Gene Simmons

Born Chaim Witz in Haifa, Israel, in 1949, Gene Simmons co-founded KISS in New York in 1973 alongside Paul Stanley. As the band's bassist and co-lead singer he created The Demon — the black-and-white makeup and outsized tongue that became one of rock's most recognizable images. As much entrepreneur as musician, he now tours with the Gene Simmons Band, a leaner outfit digging into the KISS catalogue and his own material, including a seven-date Canadian run in late 2026.