck Woman," Casablanca, 1977.

"Calling Dr. Love," Casablanca, 1977.

"Christine Sixteen," Casablanca, 1977.

"Rocket Ride," Casablanca, 1978.

"I Was Made for Lovin' You," Casablanca, 1979.

Videos:

Himself/The Demon, KISS: eXposed, 1987.

Hard 'N Heavy Volume 4, 1989.

Himself/The Demon, Kiss: X-treme Close-up, 1992.

Kiss: Konfidential, 1993.

Himself/The Demon, KISS My A**: The Video, 1994.

Playboy Celebrity Centerfold: Shannon Tweed, 1996.

Kiss Symphony, 2003.

KISS: Rock the Nation—Live, Image Entertainment, 2005.

KISSology: The Ultimate KISS Collection, 2006.

Video Games:

Himself, Underground (also known as Tony Hawk's "Pro Skater 5" and Tony Hawk's "Underground"), 2003.

Taped Readings:

KISS and Make-Up, New Millennium Audio, 2003.

Sex Money Kiss, 2003.

Music Videos:

"Stuttering" John Melendez's "I'll Talk My Way Home," 1994.

Also appeared as a preacher in Trick Pony's "The Bride."

WRITINGS

Videos:

KISS: eXposed, 1987.

Television Episodes:

My Dad the Rock Star (animated; also known as Moi Willy, fils de rockstar), Teletoon, 2003.

Action League Now! (animated), Nickelodeon, 2003.

Nonfiction:

KISS and Make-Up, Crown, 2001.

KISS: The Early Years, Three Rivers Press, 2002.

Sex Money KISS, Simmons Books/New Millennium Press, 2003.

OTHER SOURCES

Periodicals:

Current Biography, April, 1999, p. 51.

Entertainment Weekly, June 10, 1994, p. 63.

Forbes, February 13, 2006, p. 62.

New York, July 29, 1996, p. 32.

Rolling Stone, October 29, 1998, p. 27.

Electronic:

Gene Simmons Website,http://www.genesimmons.com, April 27, 2007.