Who is Chaim Witz? The entertainment and rock world know Gene Simmon a
s is a
Jewish rock bassist, singer, songwriter, musician, actor, and businessman. Known as "The Demon," he is the bassist/vocalist of
Kiss, a hard rock band he co-founded in the early 1970s.
Simmons was ranked number 12 in
Roadrunner's list of 50 Best Frontmen in Metal History.
[1]
Early life
Simmons) was August 25, 1949 in
Tirat Carmel,
Haifa,
Israel in 1949. The family emigrated to
Jackson Heights, Queens in
New York City when he was eight years old.
[2] His mother Flóra Klein was born in
Jánd,
Hungary. The German name Klein (means: small) translates to Hungarian as
Kiss, that gave the rock band's name.
[3] Florence and her brother, Larry Klein, were the only members of the family to survive the
Holocaust. His father, Feri Witz, also Hungarian-born remained in Israel. Simmons says the family was "dirt poor," scraping by on bread and milk.
[4] In the United States, Simmons changed his name to Eugene Klein (later Gene Klein), adopting his mother's
maiden name. He attended
Yeshiva Torah Vodaath in
Williamsburg,
Brooklyn as a child, from 7 a.m. to 9:30 p.m.
[5] [6]
Music career
Simmons became involved with his first band, Lynx, then renamed The Missing Links, when he was a teenager. Eventually, he disbanded The Missing Links to form The
Long Island Sounds, the name being a play on words relating to the estuary separating
Long Island from
Westchester County, New York,
Connecticut and
Rhode Island. While he played in these bands, he kept up odd jobs on the side to make more money, including trading used
comic books. Simmons attended
Sullivan County Community College in
Loch Sheldrake, New York. He then joined a new band, Bullfrog Bheer, and the band recorded a demo, "Leeta"; this was later included on the Kiss box set.
Simmons formed the rock band
Wicked Lester in the early 1970s with Stanley Harvey Eisen (now known as
Paul Stanley) and recorded one album, which was never released. Dissatisfied with Wicked Lester's sound and look, Simmons and Stanley attempted to fire their band members; they were met with resistance, and they quit Wicked Lester, walking away from their record deal with
Epic Records. They decided to form the ultimate rock band, and started looking for a drummer. Simmons and Stanley found an ad placed by Peter Criscoula, known as
Peter Criss, who was playing clubs in
Brooklyn at the time; they joined and started out as a trio. Paul Frehley, better known as
Ace Frehley, responded to an ad they put in
The Village Voice for a lead guitar player, and soon joined them.
Kiss released its self-titled debut album in February 1974. Stanley quickly took on the role of lead performer on stage, while Simmons became the driving force behind what became an extensive
Kiss merchandising franchise. The eye section of his "Demon" makeup with KISS came from the wing design of comic book character
Black Bolt.
[7]
In 1983, while Kiss' fame was waning, the members took off their trademark
make-up and enjoyed a resurgence in popularity that continued into the 1990s. The band hosted their own fan conventions throughout 1995, and fan feedback about the original Kiss members reunion influenced the highly successful 1996–1997 Alive Worldwide reunion tour. In 1998, the band released
Psycho Circus,. Since then, the original line-up has once again dissolved, with
Tommy Thayer replacing
Ace Frehley on lead guitar and
Eric Singer (who performed with Kiss from 1992 up through 1996) replacing
Eric Carr on drums. Psycho Circus was not the original members. Eric Carr took over for Peter Criss when Criss quit the band. Eric Singer took over when Eric Carr died from cancer.
Instruments
Gene Simmons has used various bass guitars during his career including:
- Axe Bass (Kramer or other brands, like Jackson)
- Punisher Bass (Made by a lot of brands, as seen, B.C Rich or Jackson)
- Spector Gene Simmons Signature
- Pedulla Basses (mainly in the 1980s and early 1990s)
- Gibson Grabber (mainly in Kiss' early years)
- Gibson Ripper (mainly in Kiss' early years)
- Cort Guitars Signature GS-1 Bass
He uses Ampeg SVT CL Series amps with 8x10 cabinets. In 2010 Gene Simmons collaborated with
Cort Guitars to make a his own signature bass line called the GS-AXE-2.
Film and television career
Simmons has been the creative force behind such television projects as:
On March 9, 2011, Simmons and Kiss co-founder Paul Stanley and E! Entertainment announced that they have finalized a production and development deal to create an as-yet-untitled comedic half-hour kids' television series.
[9]
Simmons appeared as a psychic working at the Mystic Journey Bookstore in
Venice, California on the American hidden camera prank TV series
I Get That a Lot.
[10]
Political views
While a self-described
social liberal,
[11] Simmons was a supporter of the
foreign policy of the George W. Bush administration.
[12] He supported the
2003 invasion of Iraq, writing on his website: "I'm ashamed to be surrounded by people calling themselves liberal who are, in my opinion, spitting on the graves of brave American soldiers who gave their life to fight a war that wasn't theirs...in a country they've never been to... simply to liberate the people therein".
[13] In a follow-up, Simmons explained his position and wrote about his love and support for the United States: "I wasn't born here. But I have a love for this country and its people that knows no bounds. I will forever be grateful to America for going into World War II, when it had nothing to gain, in a country that was far away... and rescued my mother from the Nazi German concentration camps. She is alive and I am alive because of America. And, if you have a problem with America, you have a problem with me".
[13]
During the
2006 Lebanon War between
Israel and
Lebanon, Simmons sent a televised message of support (in both English and Hebrew) to an Israeli soldier seriously wounded in fighting in Lebanon, calling him his "hero."
[14]
In 2010, Simmons said he regretted voting for
Barack Obama and criticized the
2009 health care reforms.
[15] Following Obama's 2011 Mideast speech, in which the President called on Israel and the Palestinians to negotiate a settlement "based on the 1967 lines with mutually agreed swaps,"
[16] Simmons told
CNBC that Obama was gravely misguided. "If you have never been to the moon, you can't issue policy about the moon. For the president to be sitting in Washington D.C. and saying, 'Go back to your '67 borders in Israel' – how about you live there and try to defend an indefensible border – nine miles wide?" Simmons also accused the
United Nations of being "the most pathetic body on the face of the earth."
[17]
During his visit to Israel in 2011, he stated that the artists refusing to perform in Israel for political reasons are "stupid," referring to artists who canceled planned concerts in Israel.
[18]
Personal life
He became a
science fiction fan and published several
science fiction fanzines, among them
Sirruish,
Id,
Cosmos (which eventually merged with
Stilletto to become
Cosmos-Stilletto and then
Faun),
Tinderbox,
Sci-Fi Showcase,
Mantis and
Adventure. He also contributed to other fanzines, among them
BeABohema.
[19]
In the late 1960s, he changed his name to Gene Simmons, after legendary rockabilly performer
Jumpin' Gene Simmons.
[20]
Simmons, who has never married, lives in
Beverly Hills, California with longtime partner, former
Playboy Playmate and actress
Shannon Tweed. They have two children: a son,
Nick (born January 22, 1989), and a daughter, Sophie, (born July 7, 1992). He formerly had
live-in relationships with
Cher and
Diana Ross.
[2] Simmons speaks English, Spanish, Hungarian and Hebrew.
On his television show
Gene Simmons Family Jewels, he bought a
local island in an episode in August 2007, and he is the longtime owner of Gene Simmons Toyota in Newbridge,
New Jersey.
Homecoming visit to Israel
In March 2011, Simmons had a homecoming visit to Israel where he was born. He described the trip as a "life changing experience". He talked how he still feels Israeli - "I'm Israeli. I'm a stranger in America. I'm an outsider".
[21] Gene recently met his half brother Kobi, and sisters Sharon, Eugenia and Drora while in Israel.
[22] Simmons has plans to bring his band,
KISS to Israel.
[23] He has always said that he is an ardent supporter of Israel.
[24] At a press conference in Israel, he spoke both
Hebrew and
English.
[25]
Controversy
- In February 2002, Simmons was interviewed on the NPR radio show Fresh Air and asked about his claim of having bedded 4,600 women. He told Terry Gross: "If you want to welcome me with open arms, I'm afraid you're also going to have to welcome me with open legs," paraphrasing The Who's hit song "You Better You Bet". Gross replied: "That's a really obnoxious thing to say." At the time, Simmons refused to grant permission to NPR to make the interview available online.[26] However, it appears in print in Gross's book All I Did Was Ask (ISBN 1-4013-0010-3) and unauthorized transcripts are available. NPR re-broadcast part of the interview in August 2007.[27] Simmons's bandmate Paul Stanley has frequently used the phrase "... welcomed us with open arms and open legs" in onstage patter during Kiss concerts.
- In 2004, during an interview in Melbourne, Australia, while talking about Islamic extremists, Simmons described Islam as a "vile culture," saying that Muslim women had to walk behind their husband, weren't allowed to be educated or own houses. He said: They want to come and live right where you live and they think that you're evil." Amongst ensuing criticism, Australian Muslim of the Year Susan Carland argued that Simmons' stereotyping of Muslims was inaccurate.[28] Simmons later clarified his comments on his website, saying he had been talking specifically about Muslim extremists.
- In 2005, Simmons was sued by a former girlfriend, Georgeann Walsh Ward, who said she had been "defamed" in the VH1 documentary When Kiss Ruled the World and portrayed as an "unchaste woman." [29] A settlement was reached in June 2006.[30]
Awards and recognition
In 2011, Simmons was presented the key to the city in
Dallas, Texas and a street, Gene Simmons Boulevard, was named for him.
Filmography
Television appearances
| Year | Show | Episode | Role | Bandmates | Miscellaneous |
| 1974 | The Mike Douglas Show[43] | June 11, 1974 | Himself | Peter Criss, Ace Frehley, Paul Stanley | Kiss' first national television appearance, performed "Firehouse" |
| 1976 | The Paul Lynde Halloween Special[44] | October 29, 1976 | Himself | Peter Criss, Ace Frehley, Paul Stanley | The band performed "Detroit Rock City" and "King of the Night Time World", Peter Criss performed "Beth" |
| 1985 | Miami Vice[45] | "Prodigal Son" | Newton Blade |
|
|
| 1997 | Action League Now![46] | "Rock-A-Big-Baby" | Toy version of himself | Peter Criss, Ace Frehley, Paul Stanley | Performed "Rock and Roll All Nite" |
| 1998 | MADtv[47] | October 31, 1998 (#406) | Himself | Peter Criss, Ace Frehley, Paul Stanley. | Halloween special; performed in five sketches |
| 2001 | Family Guy[48] | "A Very Special Family Guy Freakin' Christmas" | Animated version of himself | Peter Criss, Ace Frehley, Paul Stanley |
|
| 2001 | Who Wants To Be a Millionaire?[49] | May 27, 2001 | Himself |
| Won $500,000 for a charity |
| 2001 | The Daily Show with Jon Stewart[50] | June 12, 2001 | Himself |
| Almost licked Jon Stewart's face in response to Jon being unable to explain the difference between pleasure and joy to a man with a 'twelve-inch tongue' |
| 2002 | Family Guy[51] | "Road to Europe" | Animated version of himself | Peter Criss, Ace Frehley, Paul Stanley |
|
| 2002 | The Tonight Show with Jay Leno[52] | September 6, 2002 | Himself |
|
|
| 2003 | King of the Hill[53] | "Reborn to Be Wild" | Jessie |
|
|
| 2004 | Third Watch[54] | "Higher Calling" | Donald Mann |
|
|
| 2004 | Third Watch[55] | "Monsters" | Donald Mann |
|
|
| 2004 | Third Watch[56] | "More Monsters" | Donald Mann |
|
|
| 2005 | American Idol[57] | "Auditions: New Orleans" | Himself- guest judge |
|
|
| 2005 | Family Guy[58] | "Don't Make Me Over" | Animated version of himself/ Prisoner #3 |
|
|
| 2005 | Mind of Mencia[59] | Episode #1.7 | Himself |
|
|
| 2006 | The View[60] | August 1, 2006 | Himself | 2006 | Gene Simmons Family Jewels |
| 2007 | SpongeBob SquarePants[61] | "The Battle of Bikini Bottom" | Sea Monster |
|
|
| 2007 | Shrink Rap[62] | "Gene Simmons" | Himself |
| UK's More4 show |
| 2008 | Entertainment Tonight[63] | January 2, 2008 | Himself |
|
|
| 2008 | Jimmy Kimmel Live![64] | January 18, 2008 | Himself |
|
|
| 2008 | Rachael Ray[65] | March 11, 2008 | Himself |
|
|
| 2008 | Criss Angel Mindfreak[66] | "Mindfreaking with the Stars" | Himself |
|
|
| 2008 | Ugly Betty[67] | "The Kids Are Alright" | Himself |
|
|
| 2008 | Ugly Betty[68] | "A Thousand Words by Friday" | Himself |
|
|
| 2008 | Are You Smarter Than a 5th Grader?[69] | Episode #3.9 | Himself |
| Won $500,000 for the Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation charity |
| 2008 | The Celebrity Apprentice[70] | First three episodes | Himself |
| Fired in the third episode |
| 2008 | Jingles[71][72] |
| Celebrity judge |
| Mark Burnett reality show |
| 2009 | Glenn Martin DDS | Glenn Gary, Glenn Martin | himself | no band mates were involved |
|
| 2009 | American Idol[57] | Season Finale | Himself | Eric Singer, Tommy Thayer, Paul Stanley | Performed medley of 3 songs with contestant Adam Lambert |
| 2009 | The Fairly OddParents | "Wishology – Part 1: The Big Beginning" | Animated version of himself | Eric Singer, Tommy Thayer, Paul Stanley |
|
| 2010 | I Get That a Lot | Episode 2 | As Himself | No Band Mates Associated | Simmons appeared as a psychic working at the Mystic Journey Bookstore in Venice, California |
| 2010 | Extreme Makeover: Home Edition | Episode 160 | As Himself | No Kiss Band Mates Associated | The band Kiss made a personal appearance during the Wagstaff family's vacation in Disneyland and honored them as special guests at one of their concerts. Kiss also made a personal appearance at a local school where a donation of new musical instruments was made in the Wagstaff family's name. |
| 2010 | I'm in a Rock 'n' Roll Band! | Episode 1 And 5 | As Himself | None | Discussing the requirements of being in a rock band. |
| 2011 | Castle | To Love and Die in LA | As Himself | None |
|
[edit] Video appearances
In 2007, he appeared alongside other celebrities, as well as regular people, in the music video for "
Rockstar" by
Nickelback.
Video game appearances
Gene Simmons is a playable character in
Tony Hawk's Underground, unlocked when completing the story mode on Normal difficulty, and also appears with his Kiss bandmates in the Hotter Than Hell level to play one of three songs upon collecting the four K-I-S-S letters.
Gene Simmons' Kiss character, The Demon, is a playable character in
Kiss: Psycho Circus: The Nightmare Child.
Simmons also has a large role in the 2010 music video game
Guitar Hero: Warriors of Rock. In addition to narrating the main storyline and doing advertising for the game, the Kiss song "Love Gun" is playable.
Discography
Kiss
Gene Simmons' bass guitar
Gene Simmons bass guitar at the hard rock in Seattle, Washington
Solo
- Gene Simmons (1978)
- Sex Money Kiss (audiobook CD), 2003)
- Asshole (2004)
- Speaking in Tongues (spoken word CD, 2004)
Publishing career
In 2002, Simmons launched
Gene Simmons' Tongue, a men's lifestyle magazine.
[73] The magazine lasted five issues before being discontinued.
[74]
Published works
To see more of Who Is click here
Who is Jeffrey Michael Tambor? The entertainment and acting world knows Jeffrey Tambor as an American actor, perhaps best known for his roles as George Bluth Sr. and Oscar Bluth on Arrested Development and Hank Kingsley on The Larry Sanders Show.
Tambor was born July 8, 1944 in San Francisco, California, the son of Eileen (née Salzberg), a housewife, and Bernard Tambor, a flooring contractor. He grew up in a Conservative Jewish family with roots in Hungary and Russia.[1][2][3] Tambor is a graduate of San Francisco State University, where he studied acting and then went on to receive a master's degree from Wayne State University.
Tambor first moved to repertory theater, later making his Broadway debut in the comedy Sly Fox (1976), appearing with George C. Scott and directed by Arthur Penn. He appeared in Measure For Measure in the same year. In 1979 he starred in Norman Jewison's ...And Justice For All, as a lawyer friend of the protagonist, Arthur Kirkland (Al Pacino). In an early TV job, an ad for Avis rent-a-car, he was seen running (huffing and puffing) through an airport, mocking O.J. Simpson's "Go, O.J., go!" ads for Hertz. He has had a significant career in episodic TV, where he made numerous guest appearances on different shows, including Taxi, Kojak, M*A*S*H, The Golden Girls, and Three's Company. In 1979 Tambor got his first role as a main character in television in the short lived show The Ropers. Throughout the 1980s Tambor had a recurring role on Hill Street Blues. In 1987 and 1988, Tambor appeared as a regular on the prime time ABC series Max Headroom as Murray, Edison's editor. Later, he would have success co-starring in The Larry Sanders Show.
Tambor is often remembered as Hank Kingsley, the narcissistic sidekick of fictional talk show host Larry Sanders on The Larry Sanders Show. Tambor received four Emmy nominations for his performance on the show - all of which he would lose to Michael Richards for Seinfeld, David Hyde Pierce for Frasier, and his co-star, Rip Torn. He is also often remembered for his then famous catch phrase "Hey now."
In 2003, he starred in the television comedy Arrested Development as George Bluth Sr. and in some episodes his twin Oscar Bluth. In 2004, Tambor was nominated for his fifth Emmy award, but lost to David Hyde Pierce for the final season of the sitcom Frasier. In 2005, Tambor received his sixth Emmy nomination for his work on the show. He lost to Brad Garrett for the final season of Everybody Loves Raymond.
After the cancellation of Arrested Development in April 2006, Tambor signed on to a series with John Lithgow called Twenty Good Years about two men who ponder the last 20 years of their life. The show premiered on NBC on October 11, 2006, but was taken off the air after only a few episodes. Also in 2006, he portrayed George Washington on The Radio Adventures of Dr. Floyd. He also starred as "Uncle" Saul in the CBS comedy Welcome to The Captain until its cancellation in March 2008. He has made several cameo appearances in Entourage as a fictionalized version of himself who regularly annoys his agent, Ari Gold.
Tambor has been nominated for two Emmy Awards on Arrested Development and four for The Larry Sanders Show. He has won a Satellite Award for Best Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series. He has been nominated for two Screen Actors Guild Award along with the cast of Arrested Development, for Best Cast in a Comedy Series. He has also been nominated for a Television Critics Association Award for Outstanding Individual Achievement in a Comedy Series.
