2026-08-25

Happy Birthday Chaim Witz 2026

    Chaim Witz aka Gene Simmons
I was never a fan of the band Kiss. Some of my "top 40" interests did intersect with their work and I was familiar with them. I just never pursued them as a personal interest as did my young friend the late Shane Neeley, who was as they say "eat up" with them and their music.

Gene Simmons was born Chaim Witz on August 25, 1949. He went by the stage persona "the Demon" as a Rock Band character. He is an Israeli 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.

This was the year I graduated high school but I never even heard of them until I was in navy boot camp at Orlando some three years later. Mr Simmons, alongside Mr Stanley, remained a constant member of the band until their dissolution in 2023.

Mr Simmons is also known for his exceedingly long tongue and for his reality television show, Gene Simmons Family Jewels which was on the air from 2006 to 2012. I never saw that either.

He was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2014 as a member of Kiss. My primary interest in the work of Gene Simmons was his character acting to this day. However, he has interested me with his appearances and in those discussions which caught my interest over the years and today is his birthday.

Happy birthday to you !