Gene Simmons

Biography: Blood-spitting, fire-breathing rock-and-roll showman; notorious ladies' man; marketing genius and entertainment mogul: Simmons wears many hats, or more accurately, a lot of makeup. His résumé is quite eclectic for an Israeli-born fellow who once taught sixth grade in Spanish Harlem. In the 1970s, Simmons played bass, sang in a variety of outfits, and eventually hooked up with guitarist-singer Paul Stanley. Along with drummer Peter Criss and guitarist Ace Frehley, they formed KISS, one of the most theatrical, over-the-top bands ever, and Simmons was the driving force behind its success. Playing simple but catchy hard-rock anthems and sporting skintight spandex outfits, huge platform shoes, metal spikes and Kabuki-like black-and-white face paint, the group exploded onto the music scene (literally, as their concerts were filled with pyrotechnics). KISS mania ran rampant, and soon the marketplace was flooded with everything from KISS comic books to TV-movies (such as the infamousBlood-spitting, fire-breathing rock-and-roll showman; notorious ladies' man; marketing genius and entertainment mogul: Simmons wears many hats, or more accurately, a lot of makeup. His résumé is quite eclectic for an Israeli-born fellow who once taught sixth grade in Spanish Harlem. In the 1970s, Simmons played bass, sang in a variety of outfits, and eventually hooked up with guitarist-singer Paul Stanley. Along with drummer Peter Criss and guitarist Ace Frehley, they formed KISS, one of the most theatrical, over-the-top bands ever, and Simmons was the driving force behind its success. Playing simple but catchy hard-rock anthems and sporting skintight spandex outfits, huge platform shoes, metal spikes and Kabuki-like black-and-white face paint, the group exploded onto the music scene (literally, as their concerts were filled with pyrotechnics). KISS mania ran rampant, and soon the marketplace was flooded with everything from KISS comic books to TV-movies (such as the infamous KISS Meets the Phantom of the Park) to masks. Although the band changed its lineup numerous times and its popularity waxed and waned over the years, Simmons had a knack for remaining in the spotlight with a variety of projects, whether it was penning his autobiography, launching a magazine (named Tongue, of course), overacting in a number of films (Wanted: Dead or Alive, Runaway), bragging about his sexual conquests (4,600 and counting) or hawking bizarre products (a KISS coffin that doubled as a beer cooler). Never one to ignore a trend, in the 2000s he tried his own reality series: the lackluster Gene Simmons' Rock School, in which he taught kids how to rock out, and Gene Simmons Family Jewels, a more successful, Osbournes-like, behind-the-scenes look at his home life with longtime companion Shannon Tweed and their two children. In his spare time, Simmons enjoys studying foreign languages and speaks Hungarian, Hebrew, German and Japanese...and hopes to tackle Mandarin Chinese. Expand

Gene Simmons' Scores

Average career score: 58
Highest Metascore: 72 Welcome to Sweden: Season 1
Lowest Metascore: 39 The Talk: Season 1
Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 2 out of 3
  2. Mixed: 0 out of 3
  3. Negative: 1 out of 3
3 tv reviews
Title: Year: Credit: User score:
tbd Gene Simmons Family Jewels: Season 5 Mar 21, 2010 Reality Cast Member tbd
tbd Late Night with Jimmy Fallon: Season 2 Sep 15, 2009 Guest 6.4
tbd The Doctors: Season 2 Sep 7, 2009 Guest / Gene Simmons tbd
tbd Gene Simmons Family Jewels: Season 4 Jun 7, 2009 Reality Cast Member tbd
tbd I Get That a Lot: Season 1 Apr 1, 2009 Appearing tbd
tbd American Idol Rewind: Season 3 Sep 27, 2008 Judge tbd
tbd Are You Smarter Than a 5th Grader?: Season 3 Sep 5, 2008 Appearing tbd
tbd Criss Angel Mindfreak: Season 4 Jul 23, 2008 Appearing tbd
tbd Gene Simmons Family Jewels: Season 3 Mar 11, 2008 Himself / Reality Cast Member tbd
tbd Jimmy Kimmel Live: Season 6 Jan 3, 2008 Gene Simmons tbd
tbd The Apprentice: Season 7 Jan 3, 2008 Contestant - Season 7 3.0
tbd Ugly Betty: Season 2 Sep 27, 2007 Himself 7.6
tbd Dr. Phil: Season 6 Sep 11, 2007 Guest tbd
tbd Criss Angel Mindfreak: Season 3 Jun 5, 2007 Appearing tbd
tbd Gene Simmons Family Jewels: Season 2 Mar 25, 2007 Himself / Reality Cast Member tbd
tbd Gene Simmons Family Jewels: Season 1 Aug 7, 2006 Himself / Reality Cast Member tbd
tbd Jimmy Kimmel Live: Season 4 Jan 4, 2006 Gene Simmons tbd
tbd The View: Season 9 Sep 5, 2005 Gene Simmons tbd
tbd Mind of Mencia: Season 1 Jul 6, 2005 Guest tbd
63 Family Guy: Season 4 May 1, 2005 Gene Simmons/Prisoner 7.1
tbd Mr. Romance: Season 1 Mar 14, 2005 Judge tbd
tbd American Idol: Season 4 Jan 18, 2005 Judge 1.5
tbd Third Watch: Season 6 Sep 17, 2004 Donald Mann tbd
tbd King of the Hill: Season 8 Nov 1, 2003 Jessie 8.5
tbd Third Watch: Season 5 Sep 29, 2003 Donald Mann tbd
tbd The View: Season 5 Sep 4, 2001 Gene Simmons tbd
tbd Family Guy: Season 3 Jul 11, 2001 Himself 7.4